Small Business Growing Pains

by Amir Watynski
 
There is no doubt that one of the toughest challenges for the small business owner is making the transition from a one-person business to one with several employees. This growth phase is so difficult that many businesses fail at this point, or in frustration, just go back to their original one-person stage. The reason this is so tough is that in order to make the business grow, you must hire other people to do the things that you've been doing all along. You've been the sales rep, the customer service rep, and the technician all by yourself, and you must now replace yourself in those positions with other people. It's not easy letting go!
 
In order to hire other sales reps, for example, and grow the business, you must eventually stop (or decrease) selling so you can manage your sales people. In other words, you must stop doing what has made your business successful up to this point, and become a manager, which requires learning an entirely new set of skills. That is scary!
 
Many business owners tell me in frustration that it is impossible to find quality people to hire. After all, "no one will do the job that I can do. No one can care as I much as I care." While that is probably true, a successful business need not be comprised of employees who are as talented and personally invested as you are.
 
In E-myth, an excellent book by Michael E. Gerber, the author explains that for your business to be successful as a "real" business, you must first develop a "system" in every facet of your business. Having a system means that every task can be easily duplicated by anyone. If I hire a super talented one-of-a-kind person, what happens if that person quits? A business cannot depend on one specific individual. Rather, each job should be able to be duplicated by anyone else. Don't search for the employee who is as special as you are - because not only is she tough to find, but she will be very expensive to employ. Rather, hire good, average people who are teachable.
 
Gerber goes on to explain that a perfect example of this concept is the franchise. Let's take McDonalds, for example. A McDonalds franchise is made up of a set of guidelines to follow for every aspect of the restaurant - how to greet the customers, how to cook the hamburgers, how long to cook the french fries, how many pickles to put on the hamburger, and so on. Every aspect is systemized so that every single customer can always expect the exact same results when he visits the restaurant.
 
McDonald's is the most successful franchise, and it has inspired thousands of other businesses to attempt to duplicate its success. As long as your business is comprised of systems which can be taught and carried out by anybody, you can slowly start letting go and delegating your responsibilities to others, leaving you to manage the entire operation.
 
About the author:
Amir Watynski owns Watt Media, Inc., which helps businesses promote their services and enhance their image with telephone "on-hold" messages and music, and web design services. Website: http://www.watt-media.com Blog: http://blog.watt-media.com