Hi °C | Lo °C The phrase 'you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink' came flooding into my brain when I read the results of an Ulster Bank survey, published last week, which focused on what advice Ulster entrepreneurs sought before starting a business.
The bank's research found three times as many budding entrepreneurs sought advice from friends and family than obtained advice from support agencies like Invest Northern Ireland.
And it actually showed seeking advice from local or government agencies came bottom of the list (11%).
In addition, the survey, which researched the views and expectations of businesses with up to 100 employees, showed that nearly a third of entrepreneurs went full steam ahead, seeking no advice when starting up or taking over a business.
Forging ahead alone or running ideas past friends or family is understandable in some ways, but surely common sense says that when help is at hand you should accept it.
The bank rightly believes that more people should use the services of support agencies.
Ulster Bank's David George said it was vital that our start-ups receive all the guidance that they need to succeed.
The strong base of expertise and advice available should be utilised. It makes sense for budding entrepreneurs to take advantage of the resources and know-how open to them.
