Operating your own business requires an intensity and creative energy someone employed in a regular job can't comprehend.
Because that's true, you may have reached a point when you need to start hiring people to help get things done.
Here's a strategy for hiring the right people for the tasks that get in the way of growing your business.
You may have been handling the details of your personal and professional lives on your own for so long that you don't recognize when it's time to start outsourcing.
Let me give you an example of how outsourcing one routine task could free you to focus on building your business.
Let's say your favorite dry cleaning firm is an hour round trip from your office.
What could you be doing in that hour that creates more business, instead? When you multiply the time away from business tasks times your standard business fees, you begin to understand why delegating that kind of routine task can improve your bottom line.
Maybe your routine tasks are business related-answering phones, shuffling through email or making travel arrangements.
Whatever it is that's keeping you from actually focusing on finding new customers or creating products, it may be time to let someone else do it.
Your greatest need may be as simple as being able to rest once in awhile.
You maybe trapped in the cycle of working long hours, late into the night and every weekend.
Wouldn't it be more productive to work with a team and have them take over tasks that don't require your personal attention, and actually balance work and rest? Finding the right team to take over things that keep you distracted from work can make a huge difference.
Decide what kind of help would do the most good right now.
Do you need a personal assistant to handle dry cleaning pickup and delivery or a virtual assistant to schedule your newsletter? For each business owner, it's something different.
But at some point, it isn't optional if you want your business to grow.
Insisting on doing everything yourself is a sure-fire way to keep your business small.
Finding skilled team members to lighten your load can surprise you in another way.
You're going to find there are things you simply aren't suited for; for instance, you might slog through ironing your own clothes but why focus all that effort on something that can be outsourced to someone who does it well? So consider where your team would do the most good.
Decide what can be outsourced and then find people with the right skills, whether virtual or local.
Remember, it doesn't matter if the team member who posts articles to your website is in Australia or anywhere else in the world, so long as they do a great job and free you to do the things you need to do.
You want to outsource tasks to free up time, to grow your business or simply to get enough rest.
Start thinking about hiring a team to support you in your business.
What kinds of things would make your life simpler, allow you to focus on your business or find some balance? Once that's clear in your mind, you'll know who to look for and what kind of skills they need.
Then you'll be on your way to building a great team.
And that team will make all the difference in your life, your business and your peace of mind.