Have you reached that point in your business when you realize that you can’t do it alone? Even if you’re not working strictly alone, do you sometimes find yourself buried under all those things you feel you shouldn’t be doing or don’t want to be doing?
If you started your own business as a solopreneur, you were probably right in thinking that you didn’t need any staff. You could do it all because - you - after all, are the expert.
Now you’re at that crossroad: you’re too busy for your own sanity, but are you busy enough to bring on someone to share the workload?
Having a team can be a game changer.
Choosing which aspects of your business to add onto is critical. Do you need another “you”? Or do you need a customer service person? A bookkeeper? An Executive Assistant? (Ask us! - We can help!)
The unfortunate side effect of having a team is that you may lose team members as time goes by, and then everything falls back on you. So, is it really worth the effort?
Yes! Because you can mitigate those risks by working on being the best possible boss you can be. People may still leave, but when you give them all the right reasons not to, and bring on the right people, the odds are forever in your favour.
So, what can you do to build the best team and be the best boss, the one that people rave about to their family and friends, the one they never want to leave? We have a few tips for you:
Pay them as well as you possibly can
Understand what the job and skill set pays out there in the rest of the world and commit to paying at least as much as what they could get elsewhere. But money isn’t everything…
Communicate your values and vision
People are engaged when they have a story, a passion, and something to strive towards. Share what you are passionate about - either the work that you do, or the dreams that you have. Engagement is crucial to retention and if your people are not engaged with you, they’ll only stay until they get a more promising offer.
Involve them in decisions
Where appropriate, be transparent with what decisions you’re making and why. Discuss issues with your team and get feedback before you make a decision or a change in process. Flesh out the pros and cons and how a change will impact everyone. Find people who can embrace change, but are not afraid to identify potential pitfalls. Respect their opinions, ideas and expertise, and be open to having your mind changed.
Be available
Whether your business is in-office or remote, making yourself available to your staff is necessary in keeping people happy and engaged. No one wants to work in the dark, unable to get direction or answers; it creates an unsatisfying environment that only requires your time and your commitment to make it better.
Listen
Actively listening to your team, or asking leading questions to promote sharing of ideas is a priceless skill that every leader should have. Your team members might think you are too busy for them to approach you so it’s up to you to open up the dialog and allow them to do the talking.
Create systems & processes
No one in your business should have any key part of your business process in their head - not you, not your team. Many firms run into issues because only one person knows how to operate that program, process or machinery.
Documenting a process may take time - but this should be a one time thing - with only minor updates needed along the way. Make this a necessary part of everyone’s job. If you need to replace someone, the learning curve will be drastically reduced if someone can start from a written process.
Believing deeply in the power of an effective Procedure Manual, at Admin Slayer we create and maintain a Procedure Manual for each and every one of our clients.
Respectful departures
When people leave - yes, it will happen - how you manage it says everything to everyone remaining on your team or joining it in the future. Your former employees will talk about you after they leave. Whether they refer new hires or warn them away, it will likely be affected by how you handled departures.
Provide opportunities to grow
You have the ability to help someone grow to be a different version of themselves, to expand their knowledge and skills and hopefully build some loyalty through your efforts.
The best thing you can do for your business is to hire well, train well, and support well. If you are looking for an Executive Assistant, you don’t even need to worry about the “hire well” part - we do that for you with our expert team of professional administrators.
What does that mean for you? Reduced recruitment and training headaches, reduced payroll deductions and management and increased expertise from a strong team of admin professionals sporting a variety of skill sets.