Gut feelings and fair weather advisers

A piece of research among business leaders carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit recently found that nine out of 10 would be likely to rely on their gut feeling if presented with data that contradicted their intuition.
In a world that teems with business consultants offering guidance on best practice and must do’s of every shape and colour it can be difficult for the small business owner to know whose advice to trust, when to trust it and when to trust their own instincts.
It makes sense for start-ups and SME owners to take advantage of the wealth of support on offer particularly when they can’t afford to employ experienced executives or if they are looking for investment or finance.  However, it can be more tricky when the situation changes from optimism and doing well to one when plans are not working, or one when the business is running out of cash.
When optimism becomes a harsh reality, one reality is finding out about your advisers, most become unavailable, the more so when they are not being paid and the money is running out.
When as a business owner you are overcome with concern, have sleepless nights and are experiencing anxiety, you need advisers who can deal with reality. When running out of cash you need a business doctor to take a cold, hard look at the situation and at the opportunity so they can discuss your options for survival, for growth, or if necessary for closing down with dignity. The right advisers will have contacts for providing finance as well as having experience to help you deal with the issues that are causing you concern.
Most business owners know when they are being spun a line, when they are hearing what they want to hear but the courageous ones listen to their gut instinct while also employing advisers who will challenge them.