Your business is expanding and you find yourself working more and more hours on the ‘backend’ things rather than working with your clients. You no longer have time to make sure your marketing is getting out there because you’re so busy making sure payments came in, you’re loading your social media posts, you’re troubleshooting your shopping cart, you’re figuring out new things in your email provider account… that list goes on and on.
Basically what it all comes down to it this: Grow your team before you are in a panic, before there is so much to be done that you are overwhelmed, burned out, pulling your hair, and screaming at the computer.
The trouble with that is this: How do you know when you will hit that point? Are there warning signs?
Yes, there are definitely warning signs. Here are some of the most common:
- Your current clients are emailing, calling and following up with you to get what you promised to deliver.
- You are missing meetings, appointments and deadlines.
- You are not on top of payments coming in and going out.
- You are not sharing your message because you are frustrated with the technology involved in getting it out there.
Once you reach a certain point, the only way to continue to grow your business is to grow your team. As entrepreneurs, we have a ‘Can Do’ attitude that serves us well in reaching our goals, putting ourselves out there and building our business. However, that ‘Can Do’ attitude can keep us from asking for help and we are hesitant to let it go… but we must!
We all have the same 24-hours in each day. When you look at your time, is it better spent engaging with your community, building connections, working with your clients and customers? Yes! That is where you shine. That is why you started your business. Get back into your zone of genius.
When you grow your team, you want to find people who shine in their areas of expertise. Look for people who enjoy doing what they do just as much as you enjoy doing what you do. From there, you can each work in your area of strength, you can shine, you can enjoy the work… and that enjoyment can be felt all the way down to the newest member of your community.
Are you ready to grow your team?
Step 1:
First things first. Grab a piece of paper and make a list out of all of the things you LOVE to do and want to keep on doing.
Step 2:
Next, on that same piece of paper, make a separate list of all of the things thatare currently stressing you out + causing you frustration. These are the areas that are holding you back from shining in your business.
Step 3:
From the list of frustrations, is there an area that if covered by someone else would bring you immediate relief? I’m willing to bet there is. That is where you want to start. For example, do you HATE loading your social media week after week? There are TOTALLY people out there that will scoop up that task for you in a heart beat, accomplishing it on time and accurately.
Start small if that feels right to you. Even a couple of hours a week can be a HUGE help when you are doing it all. Start big if that feels right to you. Bring someone on to run your next launch, or take over your systems and operations.
Step 4:
The most important thing you can do is to get clear with yourself first. Ask yourself these questions:
- What do I want help with?
- How much do I want to spend on support?
- What are my expectations? What skills am I looking for?
- What personality traits will fit in well with my work style? My business? My clients?
List out everything you can think of, everything that is important to you and create a job posting/description from there. The more specific and detailed you are the more likely you will be to find and hire the perfect match for you and your business.
“Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it.” -Brian Tracy
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