Tip #3: No man is an island…
No man is an
island…and going at it alone will leave you deserted.
Ask, Seek, Knock
When I first
started getting information about starting a business, I was apprehensive about
asking for advice. I did not want to appear uneducated and I was afraid
that “people” would not have time to answer my questions. I was really
wrong; I find that most people want to advise others so they don’t make the
same mistakes.
I try to ask
questions to companies that are selling me something. I look at it as a
give and take, they have a sales pitch …you need sales tips…win,
win.
Support Staff
Most of my support
system has been people that I met by chance who understood my struggles and
wanted to help. It pays to be personable and nonjudgmental because I
believe people are placed along your path for a reason. Team
building is very important because you can only do so much before you either
get burned out or drop the ball on something important.
Customers Come First
1. Some of these important support areas become very
evident when writing your business plan others present themselves when the
time comes. For instance I mentioned in a previous post that “we
jumped in head first with no idea of what we were doing”. It is
important to have and maintain a customer base. In business, the
customer is the lifeblood, so someone must always be in charge of what is
going on with the customer. If this person is you then make sure
that you remember that vendors are customers too.
Right Hand Man (Woman)
2. In the beginning having
an administrative person seems like a luxury and many people try to do this
themselves. If you have never been doing this type of work then it can be
a BIG mistake to manage the business, the customer, and the finances. Do
yourself a favor…Hire a (Secretary, Administrative Assistant,
Co-Manager…Whatever title) person to handle the daily operations. The phone
calls, letters, emails, door answering, package delivery, filing, paperwork
person is very important. This person manages the distractions and
facilitates the actions in your business. This is often a very
imperative, yet overlooked part of organizing your system in business.
The Green
Team Building Equation
Let’s recap: Team
building
Administration +
Accounting/Finance + Customer Service (Inbound/Outbound) = Team.
You (Jack of all
trades ....Master of None) + No one Else = Hot Mess
Of course, each business
has to consider how to compensate these people but in the very beginning you
should at least have these three areas covered. Now before those who are
reading this start asking questions like:
- What about Marketing?
- What about Advertising?
- What about Human Resources?
Pump your brakes because
you are the person who has to do all this work, delegate this work, or hire
(pay) someone to do this work. One thing at a time , one day at a time.
If you have your customers flowing and your budget allows for these areas
then go for it. I am just giving out some perspectives based on
past experiences Also remember that there are interns (and
teleworkers) that are looking for this type of work.
Cost Saving Tip
Where to find
teleworkers and freelancers:
Elance: www.elance.com
Fiver :www.fiverr.com
Craigslist :www.craigslist.com
Task Rabbit: www.taskrabbit.com
I mentioned in a
previous post that the local Chamber of Commerce, Colleges and universities, as
well as SBA, and government sponsored organizations are all good place to ask
questions, do research, and network.
There Is No I in Team
and No Team with One Person.
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