When you start a company, it's a very good idea to reach out for help and advice. Fortunately, there are a lot of organizations, vendors, and even investors out there that can help. And you also should consider building an advisory board.
Build an Advisory Board
It's very helpful to pull together a team of advisors that provide a sounding board, and that provide key skills, contacts, or experience that your startup team lacks. Make a list of the skills, types of contacts, and experience that would help you succeed, and then start building a list (starting with the connections that the founding team has) of prospective board of advisor members.
Organizations that can Help
Here are a few of the organizations you might want to check out. Many of them provide networking and educational events. Some provide coaching, mentoring, and business plan reviews.
Service ProvidersThere are a lot of service providers who can help with advice also. The most important will be your attorney. Be sure to select an attorney that is experienced with early-stage startups. Many of these are listed in our Service Provider list.
Other Resources
Check out the many other networking and event organizations listed in our Networking Groups list. You'll find local, state, and federal resources in our Government Resources list.