If you plan on being in business for more than a few days— maybe even hours—change is inevitable. It may be a small tweak, like adding a loyalty program, or you may go all out and add an entirely new product line. Whatever the change, no entrepreneur needs to go at it alone. Here are a few people who are in your court to help you through your decisions.

Trusted customers (your super fans)

They’re the people you serve, the reason your business exists in the first place. And bottom line, they’re the only way you can become more profitable. So why not involve them at the beginning of a change?

Whether it’s over coffee or conference call, get together a group of trusted customers to ask them about what they like or dislike about your business. Run through your idea for change and ask for honest feedback. Gather all their comments and keep them handy as reference to guide future decisions.

Professional partners (your A-team)

We know that you know the most about your business, but the people who know the next-best are probably your accountant, banker, and lawyer. While you’ve got the vision, this powerhouse team can give you their financial and legal know-how to advise your business decisions.

Industry peers (your compadres)

Experience can teach us a lot. So, why not learn through someone else’s successes or failures? Ask your fellow entrepreneurs about their biggest challenges, how long it took before they started seeing results, and who helped them along the way.

The competition (your arch-nemeses)

So, you may not be able to call up your top competitor for a sneak peek at their newest product, but keeping tabs on the competition is part of staying relevant.

If you feel like you're always playing catch-up, make sure the businesses you're chasing are heading towards a destination that makes sense for you. You might find that when the competition moves on, you can find a gap they left behind for your business to fill. Keep an eye on their moves and the market to stay current and competitive.

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