Tell us about you and your experience finding work on HireMyMom
I just gave birth January of 2024 and am exclusively breastfeeding. I could not go back to my job as a hairstylist because we had no one to watch our daughter and hiring someone we did not know or placing her somewhere was NOT an option! I knew I absolutely HAD to get a job from home. I needed something flexible as I am always needed with my daughter being breastfed and still so little. I have searched since February for a job. I found this website someone on FB told me about. I couldn’t swing the monthly payment but I did the free 3-day trial and applied real quick in hopes someone would reach out to me. Well surely enough just this past week I received an email from one of the positions I applied for during that 3-day free trial. I completely forgot about it and surely enough I got offered the position!!! The best part is, is that it is perfect for what my family needs right now!!! So thankful for hiremymom! Thank you Jesus!!! 👏🙏👏
What are your top tips for landing a job or jobs on HireMyMom.com?
Update your resume, make it unique, and keep applying!
What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your work from home journey?
It won’t be easy and you may get denied many times but keep applying and don’t give up!!!
What do you see as your greatest success in life?
Becoming Manager at my first job because of my strong work ethic and maturity!
What is something about you that many people don’t know?
I don’t give up easily. I do my part and I let God do the rest! I will always give God ALL the Glory!
Running a successful online business requires wearing many hats. As a business owner, you may be handling everything from marketing to bookkeeping and client management. However, taking on too much can lead to burnout and inefficiency. This is where an Online Business Manager (OBM) comes in. An OBM can help organize and streamline your business operations, allowing you to focus on what you do best – growing your business.
What is an Online Business Manager?
An Online Business Manager (OBM) is a virtual professional who can help business owners streamline their operations, increase their revenue, and reduce their workload. They are experienced managers who work remotely and take charge of the day-to-day management of an online business. An OBM is different from a Virtual Assistant (VA) in that they are more of a strategic partner and oversee the bigger picture. While VAs are typically responsible for administrative tasks such as scheduling, email management, and customer support, OBMs take on a more extensive role. An OBM will analyze and identify the areas of the business that need improvement, create systems and processes that improve efficiency and productivity, manage and supervise staff, and keep the business running smoothly. OBMs are versatile professionals who can adapt to different industries and help businesses of various sizes and structures.
The Benefits of Hiring an Online Business Manager
Managing a business can be overwhelming, especially if you’re doing it all by yourself. However, with the help of an Online Business Manager (OBM), you can streamline your operations and focus on the aspects of your business that require your expertise. Here are some benefits of hiring an OBM:
Better management and use of your time
Improved organization of your business
Expertise in multiple areas – including areas you may not be strong in
Increased efficiency for your business and team
Strategic planning for your business
How to Hire an Online Business Manager
Now that you understand the benefits of hiring an Online Business Manager, it’s important to know how to go about finding the right person for the job. Here are some steps you can take to make sure you hire the right Online Business Manager for your business.
Define your business needs: Do you need help with operations, finances, organization, team management, marketing or all of the above?
Look for experience and expertise: Look for someone with experience and expertise in the areas you need help with. For example, if you need help with operations, look for someone who has a background in operations or management and can show you results from their previous work.
Interview candidates: Ask about their approach to managing projects and how they would handle different scenarios that might come up in your business. If this is your first time hiring an OBM, we offer Concierge Services for companies where our HR experts complete the hiring process for you, both to save you time and hire someone they know will be great for the job.
Check references: Talk to their previous clients to get a sense of their experience working with the Online Business Manager and how effective they were in achieving their business goals.
Negotiate the contract: Once you’ve found the right Online Business Manager for your business, negotiate the terms of the contract, including payment, the scope of work, and the length of the engagement. Be clear about your expectations and what you hope to achieve through working with them.
Tips for Successfully Working with an Online Business Manager
Be upfront and specific about what you need from your online business manager. This includes timelines, tasks, and deadlines. If there are any special requirements or preferences, make sure to communicate them early on. Next, determine your availability and preferred communication methods. If you prefer email or regular check-ins, make that clear from the start. Make sure to establish trust with your online business manager by communicating openly and honestly. Provide regular feedback, give clear direction, and trust them to handle their responsibilities.
Be sure to keep your OBM informed of any changes in your business. Most important of all, take the time to celebrate the milestones that your online business manager helps you achieve. Recognize their contributions and show your appreciation for their hard work.
Hiring an OBM can be one of the best decisions you make for your business. They can take care of day-to-day operations, leaving you free to focus on what you do best. By following these tips, you can successfully work with your online business manager to streamline your business and achieve your goals.
Do you have more questions about an OBM? Reach out, and we can share those with our audience because chances are, someone else has the same questions!
As a business owner, managing a remote team can be a challenge. From establishing communication protocols to maintaining productivity, there are many elements to consider when working with a distributed team. If you’re looking for advice on how to get the most out of your remote team, then this blog post is for you. Here, we will discuss tips and strategies for how to effectively manage a remote team as a business owner, so that you can maximize the potential of your employees and ensure success for your business.
