Teamwork makes the dream work.
I have to admit, when I was first starting my business, I was so busy doing everything myself that I didn’t even realize that it was part of the reason I didn’t make any money that first year. In fact, knowing what I now know, I’m clear that is the reason why my business didn’t exceed $25,000 that first year.
The fact is, there are approximately 22.5 million self-employed people in the country who are classified as non-employer firms because they have no support staff. As a result, I can easily make the correlation between that statistic and these: 67.53% of sole proprietorships had annual gross receipts less than $25,000 and 21.59% between $25,000 and $100,000 (according to the Small Business Administration).
Basically this statistic says that being a sole proprietor likely means your business won’t exceed $100,000.
Ouch.
There is a misleading mindset out there that we can’t afford to hire people to do the “grunt” work in our companies but the fact is that you can’t afford not to. If you find yourself performing non-profit producing tasks (i.e. administrative work, file management, organization, need I go on?!;), you are leaving far too much money on the table and that reason alone is enough to strike out into hiring your first team member. That’s exactly why that I, as a business strategist and coach really help my clients to holistically build their businesses, which includes building their dream team so that they can focus on working in their brilliance.
Now, when you reach that point, I recommend that just like Jill, you seek help and guidance so you do it correctly. I gladly tackle her question in this week’s episode of Incredible Factor TV:
“Hi Darnyelle, I am getting to the point in my business where I need some assistance and bringing on my first team member is both exciting and scary. What can you share to help me find the right person for me?”
Like I told Jill in the episode, she should be proud. Realizing that you can’t build your business by yourself is huge. The fact is, your business will grow as soon as you bring in a team member because you’ll be free to work on tasks that bring you more money. And honestly, all you need to focus on in your business is marketing to get clients and client service delivery. Period. Anything else MUST be delegated.
Now, bringing on a team member is a big deal and you have to be crystal clear on exactly what you need to grow your business, so here are a few tips to get you moving in the right direction:
1. Create a job description. Just like you shouldn’t go to grocery store without a list, you’ll never find the right person without a detailed description of who they must be, what they will do and how they will be compensated. I highly recommend that you take your time to get clear. It will save you in the long run.
2. Create an interview process – I like to have 2-3 interviews with a candidate. Do not just take a referral at its word, but call their references. Don’t just look at their resume. You want to experience them in person (where applicable) to ensure that they are the right fit for your brand AND business. Be sure to validate that they are the right fit for your company in a way that speaks to you, your goals and your mission.
3. Create an operations manual. To make sure that as they begin to work on your behalf that all of their job functions are appropriately documented. It’s possible that they may decide to move on and you want to make sure that your business doesn’t suffer if they do. In fact, while you are now busy being every position in your company, make it count by documenting everything that you do. This is the fastest way to get leverage through delegation.
These three tips will help bring the right team member on board. And be sure that you have your HR procedures in place as well, based on the rules governing your state. By adding at least one person to your team, you’ll free yourself up to focus on what should be your focus anyway (I’m just saying :-)).
- Marketing to get new clients
- Client service delivery
And, even a part-time person will give you a few hours back you can spend on the phone prospecting for new business each week.
Now I want to hear from you, what’s your two cents? Are you a part of the 22.5 million or do you have team members? How did you hire them? What tips can you share with Jill to help her in this regard? Don’t miss this episode’s after party! Join us for the after party by sharing your two cents.
©2013 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, MBA, The Incredible Factor Speaker, Business Coach and Marketing Mentor, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises.com, Incredible Factor University® and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System®, a proven step-by-step program for more clients, more income and more leverage in your business. For more information and a FREE audio CD “7 Critical Mistakes Entrepreneurs Must Avoid When Unleashing Your Incredible Factor So You Attract More Clients, Make More Money and Gain More Leverage” just fill out the form below.
