Situation: The Company downsized during the recession. The CEO and sales staff are overburdened by administrative and business development tasks. What’s the best way to bring to add resources to support sales and infrastructure?

Advice from the CEOs:

• Look at what hats you are wearing. Wear the hats that fit best and take off the others.
  • If an activity is not core to your success, off-load it. For example: bookkeeping, shipping and receiving, records and basic correspondence.
  • These are necessary, but don’t generate revenue.
• If your core businesses are sales and service, is one more profitable than the other? Can you outsource pieces of the less profitable activity short-term?
• Where do you want to be personally in the next 2 years? On what roles do you want to focus? Build a plan to transition you into these roles.
  • The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber is a quick read that outlines the process.
• You may not need to bring in a high level operations manager. Consider hiring an office manager to help organize you and your business development staff. For a smaller operation this person can take care of phones, bookkeeping, shipping and receiving and routine correspondence. This will allow executive staff and sales to focus on growing and servicing customer demand.
• During the summer months hire high school or college summer interns. They provide an inexpensive source of labor, high levels of energy and creativity, and are eager for work experience.

Key Words: Business Development, Core Business, Sales, Service, Outsource, Role, Office Manager, Intern  [like]