Having to turn down business because you can’t manage the work load? For some entrepreneurs and small business owners, your first thought may be that you need to learn better time management skills. But if you’ve researched and adopted all the latest tips and tricks from productivity gurus and you’re still not able to keep up, the problem may be your team size. Not sure if you’re ready to hire someone? We asked our CEO, AJ, what the tell-tale signs were for him that he needed to hire someone for his small business.
AJ’s 6 Signs You Need To Hire Someone For Your Small Business
#1 You’re taking too much time to do tasks that could easily be done by someone else.
Sure, it’s easy to think “Yeah, I could get someone else to do this, but it’ll take me too long to explain how. I may as well just do it myself.” This may be true for the first or second time you need to do this task, but what about on a regular basis? And it’s never just one task. When your day is slowly being taken over by a bunch of little tasks that you can easily teach someone else to do…teach someone else to do it. It may take some time at first to train someone but in the long run you’ll be freed up to focus on doing the work that makes you the big bucks.
#2 You’re spending so much time “in” the business that you can’t plan for the future.
Too busy in the day-to-day operations of your business to think about planning for the future? As the owner of a small business (or any sized business), you should be thinking like the captain, not the crew. Your job is to steer the ship and create a plan for where the business is going to go. If you’re spending too much time running the rigs or swabbing the decks and not enough time looking where the ship is going, it’s time to hire a first mate.
#3 Your inner passion for your business is dwindling.
The honeymoon phase is over and the sparks are fizzling out. What you used to feel passionate about, you no longer love doing. Maybe it’s time for a change? Or maybe you’re just stuck in reaction mode because you have too much on your plate. If you’re not able to slow down and enjoy the work you love doing, it may be time to get someone to help you deal with everything on your plate. Pass someone else a fork, you can’t eat this alone.
#4 You’re sacrificing too much of your personal & family life.
You’re single and you don’t have time to date. Or you have a spouse but are constantly being nagged that you’re not spending enough time with them or the kids. You have friends, but you can’t remember the last time you hung out with them. Or the last time you didn’t have to reschedule three times because “work came up”. Balancing work and personal life is all relative to what you feel is a comfortable balance for you. But if you’re feeling off balanced and have too much stress on your personal and family relationships, you might want to think about unloading some of that weight onto someone else that’s just as capable.
#5 Your health is getting the shaft.
You’re not getting enough sleep because you’re working too many hours. You’re forgetful because of your lack of sleep. You’re not doing a good job and you’re cranky. You’re not eating properly or exercising because you can’t find the time anymore. Your business is important but so is your health and your sanity. You can have both if you balance it right. Define what your balance is. How much in each bucket (work, family, personal, fitness, etc.) do you need to be happy?
“The perfect balance is different for everyone. It depends on your own values how much time you need for your business, your family, and your health. It’s important to find the balance that works for you. There’s a lot of books out there that make it seem easy. It’s not. It’s hard work. You need to keep working at it to find that sweet spot.” says AJ, our CEO.
#6 You’re working efficiently but still missing deadlines.
Your team is working as hard as they can but you’re still missing deadlines. This is an obvious sign you don’t have a big enough team to manage the work load in front of you. When your team is working as fast as they can but there are still delays because of too much work, your choices are either scale back the work (which stunts the growth of your business) or add to your team.
When your team is running on max all the time, it’s only a matter of time before something burns out. You need to be prepared for things that require extra time for thought or experimentation. You need to protect yourself and have a backup plan. What if someone on your team gets sick? Needs to go on parental leave? Or decides to change careers? It’s good to have a backup so there’s always someone that knows the responsibilities of someone else. It’s worth it to be prepared instead of letting the fear of hiring someone take over.
For a business to grow and be flexible to adjust with the market, you need “dream time”. You need time to explore ideas and let your mind wander. This is when you’ll find creative solutions to your problems and when priorities become more clear. If you’re not able to balance your personal and work life, or balance your current work load with future planning, it’s time to hire someone and start delegating. If the thought of hiring someone triggers instant panic, read AJ’s tips on How To Overcome The Fear of Hiring Someone For Your Small Business. Remember, growth is good. 🙂
