Self Employed?
Written by: Terri-Lynn Gifford, BBA
Are you a self employed individual? Are you trying to break through stunted growth? If you answered yes to these questions, then this article is for you.
As a self employed person, I know that you are forced to wear several hats. Maybe that of a bookkeeper, financial planner, strategic planner, sales manager, project manager, director of marketing, advertising manager, and so on. My question to you is:
Which hat is not fitting correctly?
Are you sporting each hat the way it is supposed to be worn? If not, you could be hindering your own growth. Seriously! Take some time; figure out what you can do efficiently and effectively. If it takes you too long to do your own books; outsource bookkeeping. If you tend to forget about the critical task of strategic planning then meet with a business coach or a strategic planner. If marketing is non-existent, or if you need help with your marketing efforts then outsource your marketing.
By outsourcing these tasks, it does not mean that you have no say in the decisions made, the way things are done, or the final outcomes. You are still the director of these departments, ultimately the CEO of your company; but, outsourcing takes a lot of the grunt work off of your hands.
You may be thinking: "if I hire out some of these tasks, it'll take me more time to teach someone else how to do it the way I do it, then if I were to just do it myself." You are well justified in having these types of thoughts. In response, I'd like to rebut, if I may...
Are you an expert at bookkeeping, marketing, sales, or in the department where that particular hat is not quite fitting correctly? By expert I mean, do you have formal training/education, or experience working for another company in that field? Professional bookkeepers, marketers, business coaches, etc. have extensive training in that field alone. These professionals take time to research and learn the most effective tactics within their field. And, because they live with that hat on (and that hat only) they can pick up on what you need to have done, and perhaps recommend more efficient routines, or more effective tactics to achieve the same, if not better results.
If you are taking time to do books, write website copy, write sales letters, or sketch an ad, what are you taking time away from? You are taking time away from wearing your most flattering hat: maybe that is working billable hours, serving customers, or doing what you do best within your business. If you outsource the work that you are not most efficient at, and concentrate on the work that you are most efficient at, it only makes sense that at the end of the day your business will run more efficiently.
I welcome all questions, comments, or arguments to this article. Email them to info@pkgcommunications.com and once approved, they will be posted for others to read.
|
