One of the biggest myths that hold businesses back is seeing staff as a cost rather than an investment.
While we must wait until we have the income needed to cover staff costs, hiring the cheapest is very rarely the answer.
Like Julie, an amazing creative who built her business by working with interns and trainees; she came to me because she felt like she was constantly retraining her team.
The interns were great for projects and the trainees would stay for a year and then leave to take a ‘proper job’ that paid them a ‘proper salary’.
This meant that the business that Juile had run for over 10 years was beginning to feel like a burden.
She couldn’t go away on holiday without shutting her shop. She had to keep a watchful eye at all times.
It started affecting her turnover too, so wasn’t creating new items. Her loyal regulars were coming in and recommending friends but that was it, hardly any walk-ins.
Julie didn’t have time to be creative, she was focused on keeping things ticking over and making sure the quality of the finished items was high.
Using our unique systems and processes, we identified the roles and structure that Julie needed to build her business and make it less reliant on her constant presence.
We hired an Operations Manager to oversee the store, interns and trainees. Julie was able to focus on her love of designing and training the trainees.
Once she was free from the red tape, Julie felt her creative juices start to flow again and she was able to find the time to design new innovative items.
A part-time Marketing Executive was also hired to oversee a website refresh, create and implement the social media strategy.
Even though the pandemic, the online store kept Julie and her team busy – creating items, making repairs and even creating some bespoke designs.
Getting a qualified manager made all the difference to Julies peace of mind and bottom line.
If you hire RIGHT your team should pay for themselves (and then some) through increased sales and efficiencies.
When I look at my balance sheet I think that staff costs should be under the direct product/service cost as it makes it easier the see the correlation between a growing business and an amazing team, with the right skills.
If you are ready to make your first hire or your next hire, my calendar is open for the next two weeks, click this link to book a FREE 20 Team Strategy Call, where you’ll come away with some actionable advice and tips.