Welcome Christopher Harris, Managing Director of Faith Growth to the Brown Bag Business Chat. Faith Growth builds WordPress websites for churches and Christopher is one of the nicest guys in DFW. Follow him on Twitter @revrevwine.
What fears did you have that kept you from bringing someone into your business?
- Making payroll. This is a big one for most of us. How will I pay this person week after week? What if we hit a slow spell? Can I really afford the commitment of an employee?
- What if they know more than me? Ah, the ego. There are so many things we are great at, but for some reason we’re still edgy about that person who knows more than we do. Bottom line, is, your employees should know more than you or be better at something than you are. Otherwise — why do you need them?
- The systems weren’t in place or weren’t perfected. As a solopreneur it is very likely you don’t document every process or implement a team management system. It’s terrifying to think of bringing someone else into your world.
What was the deciding factor? What pushed you over the edge?
- 2014 was a great year, but being the lone ranger put me in a position to stop growing. There are only so many hours in the day, as a single person you can only go so far in your business without help. You can choose working with contractors, outsourcing part of your workflow, or hiring employees — but doing it all yourself will run your business into a wall. Quickly.
- Delivery times with clients weren’t great. I needed to have the ability to focus more on clients. When business gets crazy you’re usually the first to take a beating for it. But are your clients also paying the price of your overbooked schedule? If you’re dreading client calls or starting your emails with “so sorry for the delay” — it is time to make a change. Actually, it’s past time.
- Realizing an intern or part time person might be the answer. Growing your business doesn’t mean going out for a round of capital to support payroll. Starting with baby steps is a smart, legitimate approach to hiring.
- The “I can do this!” moment. Talking to other business owners who’ve made the jump really helped. Build your confidence and work toward your own “I can do this” moment.
- I chose to work ON my business, not just IN my business. Every business owner knows just how difficult it is to juggle working in the business and ON the business. Growth takes more than delivering great products and services, it takes time working with clients, prospecting, selling, and managing projects. Not to mention accounting, taxes, stocking up on printer ink and filling the fridge with Diet Cokes.
What advice would you give to someone else in your position?
- Stop thinking you can do it faster than you can teach it. You will recoup that teaching time QUICKLY when you move that repetitive task off your plate.
- Focus on doing the things only you can do. Let the rest go to people who do those things really well. You might not be able to move every task off your plate at once, but over time you should work toward this goal.
- Just do it! Learn as you go, build systems as you go, and increase their workload over time.
- Honestly, those systems and process really don’t matter as much as we THINK they will matter. It is easier to develop the systems with someone than to guess what that system will be before you make the hire. Document procedures as you go, refine processes when you see an opportunity for greater efficiency, and grow together
- Keep on Going! Christopher has already hired another person to help with a part of the business (documentation) that he shouldn’t be spending his time on.
Internships!
Christopher and I have both brought on interns to help bridge the gap between solopreneur and employer. Interns can bring so much value to your business, what are you waiting for?
How was bringing on an intern different than a full time employee?
- Fewer hours. Interns typically work 20 hours a week or less. They’re busy with school and possibly even another job, so if you aren’t ready to pay a full time salary, an intern may be a great solution.
- Eager to learn, and better at learning. Interns are students. Their job is learning. They are typically really, really good at it (and if they aren’t you probably didn’t hire the right person). Upon hire their skills may be a bit lacking, but the time you invest in teaching them will generate a positive return. You may surprised at the things they can teach you.
- Need a little more nurturing and education. That’s part of the deal, right? Interns work for a little less, in exchange for experience and education. Before you hire an intern, figure out how much time you can dedicate to their professional development.
Process of finding interns
- You do not have to work through a university if you’re not comfortable. Check your network, put the word out. College wasn’t necessarily the best experience for some of us, so working through a university may give you a tiny panic attack. The best thing you can do is put the word out and see who you can connect with through your network.
- Connect with the universities in your area, send an email to the head of the department you’re targeting. Should you decide to go the university/college route, head straight to the head of the department. They won’t be your last stop, but they can help point you in the right direction. Let that department head know you want to offer experience and education to their best students and you’re likely to have a solid referral partner on your side.
- List your job on the school job board. Most schools have a job board, just be prepared for a potential mountain of responses. Have a system in place for handling resume follow up, interviewing, and don’t forget to remove the post once you’ve filled the position.
- Prepare to be flexible on meeting their needs.
** PAY YOUR INTERNS **
Young is not equal to lazy – please don’t judge their generation and don’t assume they don’t deserve to be paid. The only exception to this rule is if an intern is getting class credit and is not doing billable work. Otherwise, pay your interns and pay them well.