June Recap: Help is Not a Four-Letter Word

Hey, it’s Rebecca. If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you probably know that I struggle with getting help for my business. This isn’t something I’m proud of; it’s been a known issue since I started (and, if you ask my therapist, probably my whole life). I get stuck in my head and worry I can’t explain my ideas clearly and efficiently to others, which makes me fall into the “it’s quicker to just do it myself” trap. This mindset is inefficient and ultimately wrong. It keeps me stuck in a cycle of financial feast and famine. I’m so busy trying to stay on top of tasks that I can’t grow my business, making it even harder to hire help. It’s an exhausting cycle, and I realize I can’t keep this up if I want sustainability and balance. Plus, my husband starts a new job in July that’s going to involve a lot of travel and less reliable hours. He’s the best and basically runs the domestic side of things at our house now, so I have to step up my outsourcing on all fronts. And learn how to mix my own martinis.

But(!) I have made some progress. Last year, I invested in a new bookkeeping company that has kept me accountable, current and on track. There’s always room for improvement, but I’m not stressed about it like I was a couple years ago. One of my goals is to communicate with them more frequently and use them as a true extension of my team rather than just for maintenance. I also have a local virtual assistant (sometimes not virtual) who has been helping with social media and admin work over the past year. I’ve recently upped her hours and hope to train her on more over the coming months.

My biggest move has been finding someone to outsource my drawings to. I’ve dabbled with drafting freelancers, and even worked with someone oversees via Upwork to convert some plans for me. It’s been functional but I wanted more of a partner that I can have a shorthand with, and most importantly–is way better at it than I am. 

So I made a mental job description and reached out to a few folks I saw reply to comments in Facebook groups. While I’m decent enough in Chief Architect to help my clients visualize my designs, creating construction packets isn’t my strong suit. I’ve spent the last couple of years improving my skills, but it’s just not my zone of genius. I wanted someone who I could collaborate with, allowing me to still play around in the files (which helps me design) and assist with some technical decisions and problem-solving. They also needed to have their own process, so I wouldn’t have to lead the way and train someone. Over the last couple weeks I’ve been working with a small team who has been ticking all the boxes and I’m so excited. I’m in the middle of a pretty big project and they swooped in and got the drawings going and I already feel more confident and ahead.

Bottom line, if you can relate to any of this, hiring help isn’t just about making more money right away; it’s about freeing up my time to tackle more important tasks. By having someone else handle the routine stuff, or tasks I’m less skilled at, I can focus on lining up new projects, connecting with clients, and looking for ways to grow. It’s all a work-in-progress but I’m so excited to spend more time thinking about the big picture.