There comes a time where most businesses need help. When small businesses need to take on some extra staff, and when solopreneurs have to accept that they can no longer manage on their own. Some signs that it’s time to get help are a never-ending to-do list, a lack of time off, an inability to fulfill orders, and a sharp decline in customer service. Not hiring help when you need it, or trying to go it alone when it’s no longer realistic can be detrimental to your business.
Nevertheless, knowing that you need help is usually the easy part. “Help” is very much an umbrella term. Yes, you need help; but what do you need help with? Do you need to hire an assistant or a team of production staff? Do you need someone to take control of packaging or to tackle admin? Does your business need outside help from technicians, which you can read more about here? Do you need full-time staff? How about the occasional help of freelancers? Identifying the areas that you need help with, is often the first step to creating a productive and efficient team.
What Are Your Own Skills?
You can start a business with passion and great ideas. You don’t need to be an expert in anything. You just need to be willing to learn and keen to try new things. However, as your business grows, you might find that there are skills that you just don’t have. Things that you can’t grasp and no amount of learning is helping. If your own skills are in design, you might not want help with product design or even web design, but you might be desperately lacking in accountancy skills. Get help with things that you can’t do.
Where Does Your Experience Lie?
How about experience? What did you do before you started your business? How could this experience help you now? What key skills did you acquire? Write a list of your skills with how each could help your business. Look for help in any areas you are lacking.
What do You Enjoy?
Sometimes, it’s not that we can’t do things; it’s that we don’t want to. If you absolutely hate a specific part of your job, stop doing it. Hire someone to do it for you. This will reduce your stress levels, boost your mood, and increase your creativity.
Where Do You Think Help Would be Cost-Effective?
Time is money. Hire people that will save you time, giving you the chance to make more money. The most cost-effective place to hire help might not be where you think. Ask yourself how long you spend cleaning your office or even house, and how much money you could make in that time.
What Task Do You Need to Do Alone?
There might be some tasks that you have to do. That no one can help you with, hire help that lets you devote more time to these tasks, not help that will do them for you.