Many business owners start their business from the ground up, beginning as sole traders or entrepreneurs and eventually hiring workers to share the load.
You may know that delegating is the key to working fewer hours and potentially increasing your enterprise’s capacity, but giving your workers more responsibility can be a tough choice to make. The reasons behind this may just surprise you.
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It Takes Longer to Explain Than to Do
Since you understand every part of your business, it can sometimes seem like it’s faster to do something yourself than explain it to someone else. For example, you might know that there are some kinks in your system to iron out, but hiring business IT support to manage your workplace’s IT would mean that you have to outline your needs and how you run your system.
Explaining how you want something done certainly does require an investment of time. However, it can pay off greatly in the long run. Training, or even general advice, could see a new staff member, supplier, or business partner become familiar with your needs in no time.
You Don’t Want Someone Questioning Your Decisions
You may be confident in the decisions you make for your business, especially when you’ve been the sole driver all along. However, the fear of bringing someone on board who might question your decisions may make you hesitant to delegate.
Having someone to bounce ideas off can help you ensure that you’ve considered all scenarios, which could mean that you make decisions with more confidence.
Only You Know How to Run Your Dream Business
Many entrepreneurs start their businesses from a dream or passion – something that has them so engaged that they come to know everything about it. When it’s your brainchild and something you know intimately, it’s easy to assume that no one else you bring on board could possibly understand the intricacies as well as you.
However, with growth comes unfamiliar territory and tasks you may not be able to handle on your own. Even if you think you can do it all, your dream business could be in a better position to grow and reach its full potential with an extra pair of hands.
You Lack Clear Direction
When you launch your business from the ground up, it’s a good idea to work from a business plan. This is your road map for the future – one you can constantly adjust to suit each stage of growth.
If you haven’t compiled one and your business is well underway, you may find that you don’t really have a plan or goal for the future. Without knowing the direction yourself, you may struggle to explain it to any staff members you hire.
You Don’t Trust Anyone Else
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you prefer to know about every move made in your business. It helps you make decisions and understand your financial position. However, it makes the idea of trusting anyone else with your operations feel daunting.
You may not trust someone else to make important decisions about your business or even manage the money you’ve been careful to earn and save. However, if you do your due diligence and research prospective new employees, you may find that they give you every reason to trust them if you just give them a chance.
Delegating can be challenging when you’ve always worked alone in and on your business. However, it’s necessary for growth and work-life balance. Start by delegating tasks like accounting and business IT, and you may be surprised at how good it feels to free up your time.
Alex is fascinated with “understanding” people. It’s actually what drives everything he does. He believes in a thoughtful exploration of how you shape your thoughts, experience of the world.