Consider Hiring a Dedicated Business Manager
Starting or running a small business is a challenge and the failure rates are high. So I find it interesting that in complex competitive environments small business owners hold an almost dogged determination to go it alone.
Be Aware of What You Don’t Know
First and foremost accept that you can’t be an expert at everything. That’s perfectly fine. If you’re an expert at graphic design, for example, you might not be an expert back end programmer or copywriter. Your expertise is where your effort produces the highest economic value in the shortest time.
It’s the old trade explanation of the spear maker specialising and the shield maker specialising… creating better products in shorter time to achieve win/win outcomes.
Let me ask you then, why is your business management any different? Especially considering the extremely high failure rate of small business across the board. And especially since just as a good accountant will make more money than they cost you – so will a half decent business manager.
The Benefit of Hiring a Business Manager
The first and most obvious benefit to hiring a dedicated business manager is that it frees you up to focus on your specialisation. Yes some people achieve great outcomes being a specialist AND making the business work on a day-to-day basis. I’d call them the exception and I’d challenge that it introduces inefficiencies.
There are three clear parts to the reason why we overlook the efficiencies that can be gained by hiring the manager. The first is loss of control of the business… understandable. But if that makes your business less competitive then it’s a price you have to weigh seriously.
The second is the culture that small business operators should understand everything about their business. I’d say really? Didn’t we already establish in this scenario that isn’t true? It’s just as untrue about financial management, marketing and strategy as it is about being a back end programmer or copywriter.
The third is an underlying belief that anybody can be a manager… after all, managers are just people with over-inflated egos telling everybody else what to do. Again, I’d dispute that on the basis that trained managers understand business strategy, managerial finance, inventory management, marketing, scheduling, client negotiation and continuous documented environmental research. None of which are skills acquired in passing.
But yes… there are exceptions… and it’s unfortunate that nearly everybody believes themselves to be one of those exceptions.
The Choice is Yours to be Competitive
I am not saying you need to run out and hire a dedicated business manager.
What I am saying is that just like hiring the back end programmer to achieve efficiencies you can achieve significant competitive advantage by hiring somebody who understands a specialised management focus. It’s about moving from having a reactive business model to a proactive business model.
It’s about operating on a more effective level in your business.
