Running our own endeavours may have sounded like a fabulous idea but after a while we can start to think...
Every business owner has asked these questions of themselves or said some of these things at some point or another as they build their business. The thing is you are comparing your business with all it's warts and problems with the sexy sales showroom you see of other businesses.
Two issues with this thinking (1) They have all the same warts and challenges as you do in their backroom... and (2) Stop comparing and focus on what you are doing and be the best at what your proposition is... no two businesses do exactly the same and there is enough out there for everyone.
Imagine a group of other business owners out there running their businesses deciding that they are going to help you. They have agreed to put their minds together, with all their collective knowledge and experience, to help you get ahead and solve the challenges you've got going on.
These other business owners will effectively be 'thinking outside the box' from a completely different perspective. They are not in your game... they are watching your game, and will often see things that are blatantly obvious, but invisible to you, because you are just too wrapped up in it all to see the wood for the trees.
Plus... as you hear other people's issues and the solutions from others this just accelerates your creativity and innovation to apply these things into your business.
We need to be mindful though... the solutions others are putting forward may work for them. They are ideas, possibly ideas with some substance as they have worked elsewhere, but will they work for you?
The importance of 'finding your own way' is an integral part of peer support.... you are free to accept the input of others but equally and importantly you have the freedom to choose what you want to do.
Deciding what to do is one part of the equation... getting on with it and taking action another. Peer support groups work because kind empathetic support is at the heart of the group.
Accountability isn't about chastising people for non performance... that's very corporate, this is about helping people find their own way... if things get done it is because it is a great blend of you having made the write choices (for now), a desire to do those things (can be lots of reasons, personal growth, necessity) and the reward and satisfaction of having moved things forward (real progress).
As part of these mentoring groups which consist of 6 people plus a community coach facilitator, there is an online private google community to help with issues as they are worked through.
This provides a safe place where the peer group can gain support at any point in the month.
If you would like more details on peer support groups or OMG's as we call them, please email us on southwesthertsDL@link4growth.biz or use the [... contact us] form.
Please do also visit the OMG Blog site with more details on existing OMG's and how they work.