Hire quick, fire quicker — or some such saying. It means, hire when you need someone to expand your staff. Fire as quick as you discover the person isn’t working out. There is nothing worse for a small business owner to have hired someone who is a bad fit. That person could damage your business and its reputation and no entrepreneur can afford that.
We have 3 ways to hire smarter because if you’re fortunate enough to have grown your business to the point that you can expand your staff to be more than just you, congratulations! Another perk in hiring is that you can focus on your core competency and the new hire can take away those items at which you either don’t excel or that aren’t making any money for the business.
Many entrepreneurs look forward to the time when they can hire, but it is a time fraught with stress and the worry of “hiring wrong.” Here are a few ways to help ensure a new hire has your business best interests at heart.
3 Ways To Hire Smarter
What role are you hiring for? Define it as narrowly a you can, but leave a little space to expand the role if the person you hired has complementary skills that could be helpful in the future. Whether you’re hiring a vendor, a freelancer or an independent contractor for either full time, part time or per project, you need to know what you need them to do and what skills they need to have to fulfill the role. Having clearly defined – and written job tasks – with outcome metrics helps the new hire know what’s expected and helps you know whether it’s working out.
What do you need and why AND are you going to be able to delegate and let that person do his or her job? If you have an immediate need for help because you have a quick influx of opportunity, do you need someone on the payroll following that or is it a one time need? Be up front with the prospects.
Formulate an onboarding strategy to assist them in their job and you in their success. If a new hire is floundering and don’t know where to begin or what is expected of them, they will be dissatisfied and overwhelmed and will leave.
I have been fortunate in my hiring that I have had a couple of team members — my copywriter, for example — who has been with me for close to a decade. I have other project based vendors on whom I have also relied for many years. I set expectations up front, train staff, give them the tools they need to succeed and it has been a win-win!
Entrepreneurs often burn the candle at both ends and that means burnout could be knocking at the door at any point. There are many reasons why entrepreneurs need to practice self-care and one of them is that if you get under the weather (covid, anyone?) who will keep your business running? Do you have someone on whom you can rely to take over or will your business wither on the vine if you get sick and can’t man the controls?
As a business coach and serial entrepreneur and a man who rarely sits down and takes a day off, I understand the importance of self-care and that can come in the form of:
Meditation
Walking
Long bubble baths
Spending time with friends or alone
Traveling
Cooking
Whatever relaxes and reinvigorates you Leading a balanced, orderly personal life will help you be a better leader. Find practical methods for eliminating stress, unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
Why Entrepreneurs Need To Practice Self-Care
You need to not only know what helps relax you, but you need to take time to do that as a way to keep yourself healthy and in charge at the helm.
Here are a few options to consider:
Lead a balanced orderly personal life because this will help you be a better, stronger leader
Look for methods and strategies that help eliminate stress, dissapate dissatisfaction and unhappiness as they sap your personal health
Reinvent who you are and what you do. When you try something new you are taking yourself out of your comfort zone and just that switch will help shake things up
You need to know what brings you peace. You need to know how to find serenity and your center. You also need to get away from electronics at least once a day — better yet, an entire day of the week you need to unplug.
Silence can be your friend. Turn off the television and radio, turn on a water fountain and listen to that sound.
When you’re with friends and family — be present. Don’t multitask your personal time.
Eat healthy meals.
Exercise
Sleep deeply
Laugh often
when is the last time you took time to take care of yourself?
When you’re in the middle of a problem, it’s hard to see a way out. I know. I’ve worked with so many clients both in the swimming pool industry and in other industries and when they are struggling, it’s hard to see light at the end of the tunnel. When in the middle of a problem, it’s overwhelming and you struggle to put a strategy in place.
I think if you work through these steps you will see it’s not quite as bad as you originally thought. Ready?
What IS the problem? Do you truly know what it is? Sometimes you’re so bombarded with things that you don’t know the root issue. Define the problem precisely as the first step.
Look at it from different angles. Don’t just stare at the face of the problem. Look at it from the top, bottom and both sides. Expand your view to solve the problem. Also ask yourself, “what ELSE could the problem be?”
What caused the problem? If you know where or how it originated, you may be closer to solving it.
Come up with any and all potential solutions — not matter how whacky they seem. You may find a kernel of help in even the most far out solution.
Now that you’ve examined it deeply and have written down potential solutions, you’re at the point of choosing the solution you think will work best.
Set a deadline for the implementation of the solution.
