I hear it all the time, from customers and QuickBooks ProAdvisors: I have to do it all in my business; the customers want to work with only me.
While I can relate to that way of thinking, I also know there are ways around it. You see, when I started Fourlane (then called Adams QB) in 2009, I was an Intuit ProAdvisor Practice with one sole employee, me. I quickly learned that, in order to grow, I couldn’t touch everything.
Here are some thoughts for getting out of your own way so that you can grow your business:
- Be the CEO. Begin to think of yourself as a CEO rather than a plumber, contractor, chef or ProAdvisor. To move from being a solopreneur, you must focus on the management: finances, personnel and sales/marketing.
- Delegate. Get the right people to do the work so that you can focus on the business. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re irreplaceable.As we say at Fourlane, trust the team.
- Document. My theme this month is on documenting processes. Training employees and ensuring they consistently provide service to your clients begins with great documentation.
- Make a plan. Having a plan is essential for growth. It is also helpful to get outside perspective via a coach or business consultant because they can provide valuable insight. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know.
This strategy has worked for us. With nearly 30 employees now, we’re confident we have the strategies in place to continue to grow. While my workload hasn’t decreased, I am not involved in everything we do. I have the confidence to know that my team can handle whatever is thrown at them. This is great news, as I will be taking maternity leave in October. My team and customers can be confident that it will remain business as usual at Fourlane while I’m out.
