So, how do you breakthrough from being self-employed to being a business owner with staff?  We all know you need two things: more clients and more help.  But if you’re like my clients, you may not know which one to do first. 

The answer may surprise you.

To be honest, the answer to the question of which to do first is – YES.  Yes, you can get the clients first.  And yes, you can hire the staff first.  Either one will work, as many companies have done both and been successful.   However, the path that will work best for you depends on your personal strengths (and the strengths of your team if you have one already).

Here are some thoughts you can consider when making this decision.

(1)    Do you have a list of clients or opportunities waiting for your attention?  If you’ve already got work or the potential for work in front of you, the way to go is to secure the clients.  With the financial resources, you can hire temporary help (or even ask family and friends to pitch in) while you’re building your team.  After all, opportunity does have an expiration date.

(2)    Are you good at building a team?  If you’re good at building a team, then spend a few extra hours mapping out the responsibilities and job descriptions you need to take your business to the next level.  Since this is one of your strengths, this should be simple to do.  Why not get it out of the way now and then spend your “in office” hours running after new business?

(3)    Are you ready to get the job done through the efforts of others? Whether you have the clients or the staff, you’ll need to learn how to motivate your team to get the work done.  Choose a managing style that works for you and do your best to trust your team to the tasks at hand.  You’ll need some time to adjust, but you can do it!

No matter what you decide to do, remember that with time, you can have the business of your dreams.  If you’d like more help mapping out an expansion plan, apply for a Speedy Business Growth Strategy Session (a $197 value).  Click here to apply.

However, now is always the best time to start doing less and relying on others to operate in your business.

So, if you’re having trouble delegating your day-to-day tasks to other people, or you’re not financially ready to do so, an easy alternative to hiring is to use technology to help you in your business.

Technology is both an inexpensive and hard-working employee. Not only do you save on benefits but these services work 24/7!

To get you started, here are 3 ways you can delegate to technology – starting today.

1. Payment processing – If your clients have you on retainer or you offer monthly payments for your services, there are several payment processing services available for you to automatically bill your clients.

2. Prospect follow-up – If you scheduling follow-up calls yourself, contact management systems are available for you to follow-up with your leads. You can set up an autoresponder to send email follow-ups over a few days or even a few weeks. And if you prefer phoning your prospects, schedule an email to yourself with the contacts name and phone number.

3. Product Fulfillment – If you have a physical product for sale on your web site, find a fulfillment house to fulfill these orders for you. Some companies cater to small accounts and will not charge you a warehouse fee. You can even have your order confirmation emails sent to them so you don’t have to be involved in the handover. It may cost a few dollars per order, but you’ll save hours of time spent packing and shipping those orders to your clients.

Remember, as the owner of your company, your time is worth a ton. Each minute you save by delegating will produce hundreds of additional dollars to your bottom line.

Take Action Now: Find one thing in your business that you can delegate to an automated service.

Feel inspired by this quote? Leave a comment and share.

Feel inspired by this quote?  Please leave a comment and share.

Feel inspired by this quote?  Leave a comment and share.

Okay, so that’s not even a part of what I learned today!!!!!!!!

In the session before the Power of 3, I listened to Clay Wooten and he said something about fear that I had to eat and swallow.  Fear has been the reason I didn’t approach people, didn’t attend events, didn’t call and make connections, etc.  And I have always felt like — I don’t know — like I had to talk me way through things, be courageous, and all that.

But I don’t.

What I learned today is that if I embrace fear, just do it anyway (nervous, anxious and all that) then I’ll overcome the fear and never have to worry about it again.  I learned I have the power to just do it.  I am not sure what unlocked in me but I am holding on to it and taking massive action — NOW!!!!!

So, whatever your fear is, take that step and make a memory.  You know, what you’re afraid will happen probably won’t happen.  And when you take that step forward, you will experience so many blessings — so many miracles — in that action that your life will never be the same.

I am not sure what fear is holding you back but connect with someone who will empower you to take action and just do it!  Now, if you want me to help you with overcoming your fear (in terms of cheering you on) leave a comment and I’ll be happy to do it!

xoxo