Tip #10: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
If all this seems a little daunting at first, don’t worry. Anyone who has ventured into becoming self-employed can tell you that it’s scary at first, but it gets easier. One way of making things easier on yourself in the beginning is to find help.
What kind of help can you enlist when you’re just starting out? There are at least six places I can think of where you can get assistance with various parts of your new business: partnerships, outsourcing, books and resources, consultants, peers in your community and the big names in your niche.
Partnerships
Partnerships make a lot of sense, especially for your first business. Basically, you find someone else who is good at the skills you aren’t and join together to build a business. It’s critical that you’re very compatible with the person you find on a number of levels. Be sure to spend a lot of time talking about your views of the world and your goals for the business before you commit to anything. I won’t go into legal structures here, but you should make sure you understand how to structure your relationship with your partner to protect both of your interests. I’ve had both good and bad experiences with partners and have found that personality and motivation are the most important factors.
Outsourcing
A big reason why the New Economy is growing is outsourcing. Like it or not, outsourcing is a reality of today’s global business environment. Your competitors who are most successful probably use outsourcing to some degree. Outsourcing could help your business enormously, depending on what you do and how you use it. Be sure to check out the tips on outsourcing from John Bardos at the end of this section.
Books and Resources
There are countless books and resources out there to help you build a small business, some good and some bad. The hardest part about knowing which to spend time reading (and possibly pay for) is in figuring out if the author really knows his or her stuff. Beware of shysters. Look for legitimate reviews of products on other unrelated sites before you buy. Ask around on social networks and in forums to find out if something might be worth your time and money.
Consultants
In the past, consultants were typically only used by big businesses because of their cost and overhead. In the New Economy, many consultants work in much smaller groups, or even as individuals. These people bring experience from multiple clients and different types of projects and can help you solve some of you most pressing business problems. If they do work for small businesses, they will have packages or pricing that make it economical for startups to use them. Don’t be afraid to look into using some consulting services if there’s an area of your business that you just can’t do alone or with any of the other avenues of help listed here.
Community Peers
The other people who are building small businesses just like you can be a gold mine of valuable help and information. You just need to know where to find them. Blogs are one place to look. You can interact with people in blog comments. Another good place to look are forums dedicated to the topic you need help with. Social networks like Twitter are another great place to connect with people. Once you’ve found some places where your peers hang out, don’t be afraid to give back. Asking questions is fine, but answer some in return too.
Big Names in Your Niche
The “big names” in your niche, or people who seem to be at the top of the game you’re trying to play, are also a potential source of help to you. People are generally much more approachable that you might think. Don’t be afraid to reach out and connect with these people. Advice or exposure from them can mean a great deal to your business. Just make sure to be genuine and seek a real connection before asking for anything. Some people won’t ever respond to you, but some will, and it will be worth the effort to get to know those who do.
Outsourcing is everything. It is impossible for any individual to do everything to a high enough standard. At the same time, it is no longer practical or economical to hire full-time staff like traditional companies. You want access to the most cost-effective talent regardless of where in the world they are. It is imperative to master the art of outsourcing yet it is not easy. I have been outsourcing for about 5 years now and have worked with dozens of people from all over the world. The best way to get good at outsourcing is to do a lot of it. Start small and work your way up to larger projects. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Price is not indicative of quality. I always eliminate the lowest and highest bids from projects. The best quality is generally moderately priced.
2. Stay away from affiliated groups. There are many companies out there that bid on projects and pass them off to junior developers. This is a recipe for communication disasters. Always try to work with individuals if you can.
3. Never pay a deposit up front. I have received shoddy coding and extensive delays every time I gave a deposit. If the developer doesn’t agree to your terms, hire a different one.
4. Start with a small project first. Only give larger, mission critical projects to people you trust to do the work.
5. Clearly define everything in advance. This is good for you and the developer. Changes are expensive to make later on.
6. Communicate regularly. Ask for regular progress reports to make sure the project is on track.
7. Trust professionals. If you don’t know what you are doing, let the professionals do their job. You want them to disagree with you, that means they are finding ways to improve your ideas.
8. Outsourcing is all about people. Arguing and debating doesn’t help your project get finished. Seek first to understand and avoid critical judgments. I had the biggest arguments with the best developers I ever hired.Don’t jump to conclusions.
9. Give bonuses for great work. Finding good people is hard, so pay them what they are worth.”
John Bardos, Jet Set Citizen *
