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Most entrepreneurs are creative, independent sorts. We go exploring, we make our unique versions of things, we dive in and learn whatever it takes to move our business forward. So how do we know when it's time to ask for help? Life is supposed to be fun. Business is supposed to be fun, especially when you are in business for yourself because you want to express your passion. So the first sign that you may need to ask for help is when you begin to have a few grouchy moments, find yourself feeling slightly overwhelmed, and recognize your need for more time for yourself. Another sign of needing to ask for help is when you don't have time to create anything new, when you can't form a new joint venture, or create a new product, or even contemplate adding anything more to your marketing plan. We need to stay close to the Creative Core of our business. Anything that pulls us away from that Creative Core needs to be farmed out to others, if at all possible. Yes, we should all schedule whole days of creative time into our weekly schedule. We need those days to contemplate our vision and our goals, to allow new ideas to surface, to create new products. And, because we get excited about what we are doing, we also need to prioritize and make viable choices. So what would you ask others to do for you? Get help with the bookkeepingOne friend dislikes the invoicing part of her business so much that she lets it go as long as possible. She found that her granddaughter was willing to take over that aspect of her business and free her up to do the graphic design work she loves to do. Hire a Virtual AssistantThere are many talented people offering their services as virtual assistants. You might want to hire someone to do nothing but post your articles to the Internet. That's not hard to do, It's just time consuming. You might want to hire another virtual assistant who is technically savvy to help you in that arena. How many times have you been on with Technical Support to set something up that someone else might be able to do for you? How many technical support documents have you spent hours reading when a virtual assistant who already knew how to do that could complete the task in minutes? You might want to hire someone to update your web site with your latest schedule of events. Again, that doesn't take long, but add that to a lot of small maintenance tasks and your schedule starts to fill. Identify those time-consuming tasks that someone else might do for you and take them off of your "To Do" list. Locate a ConsultantCollect the names of people you can contact for consulting on special areas. I know people who I can ask questions about podcasting, audio, publishing, video, site optimization and blogging, I know people who can edit my copy, edit the sound on my recordings and I know the graphic designer I prefer to use. These may simply be people you know that can give you an answer or they may be people you need to hire. Keep track of who knows what among your friends as well as who is recommended for a specific service. Upgrade Your EquipmentWill a new headset free you up? Do you have the right recording equipment? Do you need to upgrade a software program or purchase an additional one? What businesses are out there that can do this for you (like host your blog, or record your audio)? Take an inventory and invest in the speed and efficiency of your equipment. Hire A CoachHaving a coach to call on will up level your ability to move forward. This person knows where you are in your process, what you intend to accomplish and you have chosen that coach for the knowledge he or she possesses. Knowing who to call when it's time to make a new decision can help you get unstuck with amazing ease and rapidity. You don't have to do it all yourselfRemember, your job is to free yourself up to stay close to the Creative Core of your business, which resides only within you. Hire people who love to play at things you have to work at. Then free yourself up to play at what you love to do! © Cara Lumen 2006 Feel free to reprint this article if you include the following: Cara Lumen, MA, Your Idea Optimizer helps you turn your ideas into steady profit. As a business developer, content developer and educator, Cara helps you make money from what you already know. You can learn more about how to put your wisdom to work through her radio show www.blogtalkradio.com/passioantelyonpurpose and her Passionately On Purpose emagazine at www.caralumen.com
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Cara Lumen |