Create a Company Culture
A strong corporate culture gives your team members a sense of purpose and unity, which is key to building trust and promoting collaboration. To create a successful company culture for your remote team, start by defining your mission and values, and make sure they are reflected in all aspects of your work. Provide guidance on how you expect people to interact with each other, both online and in person. Encourage open communication, transparency, and collaboration. You can also take steps to make your remote team feel more connected. Consider holding regular virtual meetings or video chats to discuss projects and tasks. Establish a team workspace where everyone can share ideas and updates. Additionally, consider offering incentives such as recognition for excellent work or rewards for reaching goals.
Hire the Right People
You want to make sure that you’re selecting individuals who have the skills and experience necessary for the job. It’s also important to consider the types of personality traits and communication styles that will work well in a remote environment. To ensure you hire the right people, it’s important to take the time to develop a comprehensive job description that clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of each position. This will allow you to determine the exact type of person you are looking for. Once you have a clear idea of what you need, you can start your recruitment process. When interviewing potential candidates, be sure to ask questions that will give you an idea of how they will perform in a remote setting. Additionally, conduct a few rounds of interviews with each candidate to get a better sense of their knowledge and expertise. Finally, be sure to check references and do background checks to ensure you are hiring qualified individuals.
Set Clear Expectations
Your team should know exactly what you expect from them and how you want them to carry out their tasks. To set clear expectations, make sure to create specific goals and deadlines. If there are any policies or procedures that you want your team to follow, make sure to communicate these to your team. Also, provide feedback regularly so that your team can stay on track and make progress. When it comes to communication, be sure to specify how often you want to check in with your team and the type of updates you need from them. For example, do you prefer weekly status reports? Or would you prefer a daily check-in? It’s important that your team knows when and how to contact you. Finally, be sure to give your team an opportunity to ask questions and discuss their concerns with you. This will help them understand their roles better and build trust in the team.
Over-Communicate
Communication should be frequent and clear to avoid any misunderstandings or confusion. As a business owner, you need to be constantly monitoring the progress of each team member and staying in touch with them. This can be accomplished through video conferencing, group chats, email, and instant messaging. It is important to remember that remote employees often work in different time zones, so be aware of this when planning communication. Setting up a routine for regular check-ins and keeping an open channel of communication can help ensure that tasks are completed on time and that everyone is working together. Regular one-on-one meetings are also important to discuss expectations, progress, any challenges the team is facing, and successes they have achieved. This will help build trust between the business owner and team members, which can go a long way in ensuring a successful remote work relationship.
Use the Right Tools
As a business owner, you should invest in the best tools available that will help your remote team stay productive and collaborate. Here are some of the key tools for remote teams:
Project Management Software: Project management software helps organize tasks, assign deadlines, track progress, and keep everyone on the same page. Popular options include Asana, Trello, Basecamp, and Slack.
Video Conferencing Software: Video conferencing software allows remote teams to connect face-to-face, which can help improve collaboration and communication. Popular options include Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet.
File-Sharing Software: File-sharing software makes it easy for remote teams to share documents and other types of files with one another. Popular options include Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive.
Online Whiteboard: An online whiteboard allows remote teams to brainstorm together in real-time, even if they are miles apart. Popular options include Mural, Miro, and Stormboard.
What tips and tricks do you use to manage your remote team? Let us know so we can share with our audience!
If you’ve ever visited a fast food restaurant and purchased a kids meal with a movie-themed toy or bought a box of cereal to get the special gift inside, you understand the power of complementary partnerships. While many people think of these types of partnerships as strategies for large businesses, as a small business owner, you are perfectly positioned to harness their power and reap important benefits.
The right complementary partnership can change the trajectory of your business and open up a world of opportunity for you. The HireMyMom team has seen several small business owners successfully pursue this strategy with great success. In this blog, we share why these arrangements are so powerful and offer some tips to help consider if this approach is right for you.
Understanding Complementary Partnerships
Simply put, complementary partnerships happen when businesses team up to promote each other’s products or services. The terms complementary partnership and co-branding are generally interchangeable.
Complimentary partnerships allow businesses and organizations with different strengths to create something better than either could offer alone. It’s also a chance for sellers of products that are sold separately but used together to join forces and pursue customers together.
There are many ways to create these types of partnerships.
A business that offers a product can partner with a company that provides a different product that’s similar or different.
A business that offers a service can partner with another service provider or a company that provides a product.
Small businesses can team up with other small businesses, larger businesses, local groups, nonprofits.
Here are some examples of complementary partnerships for small businesses:
A bakery opens up a corner of the shop for a coffee kiosk, allowing customers to pick up coffee and pastries in one stop.
A t-shirt shop creates a partnership with a nearby school to provide spirit wear for students and families. The school promotes the shop, and the shop promotes the school with joint social media posts, signs, and other promotions.
An Etsy shop owner pairs up with an animal rescue organization to create a product line celebrating the organization’s work. The rescue organization sells the merchandise, and the two groups promote each other’s work.
A virtual assistant specializing in creating mailing lists creates a partnership with a writer who specializes in writing blogs and a social media manager who promotes small business accounts. The three promote each other’s services to clients but operate independent businesses. In many cases, they serve the same client and refer each other to clients who could use the services each provides.
