Taking Your Business to Phase 2

This week I am going to give you a piece of very valuable advice. If you are in any line of business, this will apply to you. Since this newsletter is geared toward web entrepreneurs, then obviously this also applies to you. This situation is this: You have your own business. You are the only one doing anything. The entire business rests on your shoulders. You get busier and busier until the point where you are basically a slave to your business and you are literally producing as much as you have time to do. Your list of uncompleted, pending projects grows. You work long days, but you have a life and you want to spend some time with your family. And you also want to sneak in some time to do something other than work. But, any time doing these things is time where your business is closed down and producing nothing. It is a trade off.

This picture is exactly my situation. For any business, this is phase one of the business. Phase one is where the business is new and you are single-handing the entire operation. Every thing from accounting to production to emptying the trash cans is done by you, the owner. As the business grows, it becomes a trap because the entire thing depends on you. The answer is to move the business into phase 2 - bringing others on board and get other people to do the work. The trick is how to make this transition.

For most, the idea of bringing on a staff is daunting and frightening. After all, you are the owner of the business. When you do it, you KNOW it will get done right because you really care how this business does. You wonder if you can find anybody who can do the job as well as you or who cares enough to actually try. So, how does one make this transition?

The first thing to realize is that if you have expanded your business up to this point, you are in a position of power. You have been growing to the point where you are not on a plateau. The very first thing you do when this happens is to write up your post. This means to take every post you perform and write the entire thing up so that it can be performed by another. Write down the entire how-to. Until you write this information down, you are forever tied to this post because you are the only one who knows how to do it. In your business, you are probably performing every post. In fact, you might not have even thought about the fact that there ARE different posts.

So, the first thing you do is organize. It is time for your business to grow. It is time to set this business up in such a way where it can grow and prosper, continue to mirror your ultimate purpose for it as the founder, but not have to do it all yourself. So, sit down and start organizing. Write down all the functions of your company. Then divide these functions into divisions and start creating an organizational chart for these functions. These divisions, in my company and many others, include Communications, Dissemination, Treasury, Production, Testing and Qualification, and Public. You then will have an overall Executive division in order to monitor the entire thing. Now, this is the structure I have used. But, the overriding point here is to look at the precise different functions of your business and break it down. I know you are doing it all, but in reality, they are separate posts. When you are doing your accounting, you are doing something entirely different than when you are producing your products or when you are answering customer email. These are different functions. Break them down. Then write up the posts for each one.

When you write up a post, be sure to state the specific purpose for that post and then go over all policy and procedure which a person filling that post has to know to do their job. Remember, you are the founder and you set the policy. So, if you are writing up the post for Accounting, what policies should they follow? What procedures? Write them down. Remember to think about this as if you are setting up your ideal scene. Obviously, you’re doing it all right now - but think about this as if you are writing for another person. The entire point of this exercise is to break down the tasks you do and write them up so that another could do it.

When all posts are written up, compile them into a company handbook. When you are done, what you have there is an operating manual for your company. If written correctly, it is now set up to operate without you. What was contained all in your head is now on paper. When you bring on new staff, hand them your company manual and have them study it.

Lastly, take those posts in the organization which can be turned over now. More than likely you will need somebody to handle the administrative tasks and allow you to concentrate more on production and getting projects done. So, hire an assistant, train them on all of your administrative tasks using your company manual, and put them on duty. You are now on the road to an expanding business.

In the beginning, this exercise can seem kind of funny. After all, you are the only person doing it. But, that’s the problem. You need to communicate your philosophy and your procedures to others so they can operate as you would. This exercise will help you actually form your company. You will begin thinking about your small business as an actual organization. You will be thinking ahead. And the value of this is immense.

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4. Getting Your Business Website Online
5. Sales Funnel - Business Website And Your Strategy

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