Part of what I love about the Flying Solo community, and especially the forums, is that they provide an avenue to seek advice from one another.
You might not agree with everyone’s opinion, but putting yourself out there is guaranteed to get you thinking about things from other perspectives.
Often, we’re reluctant to reach out, even though others are really keen to help. When she was dying, one of my best friends told me “My only regret is that I didn’t ask for help sooner. Not only did I miss out on how good it feels to be supported, but I denied the people who love me the joy of giving me that gift when I needed it most.”
Her comments have stayed with me ever since, inspiring me to seek advice when I may have otherwise stayed quiet.
For the soloist, asking for help enables us to tap back into the wider skill-set many of us left behind when we retreated from the corporate jungle.
Back to the Flying Solo forums example, if you’re wondering whether your website could be performing better, just ask the brains trust and await their response. Graphic designers will comment on your colour scheme and logo choice. Web dudes and dudettes will advise on architecture. Copywriters will suggest new headlines and text. And our trusty SEO fanatics will advise you on improving your website's page rankings.
All you have to do is say thanks, take a deep breath and then knuckle down and get on with the work. And preferably, follow up to let the community know how you went!
People love to share their knowledge. It feels good. If there’s something you’re trying to work out in your business, flying solo doesn’t mean you need to do it all alone. Give others the chance to give by asking for help.
The one proviso is that your request needs to be genuine, and your approach needs to be constructive. Asking for a fish will only feed you for a day, but asking someone to teach you to fish is a whole different story.
Has the generosity and support of others made a difference to your business? I’d love to hear your knowledge sharing experiences.
“ People love to share their knowledge. It feels good. ”
Jayne Tancred is Concierge of the Flying Solo forum and helps to edit our contributor articles.