There’s no limit to the ways you can work with your partners. In addition to promoting each other, you can jointly sponsor events, run contests where you feature each other’s business, share resources, introduce a shared rewards program, and even share a website or back-office service providers.
Benefits of Creating Complementary Partnerships
Creating complementary partnerships offer many benefits to business owners, including:
Increasing revenue through more business.
Helping small businesses survive and compete with more established companies by gaining a competitive edge and boosting brand recognition.
Offering opportunities to acquire new customers, engage more fully with established customers and provide a seamless experience.
Retaining current customers through enhanced offerings.
Sharing resources for greater reach with lower costs for each business.
Reducing the loneliness that often goes along with entrepreneurship.
Creating access to additional expertise from the partner and opportunities to share expertise.
Keys to Success
If you are thinking of entering into a complementary partnership, it’s important to do your homework before you begin seeking a partner.
Start by taking a critical look at your business to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what you bring to the table and what you’d like to find in a partner are essential to successful partnerships.
With a clear vision of what you have to offer and what you need, look for a partner business that fits the bill.
Networking is a great way to find potential partners. Attend local business meetups, reach out to the Chamber of Commerce, and attend trade shows to find potential partners. Also, be open to finding a partner closer to home. In some cases, a nearby business may fit the bill perfectly.
As you engage in conversations with potential partners, make sure that you feel comfortable with the partner personally, her approach to business, and her business practices. Even though you’ll be running separate business enterprises, as complementary partners, you will be working closely together, and that will be easier if you are comfortable with each other.
Once you and your patterner settle on a plan for a potential partnership, work together to create an agreement for your work together. Outline:
The parameters of your work together.
How you will communicate.
The level of transparency you plan to maintain.
How you will define success.
Who will manage which tasks.
Checkpoints where each business will assess the partnership’s future to determine if it still makes sense.
Please share!
Forming a complementary partnership is a fantastic way to move your business forward. If you enter into one, please drop us a line and share your experience.
Congratulations on your decision to launch a freelance business. Whether you are launching a social media business, starting a bookkeeping business or starting a virtual assistant business, you are about to take one of the most rewarding journeys of your professional life. The HireMyMom team is excited to help you take the first steps.
If you are like most freelancers, you have questions as you get started. Likely, you have lots of questions–because that sense of curiosity (combined with a healthy dose of courage!) led you to this point. You are eager to see your business succeed–and so are we!
We suspect a lot of your questions center around logistics–questions like:
What tools and apps are most helpful for me and my business?
How to find good people when I need to outsource parts of my business?
How do I grow personally and professionally through this process?
We are here to help! This blog answers many of those questions for you. Let’s get started.
Use the Right Tools
Today, many people rely on online tools and apps to help with their work, but choosing the right tools for your business can be challenging. We get that!
The HireMyMom team has gathered our collective experience to compile a list of the best online tools we’ve found to help you run your business smoothly. We’ve put them all into one document where you can quickly learn more–and it’s available for free right now.
Organizational tools that let you share your personal and work to-do lists and a tool that reduces email spam with just a few clicks. (We know, it sounds too good to be true!)
Collaboration and online storage programs that can help make your business sing and ensure that your whole team is singing the same song.
Options for email marketing–including ways to find leads, manage lists, and send messages out to customers and prospects.
Social media resources that give you more control over your posts.
Resources for creating great graphics to help craft an image for your business.
Apps to manage phone calls and scheduling like the pro you are.
Payments and accounting tools that help make payments and bookkeeping a snap.
Online resources to help you up your blog game, describe your business with greater precision and increase your SEO scores.
This guide is free and easy to use. It shares our best tips to save you the hassle of trying different things. Download it today and let us know which tool saved you the most time.
Find the right people and clients
It may seem far-fetched to think about hiring people when you first start, and many freelancers are solo operators. However, you may find that you need to bring in targeted expertise early–possibly much earlier than you expect. If you need to find administrative support, writing help, or social media expertise, look to HireMyMom for great people who share your passion and commitment to working moms. When you are ready to make your first hire, use this free downloadable Top 10 Interview Questions To Ask to help guide you.
HireMyMom is also a great place to find small businesses looking for the types of services you offer. Many small business owners depend on the HireMyMom site to find freelance talent. When you are ready for new clients, check posts frequently to grow your business. You can also find links for training opportunities to help you build your business and expand your client base.
Visit our website each week and check out our blog for the latest thoughts on workplace issues and working motherhood. Also, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram for all the latest news.
Cultivate Resources
As a new freelancer and business owner, support can help you navigate the early days of your business. One great way to do this is to connect with the U.S. Small Business Association. The federal government operates the SBA. The service and information are free and top-notch. Its excellent website features information to help you plan, grow and manage a small business. Visit the local assistance tab to find out more about resources in your area. There’s even a special section for women-owned businesses and an opportunity to get free business counseling from a partner organization.
Also, check your local Chamber of Commerce as another good source of information and contacts. Often, the chamber keeps a list of retirees or seasoned executives who are willing to mentor new freelancers and business owners.
