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Entrepreneurship Growing Pains

Entrepreneurship Growing Pains

Almost everyone dreams at one time or another of owning their own business. Millions take the leap from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur every year.  In fact, a new business is started every minute in the US! What are the biggest pros of entrepreneurship? Most say flexibility, autonomy and control. It sounds like a dream job, setting your own hours and running your business they way you want to. What are the cons? All of your entrepreneurship growing pains.

The Reality of Owning Your Own Business

Entrepreneurs are a tough bunch. They must be masters of juggling, endurance and multi-tasking. Forget your 9 to 5 or even 8 to 6 jobs of the past. According to a Gallup Poll, small business owners work an average of 52 hours per week and at least 6 days per week. The numbers rise for new start-ups. Many solopreneurs log 16+ hour days out of necessity and because they are passionate about their business.

“I have pulled all-nighters just to keep up with the workload but find my work suffers the next day.” – Heather Ann Havenwood, CEO Havenwood Worldwide

The reality is, you can only do so much work. As your company grows you must streamline procedures to keep up with demands on your time. You use time management apps, read books or listen to podcasts by other entrepreneurs struggling with similar growing pains. As you begin to run out of time and your superhuman working hours take their toll, your business growth stagnates.

Is It Time for an Assistant?

If you’re at the point where you have enlisted the help of every app and software program imaginable and you’re still can’t seem to get caught up, you’re in the throes of Entrepreneurship Growing Pains. Now is the time to think about hiring an assistant to get more out of your in-box and into your out-box.

Hiring an assistant to handle your administrative tasks will increase your productivity in the area you need to focus on, growing your business. A good DA can handle general clerical duties, setting appointments, sending emails and even project management.

Deciding Who to Hire

There’s no need to move from your home-based office to leased office space or squeeze in a desk for an assistant. The trend today is to hire a Distant Assistant. DA’s can be sourced in the US or from overseas. The least expensive Distant Assistants are sourced from overseas where living expenses are much lower than in the US.

A full-time general clerical assistant will cost anywhere from $960-$1400/month. What’s so attractive about DA’s to business owners is the fact they are considered contract employees by the IRS. This means you don’t have to pay taxes or offer insurance. *

Getting Your Freedom Back

Once you hire a DA, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without one. The simple tasks that ate up much of your time like setting appointments, sending emails, sending invoices, etc. will free you up to focus on what is important to you like growing your business, spending time with friends and family and getting that much-needed sleep!

Bottleneck welcomes your questions and comments. If you have a suggestion for Entrepreneurship Growing Pains, leave a comment!

*Tax laws routinely change, check with your accountant to make sure your procedures are up to date.

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About Jaime Jay

Meet Jaime Jay – a man who wears many hats, and wears them all admirably. He’s a master connector, an entrepreneur extraordinaire, and a published author who knows how to get things done.

Before he found his way to the business world, Jaime served his country as a brave paratrooper in the U.S. Army. But that’s just the beginning of his many accomplishments.

He’s the founder of the renowned Bottleneck Distant Assistant Services firm, and his book “Quit Repeating Yourself” has become a must-read for entrepreneurs everywhere.

When he’s not busy building his empire, you can find him on his beloved Harley Davidson, cruising through the countryside and taking in the invigorating effects of Uitwaaien – a Dutch practice that involves facing the wind to boost health and relieve stress. He enjoys spending his free time outside building stuff with his wife, Nikita the dog and their two kittens (for now at least) Tommy and Tater. He is ‘over-the-moon’ happily married to his wonderful wife Sara, his amazing daughter, Jessica, who is serving our country as a United States Army soldier. Jaime and Sara are the proud grand parents of two beautiful little girls.

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