Being a small business owner is a large task and while it’s possible to take on many roles on your own as a solopreneur… There comes a point when things can become too much and burn out can easily creep in unnoticed.
If this is the case for you, then what steps can you take to ensure you’re delegating the right tasks to a team and hiring the right people to ensure it runs smoothly?
What kind of entrepreneur are you?
First things first, it’s important to know yourself well before delegating the wrong kinds of tasks. You don’t want to give up tasks that light you up, do you?
In order to find out what kind of entrepreneur you are, then you can start with this baseline question: Are you a visionary or an integrator?
There are many ways to find out, but here are a few defining factors to decide whether one fits better than the other.
If you are detail-oriented, make decisions based on logic, and are a great manager, you are an integrator.
If you are big picture oriented, make decisions based on emotion, and are a leader, you fit the bill of visionary.
This isn’t to say you can’t be a bit of both, but understanding the kind of entrepreneurial qualities you have will help you reach goals with the right kind of support your unique business needs.
The role of the visionary and the integrator
Okay, so you’ve determined whether you’re a visionary or an integrator, but now… What purpose do each of these roles play in your business?
The visionary within the business will establish a vision and mission for their business. They handle the future of the company by building relationships and innovation.
Integrators handle the day-to-day operations and ensure there’s a strategic plan to execute on each big and new idea given by the visionary. They ensure everything runs smoothly in business.
Knowing which role you play in your business will make hiring that much easier because you’ll be hiring for skill sets you may lack, be weaker in, or downright don’t want to be part of.
Knowing you don’t have to do everything as an entrepreneur is a powerful shift to increasing business growth exponentially.
How to hire as a visionary vs integrator
If you’re a visionary and you’re ready to let go of some of the more detail-oriented + systems responsibilities in your business, then here a few types of roles someone could fill to help you execute in your business.
- Project Manager
- (Online) Business Manager
- Systems Strategist
- Virutal Assistant (general, tech)
Finding someone to support your big visions is key to growth and the best part? You free up so much brain space to continue brainstorming and creating.
But what if you’re an integrator and you need help with more of big picture aspects of business?
- Business Strategist or Coach
- Creative Virtual Assistant
- Brand Extraordinaire
- Creative Director
Solving business problems rely heavily on filling the right kind of role in your business. If you have a business strategy problem, then hiring a virtual assistant won’t be the right fit.
And the same goes if you have a content problem, hiring an online business manager won’t help you pump out more content.
In order to fill the right role, it’s important to ask questions like:
- Where are the holes in my business?
- Where do I struggle?
- What do I love to do?
- What do I absolutely hate doing?
- What do I want to do more of?
Contractors vs employees – which is right for my business?
Once you’ve decided on the role that needs to filled, then you can begin to hone in on big questions like:
- How much time needs to be dedicated to this task?
- What is my budget?
- Who should fill this position?
In order to find the answers to these questions, you should have a good handle on your finances and schedule.
Those two factors will play a big part in whether you hire a contractor or employee. Many small business owners find that hiring contractors in the beginning helps them manage their budgets while getting the help they need.
And when the time comes, you can hire employees as well. You can have a mix of both employees and contractors within your business depending on the tasks at hand.
If you’re a new business owner or a seasoned entrepreneur who wants to build an authentic personal brand before hiring, then be sure to take our quick 2-minute quiz all about finding your brand superpower.
About The Author
Rachel Gogos is a multi-passionate entrepreneur with a strong desire to help people by creating strong personal brands and businesses. She’s personally launched dozens of books, e-products, and services; and hundreds of products and services with her clients. She started her career at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where she helped create the look and feel for the organization’s first website.
Today, in her current role running brandiD, Rachel channels over 15 years of marketing and communications experience into each and every website for brandiD’s clients.
And check out her book, Build Your Brand: The Distinctive Guide to Soul-Based Marketing. It will help you uncover your personal brand.