OUTSOURCING AS A BUSINESS OWNER : OR BEING A ONE MAN BAND!

OUTSOURCING AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER : BEING A ONE MAN BAND!

 

As you probably know, there are so many types of business model these days and various ways to set up and run a business.

I don’t know about you – but I started a business so I could work for myself, be anywhere and not have to rely on others or on working for another.

So essentially I wanted to go it alone.  And I have, however, I started to realise very quickly that I couldn’t DO IT ALL by myself.

 

There are many misconceptions out there about being a solo flyer, and many think that it is easy – and that it only requires little help.

Many so called ‘guru’s will often say that they work 4 hours per day ‘or’ do not outsource, and that’s up to them, but I simply do not believe that one can be truly effective without the help of other experts.  Certainly – in the 4 hour work week Tim Ferris mentions outsourcing and I would say that this is more realistic to most.

HOWEVER – WE DO NOT NEED STAFF ‘OR’ TO USE A GREAT DEAL OUTSOURCING TO GROW A BUSINESS; we can have pretty minimal help and still grow and thrive.  Having grown my coaching and writing business mostly on my own I managed to get there, but it took me many years.  What I learned along the way was that I could have shaved off many years IF I had hired others from the beginning.     

“…It’s in society’s best interests to have the most output produced with the least inputs.”

Warren Buffet – Investor and world’s wealthiest man

So let’s talk first about a Micro business versus a Small Business.

A Small business will have fewer than 50 employees and either a turnover of up to £10 million or a balance sheet total of up to £10 million. Whereas, a Micro-Business has fewer than 10 employees and either a turnover of up to £2 million or a balance sheet total of up to £2 million.

So, whilst I have helped both Small Businesses and Micro Business to grow and maximise their turnover, I would consider myself personally as a Micro-Business.  I work solo, but I also have a team of 10.  But, these 10 do not work with me at my home, after all I work at home, and I meet clients all around Bristol the City where I live, so I use or utilize my time and manage myself but also run a team of remote team members.

Whilst, we do not need a huge team to compete and dominate any industry as I am proof of that and many of my clients are, you do need to be able to spend your time wisely.  Your time used effectively every day in a specific role means that you simply get more done of what is important, and thus you can grow more rapidly whilst also outsourcing to others.

And by allowing others to focus on their roles as a part of your vision you also maximise your resources and create greater momentum.

The key is in communication or more specifically effective communication.  If we fail to be skilled at this then of course, remote team management will not be as effective as if you have a team around you.

So, apart from doing your thing very well, you will need to be hiring or outsourcing talented types for other specific roles in order for you to become more powerful in your operation.

I know of many various very successful online entrepreneurs who work SOLO STYLE and sometimes hire for a specific project.

In fact I used to do this for a while and it worked very well, but once the business grew I knew I had to create a more permanent panel of team members.   My team are very dear to me and I look after them, so they tend to perform well as they are deeply appreciated.

So I tend to hire those for specific time frames to get help with certain areas, and for as long as they are needed.

It means that I don’t need to OUTSOURCE ALL OF THE TIME as I have semi permanent members these days.  And a huge part of starting a business the right way and growing it comes from having the right people with you as you begin managing costs and understanding the daily operations, so, in understanding who and what is needed from the outset, i think is a vital part of the process.

So:

1. Starting right means managing costs so they don’t spiral out of control with the right tools and experts
2. Hiring those in roles who are vitally important to the initial launch – but not those who aren’t 
3. Focusing on your role and knowing what that involves every day ‘versus’ what you need to hand over 
4. Effective communication and openness to make changes, adapt, tweak and test 

OUTSOURCING AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER : BEING A ONE MAN BAND!

I was lucky in that I was able to get help from my partner with the stuff I am terrible at right at the beginning. 

So I managed to develop those skills later on, but I needed the organisational skills, structure and someone to manage the numbers for me, so I could focus on building the brand.  

NOTE:  we need to be very careful though who we hire from our families and with friends, as people can fall out over such things and it can cause disastrous results both in life and in business.  So be very careful WHO you get help from.

