How to Ask for Help

How to Ask for Help (like you mean it!) 

Many small business owners will encounter the need to ask for help at least once in their journey. In this Content with Character episode and article, we’re going to talk about what you might actually need, how you know you’re ready to ask for help, AND what to have in place before you bring in an expert or hire someone. 

Here are some “cries for help” I’ve heard most recently from fellow small business owners: 

• “I’m just not attracting the right kind of people, I keep getting wrong fit clients or projects and they’re sucking my soul”
• “I know there’s more potential for me, but I don’t know how to harness it.”
• “I want to launch this thing or create something new, but my branding and messaging are off. My whole vibe is just wrong!” 
• “I’m bored and want more enjoyment in my business.”
• “I’m tired, overwhelmed, and doing way too much, I’m drowning, I’m burned out, and exhausted.”
• “Nothing is landing or working.”
• “I have no idea where to start.” 
• “My business is a representation of the business I started ten years ago, not where I am today and not where I’m going.”
• “Everything is entirely overcomplicated. There’s just TOO MUCH.”

You get the ick. The agh. The ugh. The 🫠.

Then, you start to ask yourself all the questions… Do I burn it down? Start something new? Take it in a different direction? Rebrand? Refresh? Hire someone to help? 

Before you move ahead and ask for help, PAUSE. 

Wait for clarity on what you actually need. Do you know what’s wrong? What do you need help with? 

Tangible Signs You Might Need to Ask for Help (and what they might indicate!) 

1. Constantly “tweaking” your message or website? 

• This could mean you don’t have clarity on your brand positioning or core messaging.
• It could mean business is slow and you think one more tweak might do the trick
• It might be that you’re TOO busy but consistently attracting wrong-fit
• You may need an entire wipe the slate clean: rebrand, get fresh website copy, or it may mean you need an outside perspective to help you find clarity.
• When people share this woe with me, it’s often the perfect place for a strategy session or a brand messaging guide to lay the foundation.
• You may simply need to STOP overthinking and stop tweaking. Let it breathe. There’s that too. 

2. “I have content ideas, but I never get them out consistently.”

• You might not have time
• You might be overwhelmed, disorganized, or you haven’t built a system yet that would work for you
• You may also be trying to show up in places you don’t enjoy or that don’t work for you, so it feels like nothing is working, despite your best efforts.
• The solution might be in the form of: 
  ✅ Task Management Support (VA, podcast editor, social media help, etc.)
  ✅ Creating systems and processes for yourself to streamline things.
  ✅ And again, an extra set of eyeballs can be what the doctor ordered here, too! 

3. “I know I’m doing too much, but I don’t know what to cut out.”

• This is a tough spot to be! I’ve been there. I think it’s important to take an inventory, look at what your offerings are, make sure they’re cohesive and streamlined, and then, if you’re trying to get rid of extraneous things that cost time and energy without money
• You might need to look at what your offerings are and which ones are profitable and/or fulfilling you in the way you need.
• This might take an outside brain, or you may be able to do it yourself with some honesty and a good sit-down. 

4. “I’m making money, but I don’t know where it’s going.”

• This isn’t a fun feeling at all! Do you need help? Maybe.
• Perhaps you lack strategy, knowledge, and accounting software
• Or maybe, there are just a few oversights to clean up.
• You might need pricing, profit, and revenue assistance. 
• You may need a new system, a bookkeeper, a money coach, or a solo money date with your business. 

5. “I’m booked out but still stressed and behind.”

• There comes a point when the systems we’re running on can’t keep up with our success. Perhaps your systems haven’t quite scaled like you have.
• This is probably a sign you need help, at the very least in creating systems and automations that can keep up.
• You might need a VA, OBM, or an extra set of hands ie. subcontractor
• My advice is to start considering help BEFORE you get to this breaking point. It’s harder to search when you’re in full-on panic mode.

6. “I’m not converting inquiries into clients.”

• It could be you have a messaging problem and it could be your copy or language.
• It could be your pricing
• It could also be your sales
• There are lots of things here that might require outside assistance, I think this is one of the hardest ones to go it alone. 

