Despite popular belief, running your own business does not mean you have to do everything alone. In fact, trying to truly “go at it alone” will only lead to burnout, as it’s near impossible for one person to carry out that amount of work on a daily basis.
Photo from Unsplash
With that in mind, here are six people you need to help you run your business shared by a guest writer .
A Bookkeeper.
While your cash flow may take a little while to get flowing, it’s important that you keep on top of your finances from the word go. Failure to do so could mean that you land yourself in a tough situation further down the line, especially when getting your taxes in order. Furthermore, understanding your finances also means that you can figure out any mistakes you’ve made or investment opportunities.
Before hiring a bookkeeper, do some research to figure out how much money you must set aside to cover bookkeeper hourly rates. You should also ensure you hire a bookkeeper with industry-specific experience, as this will give you greater chances of success.
A social media manager.
There’s no denying that social media marketing is often key to business success. This is because 75% of internet users use social media to research products or brands before deciding to support them. As a result, without a strong social media presence, your brand may struggle to take off.
However, it’s often not as simple as posting a few pictures here and there. You need to have a social media strategy in place, post consistently, and use your platform to further engage with your target audience. This often requires an understanding of the different algorithms used on social media and how they work. As a result, hiring a social media manager can be a great way to make your mark digitally, without having to spend hour after hour drafting tweets!
A Virtual Assistant.
There are many reasons why you should consider hiring a virtual assistant when running your own business. This is because they enable you to spend less time carrying out time-consuming admin tasks, like manning the company phone and responding to emails, and more doing the work that actually matters. As a result, you’ll find that you’re more productive, while also having a better work-life balance.
Furthermore, a skilled virtual assistant will help you to get more organized in your daily life, which will help ensure your business runs smoothly as a result. Finally, as your assistant will be available throughout the day, customers will receive quick responses to any queries. This is important as “customers are willing to spend more with a business that responds quickly to their enquiry”, and without an assistant your response times are bound to be slower – in fact, some messages may get ignored entirely.
Virtual assistants often specialize in certain industries and sectors. Choosing an assistant with experience in your industry will ensure they can provide the standards you’re looking for. A virtual dental assistant should know the ins and outs of handling patient calls or managing other dental office tasks. They should be well-versed in handling sensitive patient data and information such as insurance details. It pays to pick an assistant who is familiar with businesses like yours to get the best results.
A Sales person.
Whether you’re selling products or services, having a good salesperson (or two) in your team is integral to your overall success. In fact, this should be one of the first roles you look to fill in-house, while others can typically be outsourced. After all, when you have a dedicated sales-team in place, your sales are likely to rise correspondingly.
This is because sales personnel know everything there is to know about your customer, and get them to hit that purchase button. As a result, they’ll be able to execute a range of strategies that elevate your business, whether they’re pitching directly to clients or other businesses. They’ll also be able to identify industry trends and ensure that you are capitalising upon them. Finally, they can also work to ensure that everyone in your team has excellent customer service skills, to maximize all-important customer satisfaction rates.
A marketing expert.
While most brands focus predominantly on social media marketing (likely due to how much time we spend on our phone), it does not mean you should neglect other marketing styles and tactics. For example, putting together a mailing list and launching a mailing marketing campaign that boosts both brand engagement and sales. If you’ve not already tried putting together a mailing list, it should definitely be on your agenda for 2023. This is because “18% of companies achieve email marketing ROI greater than $70 per $1 invested.”
A marketing expert will also be able to look back on previous marketing campaigns and figure out what went wrong, or areas you can improve upon. For example, they can use data to determine which campaigns brought forward the best ROI, and which were largely ignored by your target audience.
A target audience.
While your target audience cannot be hired or outsourced (like the other people on this list), there’s no denying that you need customers in order to run your business. As a result, it’s important that you take some time out of your day to really work on understanding your target audience.
A vague description of your target audience is simply not sufficient, especially if you work within a competitive industry. In fact, the more specific you can be, the better. After all, this means that you can tailor everything – from your marketing campaigns to your products – directly to your target audience.
Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can improve upon your understanding of your audience/consumers. For example, you could host a series of focus groups where you simply ask them questions about their shopping habits, likes, and dislikes. Alternatively, you could set up a feedback section on your site so that you receive a constant stream of feedback.
Final Thoughts.
In short, while many business owners try to keep their teams as small as possible (especially when their business is in its infancy), there’s no denying that hiring others is instrumental to your growth.
Furthermore, it can also mean that you spend less time working (or stressing) and more time enjoying the benefits that come with being your own boss! For example, hiring or outsourcing staff reduces your working hours, meaning that your work does not follow you home at the end of the day.