How to Hire Expert Help for Your Business

As soon as it’s plausible for your business, we recommend taking everything except what you do best off your plate.

What can you move off your day-to day list that holds you back from completing your big-picture business items?

That means hiring expert partners to deal with the other stuff. People like accountants, personal assistants, photographers , social media managers and branding and design experts like us.

We get it: It’s scary to think about spending this money and about trusting others with part of your business. But it’s absolutely necessary for both reaching your goals and making sure that you don’t burn out. You need to be focused on the big picture of your business, not the daily details of running it. What can you move off your day-to-day list that holds you back from completing your big-picture business items?

We also get that it’s a little overwhelming to pick out a collaborator who will play such a big role in your business and your life. How can you tell the difference between someone who’s the real deal and someone who just talks a big game?

We wanted to share a few things we’ve learned about hiring collaborators who can help you take your business to the next level and make your life easier.

‍Finding Great Collaborators

• Identify the tasks that eat up your time, but that aren’t the best use of your skills and talents. Look especially for simple items that can be scheduled and taken over by someone else (for example, setting up emails or billing).

• Ask other business owners for recommendations on who helped them when they needed similar services. (This is one of the many reasons to keep your network diverse and strong. Your fellow entrepreneurs are an amazing source of wisdom.) If you’re in any Facebook groups connected to courses you took or conferences you attended, they can be a great source for referrals.
• Next, look at the testimonials of anyone you’re thinking about hiring. Visit the websites of the past clients giving the testimonials, and don’t be afraid to give them a call to talk about their experiences.
• Certifications are also important. Serious professionals invest in training. Lots of people, for example, bill themselves as coaches. But not all will have them will have credentials like Professional Certified Coach from the International Coach Federation.
• Be sure to review their experience. We like to see a strong track record. You’ll particularly want to see if they have experience with projects or businesses like yours.
• Pay attention to your first impressions. Anyone you’re thinking of hiring should be be responsive when you contact them for information and just basically seem like a nice, responsible person. If you don’t hear back from them until a week later, that’s a bad sign.
• Beware of anyone promising magic tricks, like extremely speedy turnarounds or huge, instant gains in your social media following. You're looking for quality, not quantity. This is your business. Take the time to get it right.

We both partner with passionate businesses to build their brands and hire experts ourselves to make sure we’re always raising the bar in quality. Both kinds of relationships make doing business a joy. If you’re looking for a branding collaborator who’ll be totally invested in your success, we’d love to talk more.