Would you use a toilet plunger to make your morning coffee?
I know, right?? Who would do that?
Nobody. I just wanted to get your attention.
You could do it if you really wanted to — turn the plunger upside down, use an elastic to hold a filter around the edge, add some fresh-ground coffee, and then pour in some hot water.
French press a-la-plunge.
Each Task Has a Tool
Toilet plunger coffee is a terrible idea. This ridiculous example is simply to demonstrate that specific tools have specific purposes.
You wouldn’t make plunger coffee, nor would you unclog your toilet with a teaspoon.
Most tools have more than one use, but it’s best to keep them within their specialty.
Each Person Is a Tool, Too - In a Good Way
It is the same for you and any staff you oversee.
Each person has their specialty through a mix of talent, personal interest, training, and experience.
And each specialized person needs to be put to work in the right way to capitalize on that specialty.
You Are Not a Swiss Army Knife
Small business owners often take on too many roles themselves.
It makes sense — the beginning of a small business is often a lone entrepreneur setting an idea in motion. But it doesn’t take long before that idea has other needs to grow into a viable and sustainable business.
Marketing.
Finances.
Supply chain.
Human resources.
The list gets long in a hurry and it’s different for each business. Without a specialist for each of your needs, too much weight can easily fall onto too few shoulders.
Specialization Is Empowering
The more specialized your business operations are, the more empowered your business is.
Why is that?
For one, it is because specialization means that you’re using the right resource in the right place.
Secondly, it means that you’re not stretching one resource across multiple needs.
You might think you’re saving money by taking on your business finances yourself, for example, but what happens when there’s an emergency?
Writers Need to Write
Maybe you’re a writer, but now you need to spend six straight hours working out a billing problem.
Even if you solve the problem yourself, you can’t get those six hours back. And you can’t undo the stress it cost or reclaim your energy.
Don’t be an underperforming jack-of-all-trades.
Get a coffee machine to make your coffee and leave the plunger for the jobs that you don’t want to touch. That way your hands stay clean and your coffee doesn’t taste like crap.
One Specialization, One Specialist
A good rule of thumb is that you should only have one specialization per person.
It is crucial to have a strong sense of your operations and how they break down into needs. When you know exactly what your operational needs are, you can allocate the appropriate resources to the area where they best fit.
The best part of that is you can keep focused on your specialty, which is probably why you started the business in the first place.
Outsource Your Empowerment
Even if you are a solopreneur and you plan to stay that way, you can still get others to do your dirty work for you.
There are countless other entrepreneurs out there just itching for you to send them a message and give them a chance.
Find out what it’s like to have your marketing strategy and social media accounts completely off of your desk. See what kind of returns you can generate without taking your mind off of your specialty to do it.
Get it in Motion
Ask around to your other small business colleagues and see what kinds of services they outsource.
And don’t get distracted by the initial costs - doing everything yourself is a false economy. The only thing you’ll accomplish by juggling too much is frustration and burnout.
What Are You Waiting For?
So, what are your needs? If you could get one thing off of your desk today, what would it be? What do you hate the most? Or, being honest with yourself, what are you the worst at?
Pick something that your life would be easier without and hire someone to do it. Give yourself your power back and get your head back in the game!
Written by Lyle Mustard
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