A couple of other common issues (I won’t deep dive into them all)

• You’re ready for what’s next, but don’t what that is or how to determine it 
• You have offers in place, but nothing seems to be taking off 
• You’re stuck on an island, idealess and uninspired. 

You might feel these things in a number of ways and even, a number of them at the same time.

There comes a point for all of us when we have to raise our hand, and ask for HELP. 

Help might look like: 

1. A rebrand
2. A new website and fresh copy 
3. Task management assistance or technical support
4. Organization, systems, processes, streamlining 
5. Strategy 
6. Marketing help 
7. Sales
8. Coaching 
9. Profit and revenue assistance 
10. The list goes on and on… 

Before you ask for help, make sure you have…

Clarity on which problem you’re looking to solve. 

When we lack clarity and go in search of help anyway, it can get ugly. If you don’t know what you need, the people you ask will most certainly have opinions of what you need, and they’re not always the RIGHT solutions.

For example, a branding person might say it’s your branding, a sales coach might say it’s your sales process, a marketing person might say it’s your marketing. Get clear on what you need and the problem you’re looking to solve. 

Clarity doesn’t mean you have to have it all figured out. It’s simply knowing which problem you’re trying to solve. Then, finding the right person to solve it. When in doubt, ask others who have been where you have and what they did to solve the same issue. Without clarity, it creates more confusion and problems, not less.

Before you ask for help, make sure you have…

• A strong understanding of who your business works with or wants to work with. 
• A good grasp on your strengths, skills, personality, and values 
• A willingness to collaborate and give/receive feedback – honesty and clear communication are KEY. 
• Flexibility and an open mind 
• A North Star (vision, purpose, message)
• Alignment between what you say and how you show up

How to Ask for Help when it makes you feel “less than”

Does asking for help feel like a sign of weakness? Or maybe you feel like if you don’t DIY it ALL, you’re a failure.

Friendly reminders: 

1. Needing help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a GOOD thing! If anything, it’s a sign that you have a vision and you want to keep moving in the direction of that vision. The moment you realize you can’t or don’t want to do it all is a growth moment because you’re realizing your vision is far bigger than solo survival. 
2. Asking for help is what makes the world go round. No one is truly self-made. Example: You didn’t craft the bootstraps you’ve been pulling yourself up by, did you? It takes all skills, talents, and the exchange of those things to keep the world and small business economy spinning.
3. Not asking for help is costing you (not saving you money). Think of the hours sucked away trying to get a graphic right on Canva or wondering what on earth a website should say or the time and energy spent on reinventing systems only to have them break down. Not investing in help is costing you money, time, or energy. Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should.
4. We’re not supposed to be great at everything (despite what the online world tells you!). No one excels at all of it. High-performing businesses are built on intelligent collaborations, not superhuman solo efforts. Believe me, having someone help with website, branding, copy, the whole nine is a lot more efficient in the long run than DIY-ing. They’re masters of their craft, and you’re a master of yours! We all do better when we stay in our lanes! 

Oftentimes, asking for help is the only way to elevate and grow. Not always, but very often! It’s needed to get you to the level you want to grow. 

Where to look for help: 

1. Good Old-Fashioned Google: For a lot of services, Google is still alive and well! If you go the route of the Google search, make sure to look at websites, read reviews, and get on a call/Zoom with the person to ensure a right-fit.
2. Referrals and Word of Mouth: Keep in mind, one person’s idea of a good referral is someone else’s nightmare. Not everyone is going to be equipped to recommend a perfect fit YOU (even if it worked for them). Even with word-of-mouth, do your research exactly as you would had you stumbled across them randomly on Google.
3. Facebook Groups/Online Forums: I’ve gotten great recommendations from Facebook groups, Discord, Mighty Networks, and Reddit. The key with these is to be as specific as you can, have criteria in place in case you get pummeled with recommendations, and STILL do your research. 
4. Don’t Discount Social Search: Linkedin, TikTok, and Instagram are all search engines. I’ve had lots of success with people finding ME on these platforms. The advantage is you can learn more about them right there on the platform, then head over to their website to learn even more. 
5. Free Local Organizations:  These are fabulous resources for small businesses and have a wealth of knowledge to provide you with. In many cases, they’re also FREE. Some to look into if you’re local to the New Hampshire area area SBDC, Score, and Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship in Keene.