This week I met with a small business owner who was literally pulling his hair out. Having recently taken over a business from his partnership, the thought of cleaning up the books quite frankly scared the living daylights out of him. It just wasn’t his thing and what makes him a great entrepreneur is he took his hat off and got to work with surrounding himself with the right people so he can do what he does best, sell.
No matter how big or small your business is, whether you are a one man show or 100 plus employees, every business has roles that need filling. For SME businesses those “roles” can get a wee bit blurry. Becoming an entrepreneur means not only living out a dream – it means expanding your repertoire to become the talented, diverse and multi-hat wearing person in each and every one of these segments of your business. Well done you! But do you find you have very little time to do any of them well? Do you wish there was more support? You are definitely not alone! How many hats are you wearing right now? Are you wearing them all well?
Will being so hands on help your business grow? Not as fast as you would like. Entrepreneurs are under immense pressure to succeed and be everything. My question is, do you really need to be everything?
Being an entrepreneur does not mean overnight you have become an accountant or computer guru nor have you developed a love for admin and being organised! An entrepreneur is someone who acknowledges he or she cannot be everyone. Surround yourself with the right people to help you succeed. You need a reliable business team. That’s right – the myth around entrepreneurs being individuals who don’t like teams has just been shattered. Your business team will be people, networks and alliances you trust and who will look out for you and your business. Be positive, encouraging and supportive. For example, your accountant is not just your accountant. They should be someone you trust and who will look out for you and your business. They are part of your team.
Your business team is an essential component of your business success. Your business team is your biggest TOOL! They are the mechanics that help you run your business efficiently so you can focus on what you do best. Make more money!
Now might just be a good time to step outside your business and look inside. What should you be doing today that would benefit your business in the future.
Can the fires you are fighting be extinguished by someone better qualified?
Think about what is YOUR time worth. Consider what your business needs YOU to be doing to grow.
Do you have the right business team surrounding you?