It is said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. That might be true when it causes one to think that they are more of an expert than they really are or to overestimate their abilities. On the other hand, sometimes a little knowledge is just what you need.
I’m currently working on getting Shoom Zone Productions set up as an LLC (Limited Liability Company). This is the first time I’ve set up this particular form of business. Since I need to educate myself about it, I started asking my CPA questions about LLCs. Did he answer them? Nope. Instead, he got up and walked over to his bookshelf and pulled out a Nolo book on LLCs. He showed it to me and said that he could answer my questions, but it would cost me a fortune for him to teach me the basics, which I can easily learn on my own by reading the book.
Hmm…a $45 book or his hourly rate? It wasn’t a hard decision to make.
So, lately, yours truly has had her nose stuck in a book about LLCs. It’s not going to make me an expert. I have my CPA and lawyer for that. But once I’ve read the book, I’ll be able to talk to them from a more knowledgable position. No wasting their time and my money teaching me the basics. We’ll be able to skip over that part and go straight to the specific issues that will effect the business directly.
Already I’ve got a few questions to ask them and as I read more the list grows. But they’re questions I wouldn’t have thought of asking if I hadn’t read the book…at least not right away.
Sometimes a little knowledge can be a good thing.