Expanding your business from a solo operation to one that employs others can be a hard process. Overnight, you go from only having to be accountable to yourself, to having to depend on others. And if, like many entrepreneurs, your business has been your baby, the thought of handing over control – however small a piece of it – to others – can be hard to handle.
But employing the right people represents freedom, and you should be going above and beyond to attract the very best talent. Make it your policy to only work with experts, right from the very start.
That may mean a slightly longer search than just filling vacant positions with the first half-decent candidate that comes along. It may mean refining your interviewing techniques so that you’re truly asking the right questions.
It could even mean having to pay more than you originally wanted to. But getting the right employees to boost your business to greater heights is an art – and the benefits they bring will more than outweigh any other considerations.
3 Killer Reasons You Should Only Employ Experts
They Know Things You Don’t
Sure, you may be an expert in what makes your business tick – after all, you’ve built it from the ground up, from all those nights spent perfecting your business plan to trying to understand your customer inside out – but the best leaders are more than happy to acknowledge their own limitations.
Don’t be the reason your business founders or doesn’t grow to its full potential. If you can’t do something, make sure you hire sometime that can. Give them the space to do their role to the best of their ability, while also being able to learn from them as much as you teach.
It pays to be extremely specific about the skills you need to support your business goals – whether that’s someone with experience in oil and gas data management or someone who is a whizz with social media marketing.
They Can Help You Make New Contacts
Another thing great employees bring is the right contacts. Whether it’s knowing a supplier that will give great rates or that specialist web designer than can transform your ecommerce platform, or even knowing other brilliant, motivated people who will make future great employees when you’re ready to expand, the network a person brings with them can be almost as valuable as themselves.
They Can Let You Regain a Work-Life Balance
If you’re thinking ‘Sorry, what?’ then you aren’t alone – running a business in the early days can be all consuming. You’ve probably felt like you’re working all hours for very little reward at the outset, but when you get to a place where you can employ others – the right people – you’ll be able to get a little of that balance back.
Being able to leave on time occasionally, have someone to handle key tasks alongside you, and take on some of the burden will free up more of your time to focus on strategy and be creative – as well as rediscovering what drew you to create your business in the first place!