As entrepreneurs we are use to doing everything because in the beginning there wasn’t anyone else. As they say, old habits are hard to break so when a staff member gets sick or overwhelmed, we’re usually the first ones to jump in and cover the situation. But who covers for you when you get sick? Who’s got your back?
We’re Only Human
I know we think we’re superhuman, and sometimes we really are, but most of the time we’re just frail human beings just like everyone else and we need to seriously consider a contingency plan. How would your business operate if you we’re sidelined for a week or even worse a couple of months?
Now chances are no one employee can wear all your hats, but chances are if properly allocated across a few employees you would most likely cover 70-80% of your critical duties and would allow your company to continue to function if your absence was more than just a couple of days.
Who’s Got Your Back?
So where do you begin? Ideally look for those task that can be easily transitioned like staff or project scheduling. Who does the invoicing? If you train someone else as a back up, your cash flow won’t be terribly disrupted while you’re benched. Is quality control part of your oversight? Again, train someone because you can’t afford to have completed orders sitting on the floor and missing deadlines.
The thing is, you’re not invincible and you may never be faced with a time out but it’s no different than any other emergency plan you have in place. You don’t need it, until you need it.
The truly great thing about this exercise is that you may discover that your staff may be far more capable than you gave them credit and you just might start down the road of delegating more and more tasks and really free yourself from the day to day running of your business.
One mandate I had at my company was that all positions and functions had a trained backup, including me. So, who’s got your back?
You may also enjoy Delegating Is Easier Than You Think
Copyright © Greg Weatherdon
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Get More LIFE Out of Your Business
You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.
Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.
Greg Weatherdon has been there, done that. As an entrepreneur, he learned not only how to get a business to the point of running smoothly, but also how to reduce the number of hours he worked, delegate more responsibility to his employees, and take longer vacations while his business chugged along like a well-oiled machine. And now he is providing the secret to success.
Do you suffer from any of the following?
1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.
You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.
