Find the systems you need to grow your business
About a month ago I posted an ad on Craigslist, looking for someone who would come to my home and clean. Not that remarkable. But reading through the ads reminded me (again!) how some people self-sabotage when it comes to getting clients and other areas I see this happening.
When it helps, I’ll include some of the actual responses I received and one application for a different job that led to me hiring the sender.
Entrepreneurs all want the same thing: more hours, extra hands, and the ability to focus on our zone of genius.
As people, we often have the same goals wishing we could do more fun projects, get out to spend time with friends and family, and get off work without seeing our homes as another unending project list. Continue Reading ￫
Every time I hear an employer sigh and whine “good help is soooo hard to find” I want to scream a little. It’s not, I promise. But if you don’t have a strategy (and dare I say, a system) for finding the best people for your company then it’s likely that you’re hiring all the wrong people at the worst times and then failing your employees spectacularly. Today I want to talk about the 4 big mistakes and 4 system solutions for your next hire whether it’s a full time position, contract work or a virtual team member who you may never meet. Continue Reading ￫
When you hire someone for your team, it’s a huge relief and easy to start assigning all of the things you don’t want to do yourself anymore.
But almost every entrepreneur forgets that even the best employees need training to do things the way you want them done!
Welcome to our new video blog for She’s Got Systems – where entrepreneurs get more done in less time with systems that actually work. Continue Reading ￫
Welcome to our new video blog for She’s Got Systems – where entrepreneurs get more done in less time with systems that actually work.
Today we’re tackling the biggest question that entrepreneurs worldwide face after hiring a virtual assistant or team member when mistakes happen:
How do I know if this person needs more training or should be fired?
Continue Reading ￫
“This is the best thing ever!” You think as the initial euphoria of closing that big client, getting the media feature, or hiring that team member sets in. You’re screaming from the rooftops and overflowing with gratitude and joy and… 10 minutes later reality sets in.
That client is excited and sends 12 emails in an hour. The speaking opportunity you’re applying for is going to need your media kit asap. Your new team member is ready for training and your schedule is slammed.
And all of a sudden the success that you’ve been dreaming of is not sipping mojitos from a beach lounger but a burden of more work and responsibility that’s pulling you down from the euphoric high that comes with getting exactly what you wanted.
Here are 3 ways to enjoy your success when you’re stressed:
Continue Reading ￫
When I work with clients on hiring I find that there are some common problems that hold us back. One of the biggest struggles is feeling guilty.
Most of the time we feel guilty because
The truth is, hiring and outsourcing your tasks (whether they’re fun or not), gives your team member income, a skill to learn, a productive task, and enables them to contribute to your business.
I won’t waste space telling how how unproductive guilt is as an emotion, so let’s dive right into the solution. Addressing your guilt for outsourcing and moving forward.
Truth #1: As a business grows, more support is needed
No founder can run all the pieces of the company on his or her own indefinitely. You need to transition and become the coach, not all the players on the field. And if your business is going to help more people then you need depth of support.
Take time to consider: Do I want my business to grow beyond where it is right now? Will additional team members help me get there?
Truth #2: Wanting to “do it all myself” is a trick of the ego
Why do we want to do everything independently? Because then we can take all the credit, show up to that class reunion with pride, finally show our ex that we became something!
Question to ponder: Why does it mean less to me that I had support along the way to building my dream business? Is it okay to share credit?
Truth #3: Ask before you assume a task is unsavory or unwanted
Often I would apologetically hand over a job to my assistant, almost taking it back because I felt bad only to learn that she loved that kind of stuff! And even if the task wasn’t the most fun ever, she loved learning, understanding how the business ran, and making money. So my guilt was unfounded and counter productive.
Question to ask: “I’d like you to do this task and return to me by Friday. Will you let me know if this is something you’d like to do more often?”
It’s time to stop feeling guilty for outsourcing when you are building a business to serve others because you will necessarily need some support yourself.
When it comes to running a business, two things make entrepreneurs sweat more than any other: money and legal issues.
And it’s no wonder, because for the average person, reading the tax law or employment guidelines are not enjoyable activities. In fact, it might even be easier to keep your business small, resist hiring, and not worry about all these details.
Except you know that your business exists to serve lots of people and you don’t want to shy away from things just because they’re hard. So today we’re helping you tackle, head on, what you need to know for team contracts and payments.
Are you taking amazing care of your clients? If you have any service-based business, then it’s not optional to deliver great value to your clients whether that means answering their questions, assisting with technical aspects, or setting up calls and meetings.
Often as your business grows, the number of clients becomes overwhelming because everyone is requesting your time and attention at once. How do you balance this client who needs a call and that client who expects work and another lead who you don’t even know if you have time to work with yet?
Enter the client care manager. Continue Reading ￫
One of the most luxurious things in owning your own business seems to be having someone who manages your calendar and acts as a gatekeeper. Having an assistant manage your calendar is also one of the most important to business growth. If you’ve never outsourced this task before, you may think ‘why should a VA manage my schedule?’
Outsourcing your calendar and scheduling tasks to a virtual assistant is valuable both in terms of saving your time and bringing more value to your organization. Let’s look into each of these more closely. Continue Reading ￫
