Letting Go When to throw the do-it-yourself mentality out the window.
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Experience has taught me many things--among them, stick to whatyou do best and leave the rest to others. Just because you'rean expert in your own sphere doesn't make you an authority ineveryone else's.
It may be noble to think we can do it all, but we can't. Infact, we've seen an increasing number of business owners createmajor problems for themselves by assuming responsibilities that gofar beyond their levels of expertise. In an attempt to do it all,"do-it yourselfer" business owners may be doing theirbusinesses in.
Of course, handling certain aspects of our business made sensein the start-up stages. At some point, all of us have probablytackled one aspect of our business or another. When a business getsto a certain point, however, this do-it-yourself method no longersuffices. Entrepreneurs who continue to rely on amateurishmethods beyond this point develop a mentalitythat stifles growth and presents an unprofessionalimage to their customers.
When entrepreneurs do it themselves, it costs more in time,energy and resources, especially when complex problems arise thatthey're not prepared to handle. Many learn too late that thebest time to hire a specialist is when you don't need one.
It's understandable that busy business owners want immediateanswers to their problems and instant, cheap relief. But in ahighly competitive, rapidly changing, increasingly complex businessenvironment, entrepreneurs stuck in the do-it-yourself mode aremoving their businesses backward and falling way behind theircompetitors.
Successful homebased business owners have learned how to shiftgears, work out the kinks in their businesses, and prepare and planfor growth. They understand the pitfalls of going it alone.They're able to make responsible decisions based on the needsof their businesses and their customers, rather than on themselves.They're moving their businesses ahead by taking advantage ofopportunities and enlisting the aid of specialists who know how tohelp businesses grow beyond the individual limitations of thebusiness owner. Perhaps most important, they've learned tomaster tools of information. They're learning from the expertsthey bring in, gaining valuable insight, new information and abroader sense of what it takes to accomplish certain tasks.
Business owners don't have to remain stuck in thedo-it-yourself mentality. Knowing when your expertise ends andanother's begins, then concentrating your energies on the areasin which you excel--this is the best way to make the transitionbetween the start-up and high-growth phases and set your businesson a successful path. Relying on the same thing to get you by willdo just that . . . get you by. It won'thelp you prosper, and it definitely won't help you moveahead.
Debra Schacher, a marketing communications consultant, ispresident of Dare to Dream Marketing Services in Irvine,California, and chair of the National Home Office & BusinessOpportunities Association.
