[? How to Run a Web Design Business with Paul Boag ?]

Okay so now it's time to talk about the issue of whether

and how you grow your business.

And the thing that instantly springs to mind

when you talk about growing your business

is, "Should I hire someone?"

It's a big question, isn't it?

And it seems an enormous committment to hire your first person.

So we're going to talk about that just for a couple of minutes.

The first thing to say is, "Are you working evenings and weekends?"

Essentially, "Are you working too hard?"

That's a really good indicator as to whether you need some extra help.

But also, there's more to consider than just, "Are you working too hard?"

You also need to ask yourself if whether you're actually doing things in your job

that you're not very good at.

Are there areas where you're weak,

and you could do with some help and support.?

Are there parts of your job that you hate?

Because I have to say for myself, that there are certain things

that are involved in running a web design agency that I hate doing.

Invoicing, chasing bad debts, doing accounting, and things like that.

They're the kind of things that probably you're not overly excited about.

So could you be getting someone to do those for you?

Are you looking to eventually remove yourself entirely from your business?

That is an option—maybe one day you just want to sit on the beach

and enjoy the glorious sunshine with a cocktail in your hand

and actually you want the business to carry on working

irrespective of you.

So are you going to hire someone?

If you are considering this, what are your options?

Well one option is to consider hiring someone part time initially.

That certainly helps with the overwhelming feeling

that it's a massive decision.

Because hiring somebody is a big responsibility,

and I think for a lot of people, they are held back by fear

of taking on that first employee.

But remember, you're providing somebody with an income.

You're enabling them to feed themselves and their families and have a good life.

That's a good thing to be doing and not something you need to be afraid of

even if you can't guarantee you'll be doing it forever.

If you are worried that maybe you'll take on someone

and then have to lay them off at a later date

then be honest with your prospective employee.

Tell them that you're concerned that this might not last forever.

Say that you can guarantee them X amount

of employment over a period of time.

But then, let them make their own decision

about whether they want to take the risk or not.

Another option if you wanted to mitigate the fear and risk of hiring someone

is to take on an intern.

Afterall, they've never had a job before so you're not stealing them away

from a secure job, and you're offering them an opportunity to get involved

with a whole new industry and start off on their career.

So you really don't need to be that intimidated

about hiring that first member of staff.

You can go part time, you can be really honest and up front with people,

and you can even consider an intern.

So don't let that put you off.

If you're busy, if you're working long hours,

if you need some help to fill those weaknesses,

get yourself an employee.