Consider Coaching
When you launch a business, hang out your own shingle as a freelancer, or transition to working at home, it’s easy to second guess yourself. Confidence is essential as a business owner and freelancer. Rather than waste time fretting, take action by finding a coach or a group of like-minded people to help you move through this phase confidently.
An experienced, independent, outside voice can help provide feedback on what’s not working and give you the clarity you need on the best way to use your time and energy.
A coach can help you define what success means for you, guide you as you start or grow a remote career or business, and help you work through any fears that hold you back.
HireMyMom’s Coaching & Masterminds program can help bring out the best in your business and in your life. We currently offer two options:
Elevate You: CULTIVATE: Mastermind & Coaching for Women can help you gain the clarity and focus you need to pursue your dreams while connecting you with a community of like-minded moms. You’ll find the path for meaningful growth and success through the program based on what matters to you. You’ll create deep and authentic relationships with women on the same path and benefit from coaching from our founder and HireMyMom CEO, Lesley Pyle.
Best of luck with your new business–we are cheering for you!
One common goal we hear from small business owners is a desire to expand their businesses. That’s not surprising–It’s fun to try new things and grow in different ways. As your business expands, your skillset grows, and you may add new members to your team, expanding your network and boosting your profits. What’s more, we’ve found that it gets easier to clearly see what’s next on the horizon for our business with every move.
But, sometimes, expanding the customer base for your existing products is a struggle. You’ve tried different marketing approaches and tapping new pools of potential customers, but it seems like a nut that just won’t crack.
In that situation, we find one of the most reliable ways to expand is by adding products or services that complement your existing offering. Adding services and products can round out your offering, help you stand out from the competition, find new customers and grow revenue.
Think of a restaurant adding a new menu option to appeal to a broader audience–that’s a product addition. If the same restaurant starts offering catering, that’s a complimentary service. These additions fall into the same realm as the restaurant’s original service. But, the changes will help attract new customers and provide additional services to existing customers–both of which can drive growth and increase sales.
While a restaurant is an easy way to visualize the concept, the idea works across all businesses. Consider a Virtual Assistant who primarily responds to email inquiries and manages calendars for small business owners. The VA may notice one of the people she supports is doing a lot of travel. With that knowledge and her existing relationship, she may decide to add travel planning services to complement her other work and pitch the service to the client she knows has upcoming travel.
Here’s another example. At HireMyMom, we added concierge services to help our customers who need staff right away and don’t have time to go through a traditional hiring phase, which can take attention away from their core business.
We’re looking at other ways to grow, too. For example, we are working on expanding our overall Human Resources services. New services could include helping with onboarding, creating policies and procedures for employees, and developing standard operating procedures for small businesses.
Other options include offering custom-written targeted emails to increase the exposure of specific jobs or lending the expertise of a Human Resources specialist to help employers enhance job postings to attract the right candidate.
Find the right products and services
No matter the business you are in, there’s likely a way to expand by offering additional products and services. The key is to determine what products and services your customers may want and which you can provide. Here are some ways to do some market research:
Listen carefully to the questions your customers ask. If your customers routinely ask if you provide a particular service or know who does, that’s a clue that demand exists, and it’s likely something your current customers might eagerly add to their orders with you.
See what the competition is offering. Take a look around at your key competitors and see what types of additional products and services they offer. There’s a good chance those same options may appeal to your customers.
Ask your customers what else they need or want. Inquire about how they use your main product or service and what could improve the experience.
Build the right team
Once you’ve decided on a new product or service to add, it’s time to make sure you can reasonably provide it. In some cases, you may need to add staff members to offer the option. In other cases, your existing staff may be able to absorb the work. Also, you may need to purchase new supplies or find space to store materials or do work.
Doing a little upfront planning can make the transition easier. The first few times you provide the product or service might feel a little rough. But, it’s all part of the product development lifecycle.
If you feel stuck or aren’t sure what types of services and product extensions might make sense for your business, an outside perspective can help you look at your business with fresh eyes.
HireMyMom’s new Small Business Mastermind could be just the catalyst you need to identify the types of add-on products and services that can take your business to the next level.
Through the program, you’ll find the path for meaningful growth and success based on what matters to you. You’ll create deep and authentic relationships with business owners on the a similar path.
The group will meet bi-monthly to discuss business growth, discuss ways to expand, and explore marketing ideas. The peer group dynamic will help fill you with fresh ideas and unique perspectives to develop new viewpoints and see your business with fresh eyes.
The group will explore ways to improve business systems, build better processes and automate your work.
A private group app puts all the tools and resources at your fingertips. Group sessions will provide an opportunity to share thoughts, get support, and find encouragement.
What’s more, the group sessions will help you stay accountable to your goals and will offer you a chance to network with other like-minded moms who you might not have otherwise met.
Sign up now and start envisioning your next chapter.
While making dinner or driving carpool, many thoughts likely go through your head. If one (or more) of them includes a new business idea, congratulations-you have the heart and mind of an entrepreneur (and a momtrepreneur)!
Or, maybe you know you’d like to work for yourself and are thinking of launching a business that fills a need in your community–like a dog walker or child care provider.
Whatever your interest, the next step is taking the idea and making it happen. So, how do you take the kernel of an idea or a desire to hang out your own shingle and turn it into a full-fledged business?
