Experts are told to share their expertise, give it away freely, build a reputation and become the ‘go-to’ person for advice in their chosen field. And they do.
There is a wealth of superb free advice on the Internet on practically every subject under the sun but for some reason the world of business seems to attract some particularly annoying characters who take the view that all business owners are idiots who need to be rescued from their own folly.
I’m not talking about the really good consultants and advisers who have been there, done it and worn out the tee shirt. I’m talking about the imitators of the Harry Enfield character who bleats “You don’t wanna do that” followed swiftly by “let me help you, I’m an expert and you’re doing it all wrong”.
Just like Harry Enfield’s smug character these jokers make an art form out of stating the bleedin’ obvious and try to make everyone in business believe that they can’t do anything without taking advice.
Business isn’t rocket science (well, maybe with the exception of the rocket building business). People with no schooling and no experience have been running successful businesses for years. There are 7 companies in Japan over 1,000 years old; Stella Artois was founded in 1366 and there is an Austrian restaurant that has continuously traded successfully since the year 803. I wonder if they wrote a business plan before they started or if they just used common sense?
Pretty much everything in business has been done before. The products and processes may change but business basics don’t. Even Social Media, currently the realm of more ‘experts’ than consumers is just another form of communication with the same basic rules we’ve always used. All the information anybody needs to run a successful business is already out there and most people who have done it are more than happy to share their expertise.
If it hasn’t been done before, there are no experts but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
Here’s a shocker: successful businesses came before business theory. The theory was written by people who studied the way successful businesses run, not the other way round. Yours could be the next subject of a study.
Don’t wait for all the lights to be green before you set off. You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.
And if anyone says “You don’t wanna do that!” Chances are they need you more than you need them.
Ann Hawkins Business Mentor – The Inspired Group
