Extending yourself

     Free daily tips, information and advice for people in small business
     from someone who has been there, done that in several small businesses.

     In small business, you are always short-handed. Never do you have all the help you need. So you tend to do everything yourself--including taking out the trash and turning off the lights.

     You started your small business because you had a passion. Maybe it was baking or yoga. Maybe it was engineering or repairing automobiles.

     But the time it takes for you to do everything has become too much. It's cutting into sleep time, and you dare not take a vacation.

     You need more help to relieve the pressures. And help is available.

     If you cannot afford to add another full time employee, consider a part timer. High school and college students always need a little more money, and you can hire one for 3 or 4 hours a day. Retirees also need more money and want to stay busy--a valuable asset to them and to you.

     Alternatively, consider bringing in an intern. Not every business is an appropriate venue for an intern. But a law office, a chef, an insurance agency, a small advertising firm, even a specialty grower of plants, and others can--and do--bring an intern into the operation. Interns work for the experience, and sometimes no pay--or little pay--is involved.

     When you do decide to add a full time employee, consider the position carefully. This is another opportunity to extend yourself. It's a time to carve out those activities (that take lots of your time) and turn them over to a trustworthy individual. Or it's a time to bring in new talent--someone who can do things you don't know how to do. 

     Whatever the case--part timers, interns, or full time employees--you are extending yourself. Now you can concentrate on the parts of the business that you enjoy and the things that are critical to the future of the business. Extending yourself allows you--and the business--to grow.

     Questions? I retired when I turned 75. You can email me at AlWarr16@gmail.com with your questions. Put BLOG in the subject line so I don't delete. Quick answers from my 40+ years experience founding and growing several small businesses. Your privacy is always respected.