Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Matching the Right Advisors to Your Business Needs

Half the battle of fixing a problem with your site is realizing that it has a serious problem and needs help. Before you can tackle the other half of the problem, though (solving it), you have to find the right person to assist you.

First, take a look at the different types of help available to you. Here are your options, depending on the severity of your problem, the amount of resources you have to spend, and your personal comfort level in seeking outside consultation:

• Trusted advisors: You can usually find two types of trusted advisors:
  • The people closest to you whom you already turn to regularly for help: They might be family members, college roommates, or former coworkers.
  • A structured set of advisors: If you've been in business for a while, you probably have in place a board of directors or an informal panel of business professionals who offer you advice occasionally. Or perhaps you belong to, and network with, a group of professionals within your industry and you serve as resources for one another.
• Free resources: These nonprofit organizations, government-sponsored entities, and membership-based associations typically offer counseling and business advice at no charge (or for a nominal fee or donation).

  These groups often consist of retired executives or employed professionals who enjoy mentoring and advising others.