While the prospect may seem overwhelming, a few initial steps can quickly put you on the road to success. The HireMyMom team talks with successful entrepreneurs looking for help every day. Here, we distill what we hear from them into four easy-to-follow initial steps to get you started with whatever business you are considering.
Talk About It
It’s exciting to consider launching a new business, and it’s fun to talk about your vision. So, the first step is easy–talk with trusted friends, family members and other advisors about your idea. Share the big picture you have in your head and get their reaction to it. Encourage them to ask questions and poke holes so you can refine your plan and create a clear vision of what you want to do.
We encourage you to seek out the enthusiastic and skeptical for this step. In this phase, it’s crucial to have a wide variety of input, and each perspective will help you get a better sense of how you can massage your idea for the best chance at success.
That said, establish a timeline for this phase–probably two to three weeks. That gives you time to have many conversations and chew over different ideas but still lets you move forward with the plan in a timely manner.
Conduct Research
Next, embark on a research project. The goal is threefold:
Find out what other businesses are operating in your space–this is called market research.
Determine where your business fits in–this is called competitive analysis.
Learn about any permit or licensing requirements to open and operate your business. Knowing about any required permits or licenses can help you avoid potentially costly situations down the road.
The information taken together can help you refine your business plan and position you for success.
Start with market research. Aim to learn more about other, similar businesses. Ask potential customers what they are looking for and what they value in the service. Find how much they charge and what their customers think of the service. Ask potential customers what service is missing from the current mix. Find out more about the demand for your product or service.
The U.S. Small Business Administration offers a helpful guide for conducting market research before launching a business.
Next, perform a competitive analysis to determine how your business will fill a niche. For example, you may decide to offer a twist on a product or service to make your business stand out and solve a problem you saw in the marketplace. For example, if you were thinking about a child care business, you might learn that parents are looking for evening care during your research. As a result, you may decide to offer child care after traditional business hours to cater to families who need help in the evenings or on weekends.
Or, you might learn that the only infant night nurse within 50 miles is cutting back her workload and the need for that service exceeds what the market offers. You might then steer your business toward short-term overnight care so new moms can get some sleep. You could offer to do laundry while on duty as a way to make your business stand out.
In some cases, you may find that the area you are considering is currently underserved, and standard product offerings plus availability are enough to get your business off the ground quickly.
For example, in your research, you may find that a shortage of qualified administrative assistants has local accounting firms struggling to return calls and schedule meetings. In that case, you might tailor your virtual assistant business, so you cater to industries with high demand.
Or, maybe you are considering a pet-based service, and you learn that there aren’t enough dog walkers in your neighborhood now that people are heading back to work. You’ve found a gap that you can easily step into to meet the need.
Market research and competitive analysis are both necessary because they position you for success by uncovering your competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Write a Plan
Next, craft a business plan and put it in writing. Your business plan doesn’t need to be MBA thesis-worthy. You can use an online template from sites like hubspot or the balance small business.
If that’s not your style, you can write the plan out on a piece of notebook paper or pull up a document on your laptop. The U.S. Small Business Administration offers helpful tips for writing a business plan.
Generally, your business plan can be as comprehensive as you desire. But, at a minimum, it should reflect the basics elements of your idea.
Start by documenting your vision, hashing out your overall mission and the details of the product or service you plan to provide. Peer into the future and include an aspirational statement to help you guide you along the way.
Suppose you are launching a virtual assistant business. In that case, your vision may look like this: Start a virtual assistant business that focuses on calendar management, customer callbacks and spreadsheet support for small business owners in the real estate industry. Over five years, grow business sufficiently to add three part-time employees providing similar services.
From there, your business plan should answer these questions:
What is the name of the business?
Who does this business serve?
How will I find customers?
How will they know about my service?
What’s the competition?
What’s my competitive advantage?
What obstacles might I face?
How much does this product/service cost the customer?
How will I staff this business to meet the demand?
Do I need money to launch this? How much? How will I get it?
What are my promotional plans?
Then, set a few short and long-term objectives to help you move along. Many people find that creating specific action plans with deadlines helps them set and achieve goals. Make sure your goals are SMART, that is, specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely.
Make It Official!
Armed with your great idea, backed by research and fueled by the concepts documented in your business plan, it’s time to get moving.
Line up support to help ensure your success. While the specific support you need will vary by business type, some likely sources of support include:
A banker who can help you set up a small business account and offer basic bookkeeping guidance.
A mentor who has small business experience and can guide you as you launch, run and grow your business. Check out the Small Business Development Center for information about programs sponsored by the federal Small Business Association. They offer specific counseling for women-owned businesses.
A community of like-minded business people to share in the joys and struggles.
Call Us
The HireMyMom team can’t wait to hear about your success! When you are ready to find a work-from-home mom to supplement your staff, or you have an opportunity to give a budding, at-home professional some work, visit HireMyMom.com to find the resource you need.
When you lead a team, you set the tone and establish the tenor. Strong leaders know that what they say and do can change the trajectory of a team’s future. As the owner of a small business, you are the leader for that business–and chances are you have a lifetime of leadership experience to call upon and guide your interactions.
