Can You Expand, Delegate, and Trust?

“Running a small business for the first time means lots of new challenges. What part of entrepreneurship have you worked hardest on?” The New York Times asked E.B. Moss, small business owner, in Small Business Owner Profile:

EBM: As a friend of mine once said, “you can be the best gadget builder around. But you can only build so many gadgets in an hour all by yourself.” Learning how to expand, how to delegate and trust others is the hardest part. That, and number crunching!

She’s a promotion marketing expert, and owner of Moss Appeal™ — a ‘virtual agency’ based on a consortium of hand-picked experts. Last year she established Moss Appeal Green™ to focus on promoting companies’ pro-social and environmental contributions.

The Times interviewed her as the first in a series of profiles of business owners.

I really like her answer. We talk so much about the idea, the strategy, and the planning, but not enough about building and maintaining the team.

del.icio.us Tags: teamwork, small business, delegation

Comments

  • Ilya Bodner says:

    Entrepreneurial seizure, as defined by E-Myth's Hasan Luongo, is a phrase that describes the belief that because an employee understands the technical work of a small business, he or she is qualified to run a small business that does that particular kind of work. For example, a plumber who's been working for 20 years who decides that he no longer wants to work for someone else, and wants to go into business for himself. As anyone who runs a small business quickly finds out, there is a lot more to doing the work of a small business owner than knowing the technical details of how to do the job. Part of small business expansion is expanding business knowledge. While previous experience in the field can be one of the greatest attributes you can have, you should never rely only on what you already know to influence your decision to start your own small business. Not only do you stand to lose your job if you quit, thinking you can run things better our way, but you may lose a lot of money and time in the process. What is truly important in deciding whether to start your own business is what you learn, or are willing to learn, in order to do it. Businesses don't just materialize out of nowhere – they are formed by individuals with the knowledge, tools and motivation to persevere. Someone with no experience as a plumber but a lot of experience running a small business can start a successful plumbing business; however, someone with a lot of experience as a plumber and no experience as a business owner cannot necessarily start a small business on his own. Preparations required before starting your small business or considering business expansion are things like research, legal advice, paperwork, developing a solid business plan, securing your financing and, most importantly, asking yourself if you are ready and able to run the business. Don't think about being a plumber, think about owning a business. It's easy to get lost in the complexity of it all, but with hard work, the right people backing you up, persistence and patience, you can apply your job experience to your business. Your experience in the field your business serves should be used to enhance your small business, not to run it. Begin by searching the web for a professional mentoring service via google or yahoo. Start out by searching for "strong business credit" (just like that in quotes) to see what is out there.

    Sincerely,

    Ilya Bodner

    Small Business Owner

    Initial Underwriting Group

    *Breaking Down The Barriers To Small Business Financing*

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