Expand your business with a quality team

It can take a while to get to the point where your business is booming and you have lots and lots of work to distribute.

But once you get to that point, you’ll want to be ready to hire quality team members who are just as passionate about your business as you are and whose knowledge can help you take your business to the next level.

So it’s never too early to start thinking about the steps needed to expand your business beyond solopreneur status. The sooner you start contemplating this process, the more successful you will be in recruiting a quality team that you will be satisfied with.

take it easy

Here’s my first piece of advice: Proceed with caution!

It can be expensive to jump in before you’ve done your research.

And yes, it can be overwhelming to get started. You are probably contemplating questions like: What kind of help should I hire first? What kind of person should I look for? Where do I find qualified candidates?

The basics

Here are some essentials to get you started. Keep them front and center as you take steps to hire a quality team.

Identify what types of tasks you want to delegate and what tasks you would like to keep under your personal control. This can help you determine if you need someone who’s good with numbers, someone who’s creative in figuring out ways to get your business in the news, someone who can provide great customer service…or all of the above and more! !

look for someone who has the ability to add to your business, not just keep it running at its current pace. There are many trained people who can supplement or complement your experience. Look to add team members who may have strengths that your company will benefit from.

Be realistic! You won’t be able to pay someone a CEO salary, so you can’t expect to find someone with CEO experience who is willing to work for a managerial salary. You are not likely to find someone who will put in nearly as many hours per week on their business as you do. Do not prepare yourself for disappointment and disillusionment. Be realistic about your expectations for team members.

Initiative priceless. The last thing you need is the added stress of having to hold someone’s hand during simple everyday tasks. Be sure to select team members who can function independently of you and who understand your needs, your style, and your goals.

Interpersonal skills they are not optional. To develop the highest quality team for your business, you need to be able to communicate easily with one another. There is nothing worse than feeling like you should have done a task yourself. That defeats the purpose of delegating. So make sure that your team members have excellent interpersonal skills and that your communication styles mesh well with each other. Communication is key to building a team that supports you and your business well into the future.

where to start

Go out and talk to other people you know who have hired help running their business. Ask your peers and other professional colleagues, such as your accountant, attorney, board members, and members of organizations to which you belong. They can often provide references for good personal support. By accessing trusted resources, you’ll learn about options you might not otherwise know about and likely shorten your selection process.

Check popular blogs and websites carefully for recommendations.

Set up some free consultations with potential support staff. Get to know the people you are considering hiring. What are your strengths? What is your response time on tasks? How do they like to communicate and how often? What is your current customer load? Etc.

Last but not least, you can explore using an employment agency. A recruiter (for a fee) can take the headache out of finding and selecting candidates to hire.

explore your options

You’ll find that most of the tasks you need help with can be outsourced or performed by independent contractors. Tasks like bookkeeping, website design, marketing and public relations or even customer service and administrative tasks can be handled “virtually” online through a virtual assistant (VA). Virtual assistants are paid by the hour or by the project.

You may well end up hiring more than one person. There are virtual assistants that specialize in different types of projects, and you may eventually need the services of several of them. Or, you may prefer to hire an assistant (such as a manager) to work directly with your other contractors, then let that person delegate their tasks and projects.

There are many different options. Be sure to explore them, sooner rather than later, before you’re ready to hire.

Business growth requires support

Hiring a quality team is a must if you want to grow your business.

It’s worth the effort to get it right. And the sooner you start exploring your options, the happier you’ll be when it’s time to hire.