But, when you lead a virtual team, the equation changes. Your leadership must be tweaked to ensure your efforts travel over the miles to guide, inspire and lift up your employees.
At HireMyMom, people leading businesses with workers spread far and wide across the country, spanning multiple time zones, inspire us each day.
Sages have shared millions of words about the traits of effective leaders and how those traits translate to leading virtual teams. Along the way, we’ve noticed a handful of consistent traits and habits among those who do it well. Here’s a roundup of our observations.
A Long and Wide View
Vision is an essential trait of a remote leader. An effective leader looks further and broader than her team or business to see the bigger picture. This perch gives her a peek at upcoming trends–and issues–before others see them and provides the advantage of acting sooner rather than later.
In many cases, this translates to being prepared to leverage new business opportunities. Sometimes this comprehensive view helps a leader spy a weak spot on the team and act before an issue develops.
John Maxwell, author, speaker, and pastor who has written many books, primarily focusing on leadership, says that having the ability to see more than others before others allows great leaders tremendous advantages. One of the benefits of this skill is that great leaders can move into a cycle of test, fail, and improve. This cycle is a crucial component to keep businesses growing and reaching new heights of success.
When you lead a virtual team, acquiring the vision that drives the success cycle takes special care and commitment. In our experience, openness to feedback, industry engagement, and frequent team communication help open this field of vision for business owners. Attend webinars, go to conferences and keep the lines of communication wide open. Overall, aim to be approachable and broadcast that you want to hear from people and welcome all ideas.
Authenticity
Authenticity is one of the characteristics that we often see among highly effective leaders. Those who inspire others embody the qualities and habits they promote. And, more importantly, they model those qualities and practices in public and private ways.
Team members see this match in words and deeds and find inspiration. It’s easier to follow along when team members know their leader really believes in something and isn’t just paying lip service. This creates cohesive teams.
It can be challenging to show team members these qualities when leading a virtual team because of limited in-person interactions. However, in our experience, leader authenticity still shines through the phone, email, and instant messaging- it just shows in subtler ways. For example, meeting with people individually by phone or video chat, sharing your enthusiasm and honest assessment as you discuss projects, providing constructive criticism, and jumping in to help when team members struggle are ways to show authenticity.
Another way you can exhibit authenticity as a remote leader is to share positive stories and anecdotes about company culture when you talk with your team. It can be tempting to gripe, especially with a long-term team member. But, the best leaders of remote teams make a point to share their beliefs and positive messages with gusto.
Building People to Build Business
Maxwell says that great leaders intentionally add value to people through skill development, and that’s been our experience, too. Great leaders see potential in people and invest in them so they grow. At HireMyMom, we see this in action when employers call us to replace a person who has grown into a new role at the business.
Investing in skill development for your team is good for people and business. Employees who know they are valued stick around and tend to be fiercely loyal to the leaders who helped them grow.
Looking at a team member and knowing how and where to invest in development can be trickier when managing a remote team. Mark Murphy, author of “Leadership IQ,” suggests that leaders of remote teams look for ways to extend their energy to be more open to coaching and meeting with employees across time zones. He says that leaders who successfully manage remote teams are “indefatigable” when it comes to coaching team members. If you find your energy waning, he suggests building breaks and flexibility into your day, so you have more time and energy for working with team members.
Also, this is an area where vision matters. Having a wide and long view helps you find the right people and invest in cultivating the right skills.
Instead, it means that great leaders know their people and share common ground as a way to connect. In some cases, leaders and team members connect over personal matters first, sharing experiences about parenthood, hobbies, or pets. That connection quickly spills over to a shared purpose around the business.
When you lead virtual teams, take the time to connect with your people and show that you care about them and value them as people and team members. Your remote team members need as much–if not more–encouragement than those who you see regularly. There are several ways to do this. For example, discuss big projects as opportunities and help to paint the long-term vision.
Remember that remote workers aren’t surrounded by a team, and it can be difficult for them to put mistakes into perspective without the benefit of seeing in-person reactions. When things don’t go as planned, show support by acknowledging the problem and providing assurance that you have faith in the employee or the team. For example, consider saying something like, “that project did not go as planned” when a mistake happens. Then, you can provide perspective by saying: “while we are all disappointed, I know you gave it your all. I’m certain that we will learn from this and get back on track. We will work together to make it happen.”
These types of reassurances can help team members feel valued and appreciated.
Courage
All teams and businesses–no matter how well run–eventually experience challenges. And, when those challenges pop up, whether they are big or small, great leaders exhibit courage.
When thinking of leader courage, we are reminded of the old saying that no one ever drifted to their desired location. Indeed, success is a road–sometimes a long one. Travelers need the grit to traverse the trail, and those travelers need a strong leader to drive and encourage. When leaders exhibit courage in the face of adversity, team members notice.
When leading a remote team, courage comes in a lot of forms. Sometimes, it means sharing constructive feedback that might be sensitive. In other cases, it means changing business directions or revamping teams. But, when leaders display courage, teams can solve problems, come together and thrive in the future.
