The World: We all need a mentor and we all need to be mentoring others. You can grow old and die or you can grow in wisdom, be a coach for the next generation, and be one of the people who cause positive change in life.

In the opening of each show, you hear these words:

"I am convinced that every adult American has an idea for a business.
When you have your own business, you are free to act on those ideas . . . .
you have to feel, if you don't do this, your life will not be complete." -Hattie

So, what are you waiting for?

Often the answer is: "Somebody to help." And, we know thousands of people who want to help. And, we trust in the goodwill of other small business owners to help other small business owners.

There are several excellent resources to find mentors and coaches; and most are not far away. Check with the local group within these groups:

• Chambers of Commerce - Chambers are changing. They are becoming vibrant advocacy groups within cities and towns. Attend a meeting and ask for help. You'll be surprised!
• Counselor's to America's Small Business (SCORE, a part of the SBA) - Ken Yancey is the CEO of the organization and a great guy. Go to their web site and find two or three of their 10,000+ people who will freely come to your aid.
• The Opportunity Knocks Groups: Jim Schell says, "The independent streak most business owners have keeps them from asking for advice or help." Small business owners need a group of trusted peers. A group of peers will better help solve problems than will attorneys, CPAs or other types of paid professionals.
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC, a part of the SBA) - Also known as the SBDC and there are over 1200 centers, probably one in your neighborhood.
• Your local small business associations, especially those within your local trade assoiciation,
• Economic Development Commission (EDC) - Get to know your nearest EDC does want you to cut back on jobs, but to create more. There are now people among every commission that will mentor you or guide you to somebody who will.
• Continuing education centers at local university's business school - Small Business School works with Thomson Learning and hundreds of case studies from the show are now published in the best-selling, most popular textbooks for business schools around the world. The continuing education departments of these schools are now turning to their small businesses for special courses, anywhere from one-night to one-night a week for a semester!
  
  Check with your closest university business school.
• Professional business coaching organizations - Agree to hire someone to watch you for a week or a month to observe and advise you along your way. That is the role of a coach and there are professional business coaches in most every community in the USA.
• Management consulting businesses, and
• business incubators (for start ups).
• Use Small Business School more aggressively: An open letter to be involved

If you would like a few more references:
1. Long list of leadership resources
2. Coaching resources
3. Women's resources

We all need help. Whether you are starting or growing your business, it is good to have somebody else to share an idea and review a process. There is a deep-seated symmetry in life when we give some help to another, as well as when we get some help from another. Although many of us have simply been frustrated by our attempts to help others -- it sometimes seems unappreciated -- it is incumbent on us all to keep trying to find the right formula to help keep small businesses alive and to grow.

If you have not yet put up a web site and you need a little help, check out these resources, let us know, and we will recommend a WWW expert in your neighborhood.

Some are technical experts from among our sponsors. And, some are viewers with special expertise who have volunteered.

If you would just like a person to be a sounding board, another small business owner who is also facing the challenges of growing their business, we may introduce you to one of our viewers who has volunteered to be a mentor.

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