In business and life, help is all around you

On my first mountain bike race, I got obliterated — knocked sideways into the woods. Apparently, a deer had chosen to cross the trail through me rather than around me. Dazed and bloodied, I laid on the ground. I found myself surrounded by many people who saw it all unfold. One was a doctor. One was a nurse. One was a physical therapist. They checked me for signs of concussion, and a half hour later, I was up and able to slowly continue the race.

Another problem: my rear bike rim got kicked by the deer and was crazily out of whack. I was not going to be able to finish the race on this bike. I asked the first person I could, a man riding behind me: Do you know anything about fixing a bike rim? He said: Sure, I own a bike store in Marquette, and I’d be happy to help. He laid the bike down on its side and stomped on the rim. Good as new! I was able to finish the race.

Isn’t it strange: I am surrounded by people all the time. They aren't really noticing me and I’m not really noticing them. But if I needed help, they would likely jump at the chance. How would they know I needed help? One way to ask would be to be bloodied and on the ground. Another way would be to just ask.

The lesson, whether in biking or business: help is all around you, but you have to let people know that you need it. SCORE business mentors can be so helpful. But you have to ask! Try it!

SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. We have been offering free and confidential mentoring for more than 50 years. SCORE is associated with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and has 11,000 volunteers nationwide. The SCORE.org website has some wonderful resources available to everyone.

Tip of the Mitt SCORE mentors by phone, Zoom, email and in person. Go to SCORE.org and request a mentor and they will contact you to set up an appointment that works for both of your schedules. We are free and confidential and look forward to working with you.

Paul Krecke, a volunteer business mentor with SCORE’s Tip of the Mitt chapter, has a business background in clothing retailing and commercial real estate.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: In business and life, help is all around you