Hire People For What They Do Best

I recently flew from Seattle to Atlanta, I realized, just as we began our taxi, that it takes hundreds of support personnel to maintain a flight. I saw the woman at the check-in desk, security, pilots, luggage handlers, flight crews, air controllers, and the various staff physically on the tarmac doing whatever people do on an airport tarmac.

Just as it takes hundreds of people to make a flight a reality, it takes a small army to run a business. One thing I have learned in my short-life of business, is the undisputable fact that one person can hinder the growth of a successful business.

I constantly find myself doing 'administrative' things, such as following up on overdue accounts, staying up-to-date on taxes and marketing details, and balancing the bread and butter of my company. It is easy to get sidetracked on mundane tasks, it seems just as I get started on a project, the phone rings.

I have also learned that letting go of some things can give you greater control. Confused? Think about this: I spend 3+ hours a week on accounting details. I make no money from that, my money comes from designing web sites and consulting companies on their online presence. Why would I spend 3 hours NOT making money when I can make $45 an hour doing what comes naturally? The answer: because it has to be done. By spending 3 hours a week, at a "loss" of $45 an hour, I am losing $135 a week, $7020 a year.

When I hired my accountant, I 'saved' money. No longer am I losing $7000 a year to administrative task. Instead, I am able to pay him ? a lot less than $7000 a year ? to handle my account needs. This frees 3 hours a week for me to commit to my customers.

I also have someone to take care of mailings, bills, and some phone calls. I receive approximately too many "Pre-Approval for $50,000" notices every day. I needed someone to rip out and shred my personal information and toss the remaining. This alone saves me time, allowing me to focus on running my business.

Business owners are a special breed. Often we are described as stubborn, strong-willed, insane, smart, and lucky. None of those descriptors are negative ? or shouldn't be. Business owners are needed just as much as employees. This special breed often allows these words become common practice, for some of you, the thought of handing over important aspects of your company is unrealistic.

How realistic is it to hire a lawyer to paint your house? What about hiring a carpet cleaner to install your computer network? Obviously these people are not incompetent to do these things, but it is not their profession.

Sometimes the less you have to worry about will help spark your creativity. I know a local photographer what was insistent on designing her web page, while she had great creative ideas, the means was harder to come by for her. She didn't know about search engines, or compatibility with difference browsers, or what a browser was. But she was excellent when it came to focus, lighting, and shutter speed. My point? Hire people to do what they do best.

My accountant is an accountant, he does accounting, and he does my accounting. I am not going to ask him to take my picture, design my website, or paint my house.

Let go of some aspects of your business, you can be the pilot and not have to worry about the baggage handling or staffing the check-in desk.

S. Nestor writes for StormFront Development Group, an pioneer in Internet Marketing. Contact him at snestor@stormfrontdevelopment.com

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Google News Updated : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:25:40 GMT US Economy: Spending Slows, Inflation Accelerates (Update1) - Bloomberg Washington Post US Economy: Spending Slows, Inflation Accelerates (Update1) Bloomberg - 6 hours ago By Shobhana Chandra Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- US consumer spending grew at a slower pace in July as the impact of the tax rebates faded and a pickup in inflation eroded Americans' buying power. Bonds fall on mixed economic reports CNNMoney.com Consumer spending flags, but confidence rises Reuters Wall Street Journal - New York Times - MarketWatch - AHN all 520 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:25:06 GMT Earwax: Too Much of a Good Thing? - WebMD eFluxMedia Earwax: Too Much of a Good Thing? WebMD - 5 hours ago By Kelley Colihan Aug. 29, 2008 -- The body is a miraculous mechanism. Consider the once-lowly earwax. People used to try to remove it. Leave That Ear Wax Alone Washington Post National Guideline Against Ear Poking eFluxMedia MSNBC - RedOrbit - MedPage Today - eMaxHealth.com all 36 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:32:14 GMT Obama’s Plane Palin Problem - FOXNews BBC News Obama’s Plane Palin Problem FOXNews - 2 hours ago by Major Garrett Reporters covering Barack Obama heard the news aboard Obama 1 (the campaign for the first time chartered a second plane for the swelling press corps), just before takeoff. Video: Raw Video: Schwarzenegger Praises Palin kcratv “Tougher in Alaska” host Geo Beach discusses Sarah Palin Christian Science Monitor CBS News - Chicago Tribune - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - Seattle Post Intelligencer all 5,468 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:07:29 GMT Protests Rise in Thailand In Challenge to Regime - Wall Street Journal GulfNews Protests Rise in Thailand In Challenge to Regime Wall Street Journal - 1 hour ago By JAMES HOOKWAY and STEPHEN WRIGHT BANGKOK -- Waves of antigovernment protests spread beyond Thailand's capital Friday as clashes between police and demonstrators intensified, forcing the closure of several regional airports and disrupting rail ... Thai protest alliance not so happy with democracy The Associated Press US asks Thailand to end crisis through democratic means AFP New York Times - BBC News - guardian.co.uk - Reuters all 2,421 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:33:23 GMT Microwave baby killer convicted - BBC News BBC News Microwave baby killer convicted BBC News - 3 hours ago A US court in Dayton, Ohio, has convicted a mother of murdering her one-month-old daughter by burning her to death in a microwave oven. Video: Prosecutor: Ohio Mom Killed Baby in Microwave AssociatedPress US jury convicts mom in microwaved-baby case International Herald Tribune ToTheCenter.com - WZTV - NBC6.net - Dayton Daily News all 689 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:30:22 GMT Aid agencies scramble to help flood victims - CNN CBC.ca Aid agencies scramble to help flood victims CNN - 39 minutes ago (CNN) -- The grinding misery triggered by the massive floods in a downtrodden part of northeastern India and across the border in Nepal persisted Friday, with government and aid agencies swinging into action to help the 2 million-plus people fleeing ... India: Up to 2000 feared dead in Bihar floods guardian.co.uk Millions displaced in Bihar floods PRESS TV Reuters India - CNN International - New York Times all 551 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:45:57 GMT Boeing union leaders recommend strike - MarketWatch Washington Post Boeing union leaders recommend strike MarketWatch - 1 hour ago By MarketWatch Leaders of the International Machinists and Aerospace Workers on Friday rejected Boeing's third and final contract proposal and recommended its workers vote to go on strike. Union Leaders Reject Boeing Contract Offer Wall Street Journal Boeing Union Urges Workers to Reject Offer, Setting Up Strike Bloomberg Bizjournals.com - guardian.co.uk - The Associated Press - TheStreet.com all 1,041 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:15:15 GMT Clickbank Data Feeds Work From Home

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