Now, I am still ‘and always will be’ a one man band fundamentally, but I will always have a team, and also know when and where I need expert help for certain projects. 

So, why does this work for me as an online entrepreneur and for others?

Many online micro business experts will have no more than around 10 team members, (as we talked about), whether they are in house or remote.  So, they very often try to keep things small, and in doing so find that there is greater understanding and control over the daily operational setup.  This may mean for many that this also includes team members who remotely work, which is becoming increasingly popular in work and business operations today.  

It pays to look at the mechanics of setting up a particular type of business in the sense that you may want staff and to pay wages or you may want to only manage yourself, and allow others to be self employed also.   There are vast differences here involved as you may know and certainly for what I do, I don’t need or require staff.

So, be very careful when starting out – ‘HOW’ you start and look carefully at what you need.   Because, in my humble opinion simplicity is something I look for.  And this applies in all areas of my business.

The question I asked myself early on was; ‘do I want to go from the stress of a job i hate, to being a boss of others who may hate their jobs?’

The answer was NO!   Of course, hopefully those who would work for me would be happy in their roles, but you cannot control others in reality and you cannot possibly know what changes will occur as there will potentially be all kinds of operational problems, so we can only do our best.

But -f you do hire others, be the leader they need, and enable them to grow with you.

OUTSOURCING AS A BUSINESS OWNER : OR BEING A ONE MAN BAND!

Being truly productive

A true Online Entrepreneur will know from experience what to delegate and to whom, so you will need to become that person.

You may have heard of Tim Ferris and the ‘4 Hour Work Week’!?

This was a best selling book where he shared how he used virtual assistants and outsourced what was necessary so that he could do what he loved most. So, ‘SURE’ YOU CAN OUTSOURCE as it has been said and proven and grow a great business, but if you do so, ensure you do it right and for the right reasons.

OR, DON’T WASTE TIME OR MONEY DOING IT AT ALL, if you are that small.

“The other part of outsourcing is this: it simply says where the work can be done outside better than it can be done inside, we should do it.”

Alphonso Jackson – Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

So, get to know the type of operation you will need to create and how this structure, system and processes will work best.  You do not need to have tons of hired experts if you can manage mostly by yourself – but just be aware of this, as there are small business owners who try to keep things tiny but then make a huge mess of everything by trying to do it all.

Being small doesn’t mean being less effective

If you are worried about NOT being as effective as larger companies by being smaller, then don’t be.

As you don’t necessarily need to be big, and that’s because, you have the ability to maximise your brand, name and create great exposure if you can enable just a few select experts to support you.  With great content, SEO, websites, video and branding you can stand out as much as anyone else if it is done right.  Also, when you are a small business you are more personal and today that goes a very long way.  As you can provide greater customer support and experiences, and follow up.  And you can offer a personal touch in relationship and rapport, so, you can use that to your advantage.

Therefore, you don’t have to worry about competing with the GIANTS out there as many large companies and corporations cannot always do what YOU DO!

Remember This:

YOU CAN BE PERSONAL IN YOUR SERVICE AS AN online entrepreneur:

YOU CAN BE MUCH MORE RAPIDLY FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR ONLINE PRODUCTS/SERVICES AND WITH YOUR MARKETING

YOU CAN ALTER YOUR STRATEGIES FAST WITH THE MARKET CHANGES

YOU CAN CHANGE WHAT YOU SELL IN A MATTER OF MINUTES

YOU CAN DEAL WITH ANY ISSUES HEAD ON WITHOUT A BODY OF PEOPLE TO RUN IT BY FIRST

Can you see how cool that is?

I hope that makes you feel better about the idea of being a small business and the size versus power.

We are lucky today in that we can drive our behaviours and adapt quickly, and the key is in accountability and in being responsible as a leader of yourself and of others.

This is the only way to run a business effectively.

And by being this way we are also flexible in our thinking and actions as we can become blinded by ‘what we think is right for us’.  Now, maybe you won’t be quite as flexible as that girl – but just as much as you can be.

“Outsourcing is inevitable, and I don’t think it’s necessarily treating people like things.”

Stephen Covey – Author

OUTSOURCING AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER : BEING A ONE MAN BAND!

