Your business is growing. Income seems steady. You’re at that point where you may need an assistant to get to the next level. Plus, you’re family misses you and the dog barks at you. But, what if…….?
It’s a tough decision. Feels like you’ve just began to support yourself and now you must consider supporting an assistant. Here are some things to consider:
- Am I working as efficiently as possible now? If not, work on that before hiring someone. Get some systems in place and get comfortable using them. Having good systems for every little thing you do will make you work smarter not harder. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.
- Am I really a leader? It’s ok if you’re not. Some people just don’t play well with others. They want things done their way in their time in their world. That’s ok but it makes it hard to lead and grow staff. If you’re not a leader, learn to be one. Take a class or seminar before you hire someone. If you don’t; you’ll both end up disappointed.
- Who do you hire? Before you place an ad or interview, create the job description. Put it in writing. Also, budget. How much time do you need out of an assistant? 10 hours, 20, 40? Figure it out. The written job description should help. Take the amount of money you can spend and divide it by the number of hours you need. Is this a reasonable hourly rate for what you’re asking of someone? Again, work it out. When you know what you need and what you can afford it is much easier to advertise for it and hire the right person. Note*Tell your new hire what to expect. If you are moody. Let them know up front. If you are a perfectionist, let them know. If you fly by the seat of your pants, warn them.
- If you only need someone for a few hours a week you might consider ‘sharing’ them with another agent in your office. This is a great solution but it does require that you work out the details with the other agent (and put it in writing) before you begin looking for the assistant. The assistant will then be required to keep detailed time sheets showing what they were doing and for whom.
These are just a few tips to get you on the right track. I know it’s scary to hire an assistant but you might consider how scary it will be if you don’t.
Good luck and good selling!
Hear and see more on this topic at Sell-A-Bration 2019 in Las Vegas, NV. https://crs.com/attend/sell-a-bration
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