…and if you really believe that, you’ve already fallen prey to the endless amount of horrid advice available everywhere in the world today for an entrepreneur.

Often when we have genius ideas, we are unsure of how to go about bringing them to fruition.  Part of your planning process will undoubtedly involve the (sometimes unsolicited) opinion of others who believe that they have something in the way of knowledge or resources to offer. Although it is true that reliable advice and guidance are key ingredients to long term success, it is also true that you must use your entrepreneurial savvy to know what to use- and what to leave on the table.

Here are a few ways you can up your chances of getting great feedback and superb guidance as you develop your ideas:

1. Are the sources you’re getting advice from credible?

   This seems like a no brainer, but unfortunately is one of the most common problems.When thinking about humans as resources, this can be difficult; especially when seeking out mentors or casual consultants.  We are influenced by our own biases when we seek out others for help (perhaps by overlooking someone that could be super helpful because they have a “liberal arts degree” instead of a “business degree”).  Additionally, it’s important to do your own background research first: the person giving you advice may not understand or have a clear idea of what you’re trying to do-especially if you don’t. To address this issue: ask the person what they know and how they know it; have clear objectives regarding what you want to glean from the interaction and, of course,  always ask thoughtful questions.

2. Have at least one person around you that hates your guts.

   Needless to say, this is not the person you will want to partner with in building your business. That being said, having someone around that isn’t afraid to tell you the cold, mean and merciless truths about yourself can be helpful. Why? Often close friends shy away from  telling you that your designs really suck, or that your organizational skills make your slovenly roommate look like a Martha Stewart aficionado.  Being aware of your  (sometimes hidden) weaknesses is important because you can either 1) try to improve them or 2) spend time doing what you can do well while allocating resources to areas that you know you need  help in. Doing everything all by yourself can be a bad idea if you’re bad at a lot of things. Just sayin’.

3. Parents aren’t always the best folks to get advice from.

   They have their biases too! And do your parents really believe that your “sneaker subscription business” will go far?  Parents have the best intentions at heart, but they sometimes tend  to worry more than you do about your financial situation. Unfortunately, this can lead to advice that isn’t necessarily bad…just off track, and perhaps better suited to a different time in your life. You might want to let them in on it a little later down the road…unless you need that small loan *right* now.

4. Your intuition is like a traffic light inside your gut…sometimes you don’t have to stop.

   As someone who fervently believes in the power of “the gut feeling”, I wouldn’t be able to leave without telling you that it’s okay to follow your instincts. At the end of the day, no one is living your life except you. You have the final say in your life decisions, and if you just can’t shake “that hunch” then  maybe you are on to something…even when everyone else says you’re nuts!

   And so what if you make a mistake.  In social science especially, there is the idea that one learns just as much (and sometimes more) from studies and experiments that don’t confirm the original hypothesis.

Don’t fall prey to bad advice: do your research and take advantage of trustworthy resources while being cautious of unwise counsel. That’s advice you can count on!