Delegation And Outsourcing When Being An Online Entrepreneur!

If you feel as though you want to delegate stuff or outsource maybe branding, techy things or accounts then do it of course.

I have learned that my time is valuable in my life and business, so I honor that by knowing what I can do and what I cannot do.

It took me a great deal in order to become an expert in what I do, and at times it has been very stressful, and I won’t lie, I could have thrown my laptop over the side of my 12 story apartment many times, but thankfully the laptop is OK as I brought out my logical mind and looked at what was needed of me and others.  

So, RUN YOUR BUSINESS HOW YOU LIKE SIZE WISE – TO A DEGREE!

But, just ensure that when you do run it ‘how you like’ this also has to equate to ‘the best way of running it’.

JUST REMEMBER THAT, YOU CAN DO THIS ALONE WITHOUT HUGE OUTSOURCING as I have, but just be aware enough and not blind to the fact that sometimes we need to be less stubborn and get the help.

As some say ‘if we do the same things and expect different results, then this can mean insanity’!

Prepare to Win

You will need to conduct thorough research in your market

You will need to create a business plan and marketing plan

You will need to stand out from the crowd

You will need to ensure that you only promote the best products and services

You will need to perform your role as a leader and hire others where you are weak

You will need to ensure you have all of the right tools and resources

You will need sophisticated customer support systems and follow up emails

Do yourself a favor and be prepared to look outside of your own thinking so that you are open, flexible and listen to others ideas and suggestions as this will really help you not to get stuck in your ways which may even be a little limited.  Also never forget to test and measure your efforts, and ensure that you can tweak and adapt your approach. 

Ensure that you don’t skimp on shoddy tech as this will only set you back.    

And ensure that you don’t skimp on shoddy team members either.

Help them to be as good as they can be.

“The important thing about outsourcing or global sourcing is that it becomes a very powerful tool to leverage talent, improve productivity and reduce work cycles.”

Azim Premji – Indian Businessman

Numbers

Always ensure you are aware of all of your numbers numbers and your R.O.I.

Sounds obvious, but, in knowing what you spend and what you will see as a return, you are more capable of knowing what to increase and decrease from your costs, and this is so important because I see so many businesses either underspending or overspending.  It may take some time to get this right, but this enables you to see clearly and to make better judgments on your costs.

So, do you think you need to outsource?

ASK INTEGRA.COM they may be able to help you decide 

If you feel you need Outsourcing experts here are a few more:

CLICK HERE TO HIRE A FREELANCER

CLICK HERE TO HIRE AN UPWORK PROFESSIONAL 

CLICK HERE TO HIRE A PEOPLE-PER-HOUR EXPERT

OUTSOURCING AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER : BEING A ONE MAN BAND!

Here are some more tips for you when considering hiring for your organisation and depending on what size of business you are. 

These are all areas which I have worked with Businesses to master and manage and which all help to increase growth but also satisfied team members.

Questions?

There is no doubt that many people today are leveraging outsourcing and large corporations have been doing this for decades, but you and I can also create greater levels of output and effectiveness through using others to help us.

There are downsides to outsourcing though and HERE IS A POST WHICH EXPLAINS WHY BY SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS 

If you have any questions about this or anything to do with starting or growing a micro or small business then don’t hesitate to contact me and I will be more than happy to support your journey.   Or – if you wish to start your very own business plan and don’t know where to begin then also contact me and I can arrange a free session where we can talk about your goals and whether I can help you with your vision.  

“Do what you do best, and outsource the rest.”

Peter Drucker – Management consultant, educator, and author

Now, it’s time that you got that fire from your belly out into the world.

I wish You The Very Best And Good Luck With Starting Your  Micro or Small Business. 

Greg

Read My Books Here 

CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED AS A MICRO OR SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WITH A FREE PLANNING SESSION 

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GregDeTisi

Author and Small Business Blogger at Greg De Tisi Writing and Small Business Blogging

Author of 26 books, a course creator and business blogger - Greg has been supporting clients from all backgrounds all over the globe for over 15 years in developing ideas and passions into sustainable Small Business Models. Greg now has more of a focus on supporting his local business community in Bristol UK.