It takes a village…

It’s summer and I know I should be switching off but my mind doesn’t always work that way or do as it is told.

As a business owner I find I am always thinking, contemplating my next move, next chapter, whatever.  Staying settled and happy with the status quo has never been my modus operandi.  

No matter what job I have had, I have always been planning ahead of myself.  In fact, when I worked at Today’s Parent, the magazine planned six months in advance.  So we would be writing about Christmas in June, and managing winter photo shoots in the heat of the summer.

In one position, I was often dreaming up new schemes, when in truth what the organization needed was some stability and a sound foundation, not the team going off on yet another tangent or project I had concocted.   So I know the perils of constantly changing just because you are bored.

And as entrepreneurs that can easily happen. It is the thrill of the start-up, developing new concepts and ideas that excites many of us, not the day-to-day running of a business, which admittedly cannot be overlooked if the business is to survive.

All of which speaks to the need to build a team that draws in people who actually love the detail, who truly blossom in the specifics.   For me it is the creative process of coming up with programs and services that sparks and ignites my energy.  In fact if I am being really honest, there are times when I enjoy the planning more than the delivery.

Whatever type of business owner you are, the key is to know yourself – your strengths and your weaknesses, and to build a solid team where your combined talents will create a stronger business.    

Now those of you who are solopreneurs may be saying “That’s all very nice Anne, but I can’t afford to hire anyone, let alone build a team.”  But you know what, you can. Look around you, there are many solopreneurs probably all feeling exactly the same way.

So why can’t you team up and support each other?  Perhaps it’s bartering services or brainstorming ideas together so you head in the right direction.  Consider co-op placements with high school or college students.  Rope in young family members to take on some of the more routine tasks.  What better way to learn the alphabet, than with filing?J

You don’t have to fly solo, and when you have people to support you, it frees you up to do what you do best.