If you’ve been at your business for some time and starting to grow, you’ve probably realized that the companies that make a huge splash in any industry are the ones that have a team in place. While I always recommend outsourcing when and what you can, sometimes you just can’t afford to hire a full or part time team. I get it, and that’s why I put together the ultimate “fake it till you make it” checklist so you can look like you have a team, even when you don’t.
Outsource single projects when you can: You don’t need a full or part time team in order to outsource here and there. If you have a particularly packed month, perhaps you can find some tasks you can hire out temporarily. Some areas to consider outsourcing are social media management, bookkeeping, visual identity, website updates, or even tasks at home such as housekeeping or laundry to free up more hours for you to stick to your zone of genius.
Have an Admin or a Support email address: If you want to give clients the impression that you have a team, or to get set up for a team in the future, think about having an email address called admin@, info@, help@, or support@. Now, I’m not saying you should make up a fake person who is “answering” those emails, because that’s just weird right? But this secondary email address will give the appearance of a team member, which is what we want. You can have them forwarded to your current email for the time being, so that you’re not answering two email addresses, and when you are ready to bring on a VA or admin person to take over those tasks you already have the address in place and your clients will be accustomed to this way of doing business.
Get a CRM: A CRM (customer relationship manager) will help you stay organized and professional in your business, even without administrative support. Think of it as a digital assistant. A CRM will let you see metrics for your business, view the history of a particular client communication, and can function like an assistant because you can remind yourself of key facts about a client that you may not remember off the top of your head. When you do get a team in place, this will also be a great tool to help them track their work. While there are many CRMs on the market, here at VPS we love Mailchimp for staying in touch with our clients.
Put as much on autopilot as you can: If you are running a one man or woman show, try to automate as much as you can to give the impression of a team working behind the scenes. There are many things you can automate in your business and save yourself time. Things like booking appointments can be done through calendar software, you can automate contracts and invoices through software like 17hats*, and you can also automate your social media posting through Hootsuite or Buffer. Not only will you save yourself some serious headaches by automating anything and everything you can, but when things are working like clockwork it’s hard to imagine there isn’t a team working behind the scenes.
Get a team: The reality is, if you want to grow your business into an empire you really do need a team in place to help you get there. When you’re ready, start with a VA. There are many VAs who have small packages of 5 or 10 hours per month, so you can build your team slowly. If you’re ready to bring someone on your team for just a few hours a month check out Virtual Biz Connect or Entre Team to help you find the right VA for you. After working with a VA you will find your business start to grow and you can eventually work your way up to a growth strategist like me 🙂
Remember that a great team is actually an investment in your business, not an expense. When you stick to your zone of genius and outsource the rest you can really start to grow and expand.
What questions do you have about getting a team together? Let me know in the comments below.
*Some of the links provided are affiliate links, meaning I may receive compensation if you choose to purchase (and if you do, please use my link!). I only recommend services I personally use and love, so rest assured that while “they” may pay me if you buy I would gladly promote these services with or without compensation.
BIO
Dawn Sinkule, the Founder of Virtual Point Solutions, is an MBA graduate, Strategy and Business Growth Consultant as well as a Certified Online Business Manager with more than 16 years of corporate experience working for a Fortune 50 company. Dawn and her team work with passionate six-figure business owners who want to grow, expand, and explode their businesses. Dawn and the VPS team provide your choice of self-implementation or fully done for you solutions, and both include detailed business strategies, automation, systems, and most importantly the satisfaction of knowing your business is heading the right direction. Her clients get not only the experience of a Fortune 50 leader but also a personalized and customized strategy as well as an implementation team: AKA your secret weapon for success. Check out her website and grab her FREE 4 Systems you Never Knew You Needed to Crush Chaos and Put Profit First (finally!). Connect with Dawn and her team on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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