Chapter 15

Learning from the Experiences of Others

In This Chapter

Connecting with mentors and peers who can help

Assembling a board of advisors

Finding a partner

Tapping into trade associations and business incubators

Surveying other business resource options

What do you think the number one cause of small-business failure is? Do you think it’s lack of capital? How about poor location? Maybe inadequate marketing or distribution?

Answer: none of the above. Rather, the answer is isolation, as in the small-business owner’s isolation.

A lack of capital, a poor location, and inadequate marketing and distribution aren’t causes of small-business failure; they’re just symptoms — symptoms of the dreaded disease Owner’s Isolation Syndrome. The symptoms of this syndrome affect every small-business owner at one time or another, but if you commit yourself to preventing the disease, you can avoid many of the symptoms.