If the first solution doesn’t work, try , try again. That’s why you developed more than one potential solution.
Go back and see whether your solution remedied the problem.
Pat yourself on the back if it did!
Jump into plan B and ask for help to solve the solution. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes or perspective shines the light on something you’re too close to see.
Halloween is a fun holiday. Thanksgiving, though, with its holiday travel or hosting large groups of family members also gets entrepreneurs into the holiday season and that is a lot of stress for many business owners. We have 3 ways entrepreneurs can handle holiday stress, enjoy time with friends and family and not be concerned their business will fall apart.
When I was a fledging entrepreneur, I didn’t give myself enough time to enjoy the holidays and savor time with friends and family. I was so business-focused that I didn’t stop and put strategies in place that would let me enjoy holidays without the stress of my business hanging over my head. I want you to learn from my years of experience and find that you can almost have it all.
3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Handle Holiday Stress
While I don’t believe there is a true work-life balance, there are ways to step away from work and be with friends and enjoy the holidays. Why don’t I believe in work- life balance? Because when you’re at work you’re working. When you’re home, you’re home. You could have a work-life blend, but balance, not so much.
Here are my tips.
Keep to your regular routine. If you have a plan that works for you, then stick with it. Don’t get off track and shuffle too many things around. Yes, you may want to move some client calls or meetings to take the holidays and time you want to take off into consideration but don’t just ditch all the successful strides you’ve made.
Just say no. No to extra responsibilities. No to additional meetings. Maybe even no to taking on a new client in the holiday season. This is obviously a personal decision and your finances will play a role, but does this new client need to start right now or can he or she wait until the new year? Can you do a soft onboarding and jump in after the holidays?
Give yourself a gift. The gift of time. The gift of a day off. The gift of a day at the spa. Whatever you consider a gift, do that and don’t feel guilty. If you’re giving and giving and giving, it might just be time for you to take something on your own.
Give back. The holidays are a time when pet shelters or homeless shelters and food kitchens really need helping hands. Find some time to volunteer and bring your friends and family along for that experience.
What do you need to, or want to, do differently this holiday season so you can enjoy it? Let me know!
How can you be outstanding (out standing!) in your field? You need to leverage your uniqueness. Don’t let what makes you, you be invisible. You don’t need to fit in in order to succeed in your chosen business path. Even the most staid industry — attorney or accountant, for example — can leverage the uniqueness of the business owner to set themselves apart from the competition. How can you use your uniqueness to find the clients you want?
I know many business owners want to fit in and they sometimes don’t show the world who they are, who they can be and why you should work with them. Don’t be dragged down by societal pressure to conform. Your ideal client will find you and be drawn to your uniqueness.
If everyone was the same, why would we consider them significant or a good fit for your business? What is your unique selling proposition (USP)? Know it. Embrace it. Use it as a marketing tool. Those who thrive are those who are authentic and reveal themselves for who they are and that’s why we are drawn to them.
Rex Richard — I — may seem like I am the life of the party, especially if you see my social media posts, but I am quiet and an introvert and perhaps even “ADD.” In my business as a coach who works with entrepreneurs and business owners in the swimming pool industry, I delve into research and data. When I talk with my clients I am highly introspective. I may not be comfortable in large networking settings but I am an empath and can understand how others think and feel and can relate to them when we meet.
How Can You Use Your Uniqueness?
I am a highly sought-after speaker and can speak to large audiences and am able to project my voice, my thoughts and explain the benefits of the services and products I sell. Although I may feel awkward and even out of place when surrounded by people whom I don’t know well, I know I can work the room then go back and recharge my emotional batteries. I enjoy recharging through trips, alone or with a friend; I enjoy the mountains, the ocean and would rather be in the company of people whom I know well than spend time with strangers.
What does that have to do with being unique? It’s because I can relate to other empaths. I can connect on a deeper level with those who have the same sensitivity as I do. If I am forced to “be on stage” all the time, I will burn out emotionally and it will take a long, long time to recharge my batteries.
Remember, you’re special. You’re unique. Harness the power of your personality to attract those you want to interact with and it will almost naturally weed out those you don’t want to work with.
Don’t use your individuality as a weapon. Don’t use it to be crass and brash and injure the feelings of others. Don’t use your uniqueness to control or disrupt those who don’t agree with your point of view.
I may be quiet and introverted, but I love to help others and see them succeed. I spend dozens of hours on the phone, and in person in small groups or one on one with my clients. My spirit of giving is what sets me apart and energizes me.
