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Janice loves to create flower arrangements, so she opened her own business. She was very good at what she did and was happy doing it. Her only problem was that she couldn't keep up with all that needed to be done.
The pressure was highest during special occasions. What Janice didn't realize when she started was that she needed help during times of high demand.
Sometimes you get so caught up in the business that you fail to realize you can't do everything yourself. While you're in the planning stages of your business, make sure you'll be able to handle the workload.
If not, then you'll have to plan for the right kind of help.
Finding the right kind of employee is critical to your business success. Getting the wrong employee can put you out of business. Hiring the right employee at the wrong time can put you out of business as well.
To help you make the right decision, try to assess the workload you have. Figuring out what you can do and whether an employee can do it will help you get a clear idea of what kind of help you need.
To help you figure out what type of help you need, simply list all the tasks that regularly need to be finished. For example, you need to take care of record keeping, finances, and management as well as the actual service your business performs.
Try to estimate how much time each task takes. If you end up with something like 60 to 70 hours per week, and you'll need help to get it all completed in 40 hours or less, then you'll probably be able to handle the workload in the beginning.
It's probably best to try to do as much as you can in the beginning. See how it works out, and make adjustments from there.
Other options for getting the right help in your business include subcontracting and trading services.
Subcontracting
Subcontracting is an effective way to get professional help without the added responsibility that comes with hiring employees. When you subcontract, you pay for the services you need and nothing else.
An added benefit to subcontracting is that the person or company you're subcontracting to is usually a professional, so there's no need for training and, in most cases, you don't have to worry about how the job is going to turn out. You only need to agree on the end result, pay for the services, and you're done.
It may be inefficient to subcontract when you need something done on a regular basis, especially if it's long-term. In this situation, it may be more cost-effective to hire an employee. You need to look at each situation and find out what will work better for you.
Trading Services
If there's some service you need for example, an advertising campaign or web site design then you may be able to trade products or services, known as barter.
If you can find the right match, then bartering is an excellent way to go. But the key is finding the right match, because when you're bartering products or services, there's not a lot of room for negotiation, and there aren't a lot of businesses doing this, so you're limited in many ways.
It's my point of view that you should look for the best solution that will contribute to your success rather than look at ways to save money. What looks like a good deal may hurt you in the long run, so it's better to be solution focused.
That's the way I see it.
Acey Gaspard
A Touch of Business.com
Action Steps to Getting the Help You Need to Operate Your Business
- Make a list of all the tasks you are personally performing for your business.
- Identify which tasks can be handed off to others.
- Determine how much time will be saved by delegating such tasks to others. If you are not saving a lot of time, then the investment in getting help may not be justified.
- Once you decide, that certain tasks can be delegated and it's worth it financially to hand them off, decide which course you should take. Should you hire, outsource or barter?
Important Points to Getting the Help You Need to Operate Your Business
- Getting help does not always mean hiring employees. Explore outsourcing solutions that are prevalent online. Not only does this do away with all the responsibility that comes with hiring employees, it is also a good way to get professional help at lower costs.
- Consider bartering . This is when you exchange (your) goods or services for goods or services to be provided to you.
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