In our Learning Community, a member was asking for help finding resources around Javascript (which is a programming language for websites) in trying to figure out an error. My eyebrow went up.
I get it. I’m a tech geek going way back. I started college majoring in Computer Science (this was 1986). From the beginning of Heart of Business I’ve spent time working on our website myself.
But, less and less and less. It’s certainly helpful for me to know my way around code, so I can dive into HTML if something needs to be corrected that will only take a minute.
But, I’m committed to NOT spending time trouble-shooting tech issues. Why?
Because what happened to our member also has happened to me: spending hours trying to figure something out, when an expert can sort it in ten minutes. TEN MINUTES.
And if takes the expert hours, then you know I could have spent months on it, and never solved it.
However. But. Hold on!
I’ve also seen small business owners struggling on the other side of this issue. Spending too much hiring WAY more help than their business can afford. That can drag you under quickly in early stages. It can also bleed you dry more slowly in later stages.
So if you’re in an earlier stage of business development let me make it simple for you. Here are the two places I recommend people get help as soon as they can. (If you need help navigating a later stage, maybe we should talk?)
First: bookkeeping/accounting.
To have someone do your bookkeeping will take them 1-2 hours per month, for most self-employed folks.
Then, at the end of year, they just hand it all over to an accountant to do your taxes.
Self-employed taxes are hard to sort through, and the laws change every year in terms of what’s deductible. A good accountant will save you way more than they cost in fees.
Plus bookkeeping is often both a numbing task, as well as a dreaded emotional burden that gets avoided.
Just have someone do it.
Second: Web/Tech help
Yes, it’s become easier to DIY web sites. And still, there are too many places where things go awry, where an online payment button isn’t working like it’s supposed to, or some stubborn design element looks strange…
Like I wrote above at the beginning of this article, a problem that will take you hours to maybe never fully fix, an expert can get sorted for you in a few minutes.
It’s worth it.
How do you let go and let someone else in to help?
So many of us are afraid to let go and let someone else in to help. Your business is a precious thing that deserves to be cared for deeply, and carefully. Many of us have not had good experiences earlier in life with letting help in- either it wasn’t available, or when it was, it wasn’t actually helpful (or worse.)
Just acknowledging that, and letting yourself face the possibility that there might be a different experience waiting can be so very helpful.
There are two ways of letting go that I can think of right now.
The first is called “hitting the wall.” It’s when you get so overwhelmed with everything, that you start dropping balls, you get burned out, you just don’t care as much, and so getting help is an act of desperation.
Effective, but not so fun.
The second is to proactively work with issues around trust, appreciation, surrender, and love, in allowing the help in. You want your clients to receive help from you, it probably will be good modeling and energetic transmission for you to be receiving help as well.
I can’t show you in an article how to deal with these deep issues, but sometimes simply witnessing the need your heart has for trust, for love, for care, and bringing that to the Divine, can be enough to loosen the tight hold your ego has on tasks you don’t really need to be doing.
Take a few moments right now, if you’re willing, and just turn your attention to your heart. What is your heart needing to be able to let in just the right amount of expert help in your business?
Then, ask your heart, ask the heart of your business, what is possible for you if you do? What can your business begin to give to you, and to the world, if you let the help in? Let yourself be willing to be surprised.
What did you see? I’d love to hear.
With love,
Mark Silver, M.Div.
Heart of Business, Inc.
P.S. Hiring help, sovereignty and The Heart of Your Business
So many have a tangled relationship with business, especially in this dysfunctional economy, which is a huge part of why so many people struggle to be successful.
We’re enrolling now for The Heart of Your Business, a 9 week program starting in late June, that will walk you through the heart-healing and the strategy to having a successful small business, with integrity.
For those that register in May, there’s a bonus class on Sovereignty June 4 that will help you do important, critical things like step into hiring appropriate amounts of help, to trust yourself, and to carry a strength and confidence, unapologetically, that clients can lean into and trust.
The course is priced at pay-from-the-heart, meaning you set the price.
All the details are here: The Heart of Your Business 2019
Read the page and register. And ask any questions you may have.
3 Responses
Hi Mark! I just wanted to let you know that your posts are so often helpful, precise, and common sense. I often pass them along to people. I’m not able to come back on board at the moment, but kudos to you for putting out truly useful content that is clearly grounded in knowing what your clients are going through for real!!
Mark, I cannot express how much this article hit home. I find that so many of us (me included) hold our business duties close afraid to let others help. Thank you for your reassurance that it’s ok to let go of what our egos try to hang on to.
This is great stuff. I have been in this situation years ago where I was just starting my business. Your way of thinking will definitely change once you commit a mistake or is in a dire position.