Challenge yourself to be brave by practicing in everyday situations, like sharing constructive feedback or trying new ideas. This experience can prove valuable when things go sideways, and you need to dig deep to find all the courage.
Please Share
The small business owners and entrepreneurs we see leading teams each day inspire us. And, we never get tired of hearing your stories. Tell us what leadership qualities make you an effective leader. Your observations and tips for growing leadership skills help us learn more and share what we see with others.
The word coach often conjures up an image of a teacher in polyester shorts, a whistle, and a high school gym. But, as an entrepreneur, there’s a different kind of coaching that might make sense for you and your business–a business coach. The right coach can take your business and your leadership skills to the next level. For this blog, we’ve turned to two successful coaches to help explain who can benefit from coaching, the circumstances that best lend themselves to coaching relationships, and how to tell if coaching is right for you.
Types of Business Coaching
There are two different types of business coaching–business development coaching and personal development coaching.
Business development coaching provides a distinct focus on growing an aspect of your business or solving a specific problem, like customer service or e-commerce-related issues. It can include overall business planning activities, such as plotting growth, growing revenue, finding new customers, and fine-tuning operations. In essence, a business development coach serves as a subject matter expert for your business.
Personal development coaching can help you grow as a leader by relieving the loneliness that often accompanies owning and running a business. With a personal development coach, you can increase your emotional resilience in business, learn to delegate, and explore the values you want to drive your work.
Coaches often specialize in one aspect or the other. You may find that both types of coaching make sense for your business at different times.
Why Get a Coach
A coach can provide the benefits of a business partner without the hassle of bringing in a partner. Your coach listens, suggests, and helps you process your thoughts. A solid coaching relationship offers you the space to be honest and confidential with someone who cares about your business but is not invested in it like an employee or your spouse. A coach can provide a fresh perspective on the issues you are facing.
“When you run a business, the support you have around you is not at the peer level,” said Texas-based Patrick Pitman, CEO of E-business Coach, Inc. “There’s no executive team to bounce ideas off. The owner is often the senior person in the organization. It can be lonely.”
Pitman explained that many of his clients report stress relief after talking to him and gaining new insight.
If you suspect you may benefit from a business coach, the first step is to identify the type of coaching you need.
In general, a business development coach is a good bet if you have a well-defined problem that can be solved with a burst of outside expertise from a subject matter expert. Generally, these types of relationships last 8 to 12 weeks and result in a well-defined solution quickly.
A personal development coach is generally a longer-term engagement–usually lasting several months or a year. A personal development coach can help guide you as you clarify your values, consider possibilities, and ponder significant issues about your business’s direction or leadership style. If you pursue this type of coaching, it’s essential to carve out the time to commit to the process.
“Change can be slow. Give yourself the room,” Pitman suggests.
Signs You Might Need a Coach
There’s no one-size-fits-all threshold for when coaching makes sense. But, if you are experiencing the issues below, coaching may help you move forward.
You find yourself returning to the same problemover and over again. For example, you may know that you have a great sales team, but your customer support network needs work. You make changes, but your customer service team still doesn’t quite sing. A business development coach can help.
You face issues outside your area of expertise. Entrepreneurs often start a business because they are passionate about the product or service they offer. However, over time, elements of the company outside of that core passion, such as staffing, accounting, inventory control, and marketing, can sap the joy that came from launching the business. A business development coach can support you through areas of work outside of your core knowledge and interest.
You are missing your revenue goals. A business development coach can help you identify the issue, refine your business plan, identify areas where revenue may leak, and brainstorm new marketing or business plans with you.
You feel overwhelmed. When you own and operate a business, the work and emotional demands can eat away at the fulfillment you once found in running the business. A personal development coach can help you find your way again.
You are ready for the next thing. But you aren’t sure what that is or how to proceed. A personal development coach can help by focusing your thinking and refining the next steps for your business journey if you face these issues.
You feel stuck. Sometimes fresh perspective and insight from an outside source can help you put a finger on the issue and move forward.
You need an accountability partner. A coach can provide the push to get things done by serving as a person who helps you stay on track with your goals and moves you forward as you tackle new or complex projects.
What to expect from a coach
Different business coaches offer different services and use different mediums to connect with clients. Business coaching is available by phone, via Zoom, and in-person. While most coaches provide individual services, some offer group sessions.
Christal Allen-Harrahill, the Las Vegas-based owner of Business and Life Coaching with Christal, said that some small business owners enjoy local group sessions as they provide a peer group that helps drive results and creates relationships with local people.
When you meet with a coach, the two of you can:
Address specific business problems.
Set goals and do overall business planning.
Discuss methods for over-the-shoulder consulting on a variety of issues.
Create strategic plans, including succession plans, if you suspect that you may want to step away from the business to focus on other endeavors.
Explore ways you can improve your connections with those around you through stronger relationships.
Clarify your values and mission as a business owner and entrepreneur.
What a Coach Can’t Do
While the coach can help you feel equipped to do things, the coach won’t do things for you. For example, a coach can guide your decision-making but won’t make your decisions for you. A coach can help you set goals and plan to achieve them but won’t join your team.
