We all create our businesses for different reasons. Whether it?s a passion project, for the greater good, or profit – each and every one of our businesses should aim to run without its founder. You?ve built a business in hopes of regaining some of your freedom. More time to brunch with friends, go exploring, snuggle with the pup or to just escape screen time. If that doesn?t sound appealing we recommend corporate America. By hiring the correct people, fostering their growth, and setting up foolproof systems you?ll get one step closer to that phone-free vacation you?ve been dreaming of.
Identify Your Goals
To create a business that ?runs without you? you need to identify what that looks like to you by establishing clear business goals. Do you want to rid yourself of benign operational duties or spend more time away from the business as a whole? If your goal is to free up time to focus on building the business (ie. networking, attending events, and public speaking) it?s important to foster a team that can rid those ?lesser tasks? so you have time to focus on the big picture.
Team First
Your team is the glue that will keep your business together when you?re away. First things first, hiring. When hiring your dream team it?s important to ask qualifying questions that ensure that the candidate is honest, self-driven, and able to problem solve. If one of your processes goes down, and you?re outside of cell service, you want a team member that can fix the situation or at least try their very best. Once you?ve hired the perfect talent it?s time to foster their growth through continued education, positive company culture, team building exercises, and collaboration. 91% of top performing employees value companies that provide professional development opportunities. A happy and educated team is a healthy team.
Establishing Expectations
For your team to perform at optimal productivity, you must establish clear expectations for their roles within the business. Fewer than 29% of employees know if their performance is adequate. By providing regular performance feedback you can assuage by showing your employee where they excel and where they could use improvement. It seems like a no-brainer, but a teammate can?t improve if they don?t know what they?re doing wrong in the first place. Employees value a simple ?Thank you? so don?t forget to give praise when they?ve done something above and beyond.
Trust
Once you?ve established your A-Team, it?s time to let go and trust the process. Will there be hiccups? Yes, but without letting your team try to run they will never learn to fly. Micromanaging your team will only cause further issue and distrust within the organization. Trust that the people you?ve hired have the skills to take you and your business to the top. Bonus: Once you?ve allowed yourself to let go, you?ll have more time to focus on growing the business.
In Summary
- Set measurable goals (Our SMART goals worksheet is perfect for this!)
- Hire the right people and focus on fostering their growth.
- Establish clear expectations and provide regular feedback.
- Step back and let the people you?ve hired take the reigns
- Look for outside help when you need it. We know a great operations support company ?
