Thursday 24 February 2011

You need to delegate

If you can't delegate you'll never grow your business past the point where you are working as hard as you can.

- Most business need more staff as they grow. Delegation is an essential technique for successfully distributing the tasks that you perform currently to these new staff

- One day your business will have to run (and continue to grow) without you. Even if this day is not in your plans yet, a resilient well-run business cannot rely upon one person

- Development and growth are great motivators for most people – so you should be actively seeking to increase the responsibility you give to your staff

- Your objective should be to delegate everything you do

How do you delegate successfully?

- Classify your staff to assess their readiness for delegation – plot knowledge & ability against attitude, decide who is ready now and what needs to be done to ready the others

- Evaluate what you could or should delegate – and start with the assumption that everything could be delegated if you really wanted to

- From the above two points identify who could do what

- When you have chosen someone, clarify what the value proposition is from both sides – what would you gain and what would they gain. Why would they want to do it?

- Clarify expectations

o Timescale

o Definition of success

o Level and limits of authority and responsibility

- Give them time to come up with their own plan to achieve this – and then agree it together

- Communicate the change and the reasons to all staff (and externally as necessary)

- If necessary provide time management or other training

- Once you have delegated, plan and carry-out regular reviews

o Provide guidance so they stay on track

o Share your experience

o Give praise and feedback – make sure they are learning

o DON’T take it back at the first sign of trouble

When not to delegate:

- When you don’t understand the problem

- When it’s too late

- Key tasks that amount to “ownership”, such as setting strategy, values and culture

What stops you delegating?

- Fear

- Lack of trust in others

- Insecurity about your own role, capabilities and knowledge

It’s about LEADERSHIP.


This seminar "The Owners' Trap" will give you techniques for effective delegation - as well as the other steps you need to take to take your business on to the next level..

Learn how to raise your game by visiting my website.

Thursday 17 February 2011

Can't find the staff?

Frustrated that your staff can't do things as well as you do - or don't care enough to?

Are you resigned to your business staying the same size because you have no more hours to give and you just can't find anyone to take on some of your workload?

Maybe you need to learn about motivating staff...

- Motivated staff are more productive
- Motivated staff are more positive and helpful to customers

- Motivated staff are easier to lead and will take responsibility for things that otherwise you will have to do.

This seminar "The Owners' Trap" will give you techniques to motivate your staff - as well as the other steps you need to take to take your business on to the next level..

Learn how to raise your game by visiting my website.

Thursday 10 February 2011

Key man blues?

Are you concerned that the growth of your business is limited by your available time and effort?
Worried that you need to grow to afford more staff - and need more staff to grow?

To break free from the Owners' Trap you need to do the following:

1.  Systemise your business
2.  Get your staff to want what you want
3.  Learn how to let go
This seminar "The Owners' Trap" will tell you how to do this.

Learn how to raise your game by visiting my website.

Friday 4 February 2011

26% of SMEs plan to raise funds in 2011

What are the other 74% going to be doing?

This was one of the questions raised by a recent presentation by Baker Tilly to Thames Valley IGT.  the figures were based on the company's recent YouGov survey of 500 SMEs.

The survey also highlighted that business owners were more positive about their own business than their sector or region as a whole - so we're all above average!

The key objectives for the surveyed companes were top-line growth - in particular, developing new products and markets and organic growth.  This strategy on the face of it makes the low level of planned investment even more surprising.

If you're one of the businesses looking for investment during 2011 then you are much more likely to succeed if you are well-prepared.  Nick Bettes Consulting specialises in helping business owners put their business on a more manageable, professional and scalable footing.

Thursday 3 February 2011

Are you indispensible?

Does every business decision have to be taken by you?
Are you unable to get away from the business for even a short time without things going wrong?

Ambitious business owners overcome many challenges to grow their business - but sometimes the biggest challenge is to make their business work without them.  After the business reaches a certain point, owners find that their time, effort and knowledge is the main constraint on future growth.

They struggle to delegate anything meaningful to their staff, or develop their staff so tha they are ready for more responsibility.

This seminar "The Owners' Trap" will tell you how to break free of these constraints.

Learn how to raise your game by visiting my website.