“I always tell clients that I’m not a fairy godmother,” said Allen-Harrahill. “It’s a two-way relationship. Ultimately, you need to take action. But, I can help you face mindset issues that might get in the way or work through issues with you.”
Pitman agreed.
“A coach can’t make decisions for you. A coach is a facilitator of your own decision-making,” he said.
How to Find a Coach
The coaches I talked with agree that your network is the best way to find a coach. Ask your business acquaintances who they have used and ask for a referral. If you are looking for a business development coach, your industry contacts can help you find people who specialize in your line of work.
Once you have a few leads, preview the coach’s work on social media. Check out his or her YouTube videos and read online newsletters.
For personal development coaching, a good personality fit is essential. Allen-Harrahill suggests meeting the coach before proceeding.
“Do a quick discovery call to see if there is synergy there,” she suggested.
Budgeting for Coaching
The cost of coaching varies based on the type of coaching you are seeking. Ongoing coaching usually involves a monthly fee that can range from $300 to $500 a month or more depending on the specialty and expertise. If you opt for ongoing coaching, make sure you are committed to making the time to dedicate to it.
Coaching for specific business problems varies based on the complexity of the issue, the time to resolve it, and the industry. Other factors can also drive costs. For example, it’s generally less expensive to work with a coach via Zoom or by phone. However, depending on the issue, it may make sense to bring a coach onsite, even if it costs more. When judging the price of coaching, consider the cost of not solving the problem in addition to the cost of the coach.
Take the leap
Getting a coach can change the trajectory of your business and your life as an entrepreneur. I encourage you to look into finding a great coach to help you reach the next level in your business.
With everything that’s gone down in 2020, it may be time to look at your business with fresh eyes to assess your current state and determine where you are headed. One way to do this is to perform a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for:
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
This analysis is quick and gives you a good sense of where you are at this point, where you are heading and how to make the most of every opportunity. Grab some paper and a pen (or sit down at your computer) and use this guide to get started. Here is a free worksheet to help you in this process.
Assess Your Strengths
Let’s start with the positive. Make a list of the strengths your business shows right now. They may be the same as pre-COVID-19, or they may be wildly different. Either way, be generous with your strengths. Include things like a great staff, dedicated customers, and your killer website or social media presence. The objective here is to get a good handle on all the things you have in your corner. Listing strengths helps affirm all the things that are going well. Put yourself in the shoes of a customer or staff member and consider your business from that perspective, as well.
Consider Your Weaknesses
Next, make a list of the flaws you see in the business right now. Like the strengths, you may see faults that resemble what you saw before or a different set of disadvantages. It’s essential to create a complete and honest list but think big picture. Don’t include small issues that happen on a one-off basis, like a customer complaint or a minor hiccup. Don’t be overly critical. The goal here is to objectively consider areas of your business that could use some attention. A good list of weaknesses makes it easier to address any issues and solve for them going forward.
Identify Your Opportunities
Now, it’s time to look at your opportunities. The world has changed in the last six months, which likely means new opportunities have opened. The point of considering opportunities is to see new possibilities–both short and long-term options. You may see a long list of options right away. If you are struggling, that’s understandable. But, try to identify at least three opportunities on the horizon. Cast a wide net. Here are three ways to help frame your thinking:
Jot down the opportunities you have traditionally pursued if they are still viable.
Consider what new avenues may be available for the future. You don’t need a plan to pursue the opportunity to list it–it’s ok just to see the prospect and note it. Planning to capitalize on the opportunity can come later.
Think of opportunities in many ways–perhaps you have a chance to hire a virtual staff member to bring in some expertise or reduce your workload or that of a team member.
Generating a list of possibilities will make you feel better about the future and start the wheels turning for new options in the future.
Outline Threats on the Horizon
Finally, write down the threats facing your business right now. I know–this can be scary. But, don’t be afraid to list the risks. Identifying them and committing them to paper won’t make them more likely to happen. Instead, looking at the list of risks can defang them a bit and make them feel more approachable.
As you think about the threats, identify those you can control and those you can’t. For example, you can’t control what happens with the pandemic. But, you can make a staffing tweak that reduces the threat of staff turnover. List both in different categories to make them easier to assess.
Sample Worksheet
Here’s a worksheet to help you conduct your SWOT analysis. As you can see, it’s not fancy, but it serves as a good starting point for organizing your thoughts. You can also download one using the link above.
Products/Services
Staff
Marketing
General Environment
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats (Use an * to denote threats outside of your control)
Final Tips Before You Get Started
Here are my best tips for conducting a successful exercise:
Do your initial thinking, then set it aside for a week. I find creating this space helps make the reflection more in-depth and more insightful.
After a week passes, revisit your work and write down your initial edits.
Do this again over a few days before you start making plans to address what you uncover.
Once complete, file your completed analysis. Review it in six months to see how things have changed and how much progress you’ve made.
This is the Perfect Time to Conduct a SWOT Analysis
With so many things going on, spending an hour conducting a SWOT analysis may seem like a low priority item. But, this is a great way to look at your business with fresh eyes and consider how the future may unfold. I always find this process valuable, and I look forward to hearing what you learn. Send us an email and share your experiences.
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