For the passionate entrepreneur, there are some who say that a business is like a baby (I’m not one): you nurture a new being into existence, watch it grow and protect it. Proud and fiercely ambitious for their future prospects.
While I’m not a fan of the baby analogy I do see why many women do think of their business as their “baby”. I’m not sure I’ve heard men say this.
In any case and while the sentiment is sweet, the reality can be that the business StartUps enthusiasm becomes a determination to control every aspect of their business, not only to cut costs but also to ensure the product and services meet exact requirements and specifications.
But just like a child who needs the teacher to explain algebra when the parents’ (not mine) murky maths skills fail during homework time, the business will benefit from the input of others who can handle tasks with more expertise, or simply free up time for other things.
It does not, however, mean farming off all the boring tasks to other people – you still take ownership and responsibility for the core aspects of the business.
Seek people for tasks that fall into these three categories:
Highly skilled – a task that requires someone with more experience and expertise than you have to advise and check on the running of the business (e.g. financial advisor, bookkeeper).
Highly repetitive – tasks such as data entry, inventories or packaging your products into boxes that are time consuming, keeping you away from more important tasks.
Specialised knowledge – a task that requires knowledge you don’t have, such as a software specialist to check your IT systems, website development.
The first step is accepting you need help, the second is finding the right sort of help to…well help.
It is worth seeking recommendations from friends and people within your network, but if that fails then don’t be afraid of looking online for professionals from all over the world. In these days of internet connectivity, it has never been easier to find people offering services of all kinds for a range of prices, and employing people on a freelance or project basis is an easy way to manage costs.
Proceed carefully – check references before hiring anyone, and then invest some time in clearly communicating the task and your expectations, as well as monitoring the work to ensure your new recruit is on track with your business and your needs. Having a clear idea of the outcomes you want to achieve is the best starting point when communicating with others.
While letting go, and letting other people influence your business, may be a hard it is a necessary step if you want to expand. You’ll be amazed when you embrace the expertise of others to enhance your business and the services you can offer.
Outsourcing is an extra expense – of course – but it has a real value in terms of increasing your potential profits and helping develop your business further in the long run. “How can I afford it” is the comment I most often hear. I believe that underlying that is the truth that “tiger mothers” don’t want to let go.
Let go of the Inner Tiger Mother – invite influence and assistance into your business and watch your business soar!
I’m Ingrid Thompson and thank you for reading this post.
My guess is that you are here because you are curious about what it might be like to start a business?
Perhaps you’ve been wondering if you have what it takes? If your idea will work or even how much it actually costs to build a successful business?
I’ve written a book that can answer pretty much all your questions “So You Want to Start a Business” and you can download the first 20 pages at www.thestartupsteps.com
15 years of experience working with start up businesses are condensed into this book.
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Happy reading!