There are a huge array of life tasks we don’t think twice about giving to a professional, like fixing your broken boiler, selling your house and visiting a doctor when you are unwell. We understand that trying to solve these things on our own is not going to work out well. We seek expert advice and value the professional support.
Many business owners try and do things we simply don’t have the skills for because we think we have to do it all.
I have fallen into this trap myself many times. It neither saves time or money to overload yourself with task you dislike and don’t have the skills for. To grow your business it’s important to identify the gaps in your knowledge and skillset and engage with the right experts to help fill those gaps.
When I started Yolkdesign it was because I had spent over 2 decades as a designer, director and creative and wanted to be in control of who I helped and how, without limitations. I knew from the outset I needed an accountant and it was the very first decision I made, even before I created the company. I knew I couldn’t handle the accounting and finances myself. But I quickly realised I had not just given myself the creative job of my dreams but that I now had a huge list of roles I had to fill.
These included business planning and decision-making, account management, hiring and employee management, business risk management and business operations management, networking, public relations, social media management, content creation, telesales… the list was endless and included many things I had never done. It’s a learning curve that looked like this for me:
> Start a business doing something I love and am great at
> Realise how many tasks this involves but not having budget to outsource
> Trying to do it all and failing
> Realising that the best use of my time for my sanity and my business was to focus on the things I love and am good and seek support for the things I know nothing about, don’t enjoy or am bad at.
This was a process that took a few years and is a path many entrepreneurs will travel. I’d love for you to learn from my journey and focus on the things you love whilst seeking advice from the experts you truly need.
Accountancy is a must (unless you are an accountant).
Branding is an important foundation to lay early on in your business as so many things rest upon it. Without it it’s like trying to make a cake without a recipe – you may end up with something that looks okay but likely tastes terrible.
A great brand foundation will make the most of your marketing and sales budget in the long run because it’s the recipe for everything.
It’s not a weakness to know what you don’t know… it’s a strength, because then you can get support from someone who really knows what they are doing.
