A business buddy

Sole practitioners often need a business buddy, or peer mentor, with whom you can talk to -- and they to you -- as often as necessary. A few suggestions when looking for a business buddy:

- Make sure it’s someone you respect and who respects you, both enough to tell each other the truth.

- It’s probably best if the person is not in the same business as you.

- Thanks to modern technology, geography is not important.

- Plan to spend about 30 minutes each week talking with your business buddy.

- So you don't lose touch, set a specific date and time to talk.

We all need someone to give us advice, keep us on track, ask us tough questions, and help us come up with fresh ideas.