Don't be stubborn. Get help
You're an entrepreneur. The world at your feet. Possibilities and opportunities all around. It feels good.
Then it starts to feel uncomfortable.
You realise that your energy and your charm, and your product or service, can only go so far. You're becoming overwhelmed, quickly.
Anyone who sets themselves up as an entrepreneur does so because they have something that they believe in. And there is nothing wrong with that. Belief and passion are in short supply these days. Go ahead.
At the same time, it's easy to become stubborn. To refuse to recognise the facts of the matter. To put on a brave face as the ship starts to take in water.
There has always been this dangerous idea that entrepreneurs can do it all. It's an idea that comes from business culture, stories, even popular culture. There is a certain leader in the world right now who is a 'self-made man' (at least in his eyes). He is currently the most powerful man on the planet. Whether you like him or not, I'll bet there's a lot of entrepreneurs out there who have read his books about him, his personal brand. The one man industry. Taking it all the way to the top. Building an empire.
But you know that as The Donald succeeded (and failed) and then succeeded again, he always had a strong team around him.
No one can build a business alone. If you're struggling right now and it's your pride that's making you struggle, wake up.
Get help
I've been there. I used to think I could do it all myself. But within a few months, the realities of running a business (and growing one) sank in.
Marketing. Advertising. Bills. Accounting. And then the work. Always the work.
At the time, I could only do the work and nothing else. Time was limited. But it was okay, because I could fit in the marketing part at the weekend. And that bill could be looked at on Thursday. And the accounting? Well, that would take a few minutes on Friday afternoon.
Obviously, it never worked out like that. in fact the exact opposite happened and pretty soon I was swamped and needing rescue.
Get things done...by others
We know you can't outsource or hire for everything, but any simple task or role that stops you from pushing the business forward should be given to someone else.
If it can be done by another person, and it is simply a time sink for you, then delegate it or outsource it.
If you're struggling with what needs to be outsourced, here's some help:
Is the cost of the service lower than the cost of hiring someone in to do it? If it is higher, then you can certainly consider outsourcing it
Is it something that perhaps comes around every six months or so? If so, it can't be that vital to the running of the business. Find someone else to do it
Is what you are considering outsourcing a key part of your business? If not, then it should definitely be outsourced
But you know what I'm talking about here. The problem isn't the task that needs doing. It's your ego.
Bullet proof and hard-headed
Let's get to the point. Swallow your pride. Anyone who's ever made it in business has been burned at some point. Their pride has taken a beating. And you're no different.
If things are getting difficult and you're starting to drown, the one thing you should not do is pretend the problem will go away. Ask for help and learn from any lessons you receive.
Get help as early as possible so the way of working with outsourced talent can become comfortable for you. Help in the way of freelancers is reasonably easy to arrange, but you need to shortlist, see samples of work and so on. So get it done at the start of your venture's existence.
Don't let your beautiful business idea break down. Find good people, train them, and then get on with the stuff a business owner should be doing.
Let me know if this post rocks your world in the comments section. And follow us on Facebook to get even more insights.