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If you are in a hole you don't need a shovel
by Gary Clark

A business owner is walking back to his office after lunch casually
reading the headlines of the newspaper he just picked up.

He fails to notice an open manhole and falls in
The ladder has been removed and the sides are slick, and he is unable
to climb out.

A doctor walks by and the man yells up "can you help me get out of
here" The doctor yells back "call my office and set up an
appointment" and keeps walking.

A little while later, a priest walks by and the man yells up "hey can
you help me out here?" The priest yells back - "yes my son - I shall
pray for you" and keeps walking.

Time passes with no assistance. Another man walks by and notices the
man in the hole. He yells down "do you need help?" which the man
promptly yells back "yes" Immediately the man jumps into the hole.

Now they are both down in the hole and the original man yells at the
new guy "how could you do that? You fool! - now we are both stuck"

The new man calmly answers, "yes - but I have been in this same hole
before, and I know how to get out"

Has the making of a good joke doesn't it? However, it strikes close
to home when you think back on the times when you were in a hole, and
people simply walked by, or turned their head.

In business, just like in life, we are going to find ourselves in a
hole. It does not matter how we got there, be it our own stupidity,
the stupidity of another, or simply because we were not paying
attention and allowed life to catch us off guard. Either way, we end
up in a hole we can't get out of.

And it makes us sick, mentally, physically and spiritually. But none
of the professional healers we talk to, want to help us out of this
hole. In most cases, they make money when you're in a hole.

The task of getting you out of a business hole is charged to the
business coach, especially a business coach who has failed their way
to success. They know how to get out of the holes you find yourself
in, because chances are they were in that hole long before you.

Business coaches are always asking if you need help. But unlike the
parable above, in most cases, we are too proud to admit we do. The
business coach understands that, for it is usually the same reason
they ended up in that hole before you. If you find yourself in a
hole, and the coach asks if you need help, you will find out that the
true professional coach will shut up and walk away if you say no.
They also understand pride all too well.

We are business coaches, but that is not the issue when it comes to
asking for help. There are many resources other then us. Yes, we
have failed our way to success time and time again. That is because
as entrepreneurs, we push the limits. Just about every one of our
mentors/coaches have been in holes so deep, we couldn't see
daylight.

In most cases, the person who ended up helping us is now a member of
our group, and who at one time or another helped another member of
the group. We got here despite the occasional hole, and if you don't
get discouraged, you will too.

How do you work with a coach? Easy - it starts with dialog. A good
coach does not care what you did in the past. All they are going to
do is get you out of the hole and help you become successful for the
future. If you are not in a hole yet, but recognize the need for a
mentor, then the coach's job is to steer you clear of the holes

Because you got yourself into a hole however, you have to understand
that what ever you did, it wasn't right. But there is no need for an
excuse, or a reason. Everyone tries something sometime that doesn't
work out. That is why they call you entrepreneurs. Do not beat
yourself up because it didn't work. After all, it could have just as
well succeeded. The fact that you tried, speaks volumes towards your
credentials as an entrepreneur.

In addition to the Small Business Coaching Group site, http://educ-
net.net, the people who find themselves in a hole can contact SCORE,
the Service Corp of Retired Executives, or the SBA, the Small
Business Administration.

Can't afford to hire a coach? How do you know? If the hole you find
yourself in is a financial hole, a good coach will show you ways to
better work your finances so that you get rid of that worry. A coach
could be your banker, or your CPA. Yes, it is going to take money to
make money, but hiring a coach has the same requirements as hiring an
attorney when you are in trouble.

You wouldn't hire your brother-in-law if you were being wrongly
prosecuted, (unless your brother-in-law was Melvin Belli) but you
would hire an attorney - would you not? Then, when your business is
in trouble, would you seek assistance from a business professional?

As logical as this sounds, many people still believe they can fix the
problem all by themselves. To that we say - good. You have that
entrepreneurial spirit we find refreshing. Give it a shot and just
keep our name on file. We don't think that you should run for help
just when things get stressful. However, set a turn-around milestone
for yourself, (a financial low point, or sales low point) and if your
reach it without relief, then call us.



Gary Clark is a Copywriter and Web Content writer
(http://www.gaclark.com ) who for over 25 years has been involved
with Small Business as a Lecturer, Consultant and Credentialed
Instructor of Small Business Entrepreneurship. He is also the
Managing Director for the Small Business Coaching Group http://educ-net.net

He can be reached by e-mail at Write4Me@GAClark.com or by phone at
719-209-1239 Mon thru Fri / 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

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Phil Robinson www.bpic.co.uk
July 2002