One of my biggest lessons in business has been that you don’t have to do it all yourself. Now for most of you, you’d be thinking this is easier said than done, and I hear you. For years I too struggled along.
I was told by many that good staff were hard to come by. See, it’s all about what you believe. If you believe getting good reliable staff will be more hassle than it’s worth, that’s what you’ll attract. I know many business owners who have horror stories to tell about hiring the wrong people. I even have some of my own.
But that’s only because I believed that staff were lazy. I was told that no one would be as passionate about the business as I was. I was brought up by the saying “If you want something done properly, do it yourself.” All these are really suicide beliefs for business success.
Because the thing is, no matter how hard you work and no matter how many hours you do a week, you’ll reach that point. If you want your business to grow further, you’ll have to take someone on.
If you don’t, you’ll burn out. This could mean not being able to perform as you have. The result of this could be loss of customers and loss of income. You may burn out so badly that you lose your entire business because of it.
So, how can you fix this dilemma? You can start by changing your stinking thinking. Time is money they say, so it’s important that you utilize your time in the most profitable way. Take my latest venture for example.
I started this venture in October last year. As usual, with my experience and mindset, it started building fast. In a very short time, I was hiring writers to help me with the workload. Outsourcing the writing was necessary because there was too much for me to be able to do myself whilst I was doing everything else.
The guidelines I set for the writers were very strict. They had to be good, reliable and be able to meet deadlines. If they didn’t, they didn’t make my “team.” Every writer was given a trial article, which really killed two birds with one stone.
They were on subjects that were useful for my business, so it gave me content at the same time. If they were good, they were invited on board, if not, they were paid for their troubles and let go. By the beginning of December, I had four writers on my team.
I realized though, I needed more help. My superpowers are in the creation of a business, the building of a business and then promotion of that business. Where I lack skill and desire to work is in customer service. Sure, I can do it well. However, I find it drains me quickly and then the quality I deliver decreases. So, there comes a time when I need to get out of it. I had to hire a quality team leader.
So, I set about doing this. The first person I hired turned up late, and didn’t perform, so she was gone. The second however, turned out to be gold. I’d found someone who was grateful for the job. Someone who could see my vision and knew with some nurturing this could be a winning formula. Was I lucky? No. Was I certain about the person I wanted to attract? Yes, for sure. The rest is history.
Here I am, seven months into this business. I now have a full team of people working for me and my turnover has increased significantly. I am able to step back and focus now on the building and promotion of this business, whilst my outsourced freelancers do the bulk of the work. My team leader is in charge, and I am confident and certain that she’s doing an outstanding job. I am still guiding her and making sure all bugs are out of the systems, but mostly she’s autonomous.
I have a successful business! It wasn’t easy and I can tell you, I fired more than I hired. That was because my standards were high and I was tough. The result though is a thriving business that I can step back from, knowing it will still grow.
So, how can you start outsourcing some of your work? If you are not confident enough yet to go and hire the “right people” then consider outsourcing to a company. Outsourcing your content creation to a company like mine will save you time, have you showing up consistently in your marketplace and bring clients to your door. It will get you seen and heard, so that clients start knowing, liking and trusting you. From there, you’ll have more income, so can then start to hire “the right team.”
If you are ready to do it yourself, I suggest this.
Be crystal clear on your outcome you want.
Be tough and don’t take anyone on that isn’t right for the job.
Don’t be afraid to let someone go if they don’t work out.
If you follow these three steps, you’ll be well on your way to finding the right team to back you up and help your business skyrocket! Good luck!
About Maini
Maini Homer – The “Queen of Content Creation” has been in business for over 23 years. She’s a #1 International Bestselling Author in three countries and has created 13 successful businesses from scratch. Follow Maini on Linkedin or visit her company’s website for more information on how she can help you become successful in your business.
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