When you are just getting started you usually need to do a lot yourself, cash is scarce and you can't be sure when you will bring in the funds to start paying yourself properly, nevermind taking on an outlay for things you believe you can do yourself...
Chances are, if you started out with big plans for growth and even aim to go for crowdfunding, then you will have planned for bringing in the right support team as soon as possible.
Most small business owners reading this will more likely be going for organic growth, built with their own resources. This route can be extremely rewarding, in that you get to ensure you run your business, your way, but this is when you need to be much more tuned into when to bring in the right expertise so you don't stand in your own way.
A good example of this is Ben Francis, with his amazing Gymshark growth, he outsourced senior management positions to evolve and learn and didn't let pride get in the way of growth.
As a business owner, you know your expertise and what you can bring to the table. This is where your focus should be if you truly want to grow a business and not just create a workplace for you to keep doing the day job.
It is easy to get caught up in that new software that will help with one aspect, whether it is finance software when your expertise is marketing or Canva for Instagram posts when your day job is an accountant. This all takes time, which if you have nothing else to do is OK but as soon as the business picks up pace, how are you going to fit it in at the same time as actually doing the work that brings in the income?
If you are just starting out then take some time to think about what activities you can do and what you will delegate as soon as you can. As an owner of a small business you can get swept up into the details very quickly, and it can become too overwhelming to put things in place one you get going, so take the time to get clear on the culture and message of your business so this can be made clear to any new employees or outsourced suppliers.
If you have been going for a while and are feeling like it's all got too much and is going the wrong way, then before you pack up and walk away, step back and take a look at which parts of what you do you can say you really enjoy and for which parts you need to find another way. If there are still parts you enjoy, then it's not too late to evolve it into what you originally envisioned but you need to find the energy and do the work.
Any activity can be outsourced or delegated, but it is on you to make sure that support person knows the right outcome for you, to be successful.
For those in an established business and feeling the need to make changes, but aren't sure where to start, spend some time tracking your tasks and activities and assessing what needs to change.
We have developed a simple template to give you some ideas on what needs to change, so if you find you need some help and are considering outsourcing to an expert in their field, please refer to our Advisors and Support list here where you will also find our time assessment template to download, to help give you a steer in the right direction.
Until next time......
Comments