We all have the same number of hours in a day but as a business owner, quite often it doesn’t feel like enough! We must juggle a million different balls, wear many different hats, and become the fire fighter of our own business. We have a never-ending to do list, which seems impossible to complete. Sometimes we wonder why we started our business in the first place!
When we are at the point of feeling overwhelmed, it’s hard to see the wood for the trees. Sometimes you must take a step back to gain clarity on what needs to change. A holiday or just a couple of days off working, could give you time to think about how things could work differently. Which areas of the business could you look to for help?
As a business owner we cannot do it all. However hard we try; we do not have the capacity to do the work and all of the tasks it takes to run a business. It’s hard to let go of the reins when it’s your reputation at stake. However, in order for your business to grow you should employ staff to help you with the workload and build a solid team around you. If you are worried about taking on someone new, perhaps introduce a process during the probation period to reveal their capabilities and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. This would highlight which jobs they can work on independently and where they might need more training.
Where else might you need help in your business? There are many different jobs that need to be done to run a successful business. As the business owner you must decide which tasks you’re going to take on and which could be subcontracted out. What do you enjoy doing, where does your skill set lie and what is going to help the business grow? For example, if you are good at selling, pricing, and quoting for new work but you hate doing your accounts, what would be the best use of your time? Of course, it’s the selling, pricing, and quoting for new business as that is going to help the business most! Also, it’s important to keep your accounts up to date but you can leverage your time by outsourcing the jobs you don’t enjoy or don’t have time for, to give you more time to do the things that help the business grow faster.
The best time to think about the areas you would like help with, to leverage your time and to help the business grow, is before you get to the point of feeling overwhelmed. Outsourcing to a professional could take away the headache and give you peace of mind that a job is being done and to a good standard.