At some point, we all hit that wall – that time in your business when you realized that you cannot, in fact, keep all those balls in the air by yourself. You’re dropping some here and there and you can’t keep this crazy pace.

You’ve told yourself you need to bring someone “on board” and today, that can happen in a variety of ways. So you’ve determined whether you want to hire, sub-contract, outsource, etc.

Now what? Or rather – Now Who??

I’ll tell you how I used to do it many years ago (spoiler alert – it’s the WRONG way).

I would meet someone who was looking for work or would hear of someone that knew someone who was looking for work. So exciting! We’d have a conversation, and I was deeply intent on bringing this person in, because it was Someone! No matter that their skill set didn’t match what I was hoping for – I’ll teach ‘em what they need to know! It didn’t matter that they were looking for more hours than my budget could support – I’ll just throw a ton more work at them!

As you can imagine, this method was short lived and somewhat painful.

Here’s the Right Way to Bring on the Right Person

If you’re single or know someone who is, you know that before you get on a dating app, you need to create your list of requirements. What this person Must have, Could have, and Should Not have. For instance, Must Have – gainfully employed, a decent and clean place to live, a love of family. Could Have – a nice smile, fun hobbies, love of travel, and sense of humor. Should Not Have – large debt, terrible relationship with an Ex, a smoking/gambling/drinking problem.

You get the point.

That’s similar to the 3-Level Tests when you’re looking for your next Team Member.

Do They Pass All 3 Tests?

If you can only support Part Time workers in your budget, all the Full-Time seekers are a NO. If you’re looking for sub-contracting, those wanting a W-2 can keep seeking.

If you are looking for specific skills, then all those who do not possess all the skills you need are a NO. Skills include fluency in languages, operating specific machines, being adept at certain software.

If you’re seeking a gregarious person to interact with clients, all the quiet and shy folks are a NO. If you’re seeking a focused researcher, the social butterfly glued to social media is a NO.

This is a simplistic example to get you thinking in the right direction. I recently coached a woman business owner who had specific revenue and expansion goals for the next 6 months. She knew she needed a team member but didn’t know how to start. And just like the former me, she was in conversations with someone who failed 2 out of 3 tests. The business owner felt bad at tossing aside this poorly matched candidate, but we discussed how clearly this person would not help her get to her goals.

I encouraged her to free-write a job description, including all the requirements for the 1^st team member. I told her to physically tape it to the wall in back of her computer so it would remind her to stay focused.

We all get excited when thinking of bringing someone aboard, but the wrong choice can set us back months in our goals.

At a recent presentation I delivered, one of the audience members told us that when she let go of doing everything herself and aimed to hire experts in their fields so she can let them do what they do, it not only allowed her to spend all her time enjoying her specialty, but her business grew much faster than she imagined.

Role Chart

Start with the Role Chart. Writing down all the things that need to get done, and the name of the person who is doing them today. Even if all the lines have your name on it right now. Does it have to be that way?

You’re not the only one who can return phone calls or who can follow up with a prospect. Remove all those things that YOU don’t have to do or don’t WANT to do and find someone else for all the other things. Outsource your bookkeeping to a professional. Use some technology to remove something you do manually (hello, Calendly!)

Take your time. Bring on one person per quarter or year or whatever. Don’t rush. Find the right new member of your team.

How Can I Help?

If you need help with this or similar scenarios, and are reaching Decision Exhaustion and Entrepreneurial Loneliness, it may be time for you to consider outsourcing a business partner. Bringing on a business consultant who specializes in small business is the same as contracting a bookkeeper or virtual admin. Running all aspects of a business alone is madness. Even when you have a team working with your clients, outsourcing some of your operations will lighten your load, and allow you to shine in your true zone of brilliance.

Schedule time to chat here: https://calendly.com/susana-f/phone-consult