Running a business is like owning a house. Being a homeowner for the first time can be tough. There is so much you need to do just to maintain the place. Keep up with it on a regular basis and things can go pretty smoothly. Put it off (and off and off) and it takes what feels like forever just to catch up.
Just like owning a house, when you run a business and maintenance comes up, there are a lot of things you’re going to try to DIY. You’re going to start out by writing all your copy and content or designing your own logo. You’ll draft your own business plan and try your hand at Facebook ads. Thanks to the internet, whether you want to fix a leaky pipe or determine your ideal client avatar, there’s likely an article or video telling you how to do it.
I’m a big fan of DIYing (I do it a lot in both of my businesses), but there are times when you need bring in a “professional contractor” to help you fix your business. Putting duct-tape on the issue is a temporary fix, and never addresses the root cause, meaning your problem will continue or even worse, compound and get bigger!
Good news is that you don’t have to do it all on your own. It’s totally okay to ask for help.
Four times I invested in my business
Here are a few examples of when I decided to move my business forward by attending an event or working with an expert.
1. When I needed direction, I invested in Inspired: The Retreat. Hosted by the wonderful Amber Housley, I met so many incredible female entrepreneurs and was inspired (quite literally) to take my skills and use them where I can provide tangible value. This set me on a path I am super excited about!
2. When I needed a brand, I went to Megan Martin. I met Megan at my second Inspired experience and instantly clicked with her. When I went back home to Toronto, I looked at the brand identity I had been working on for myself that just wasn’t right. I knew who I needed to call. While Megan doesn’t take on design clients anymore, she offers a wealth of education for creative entrepreneurs and some gorgeously designed templates. One of the loveliest people I’ve had the good fortune of working with, Megan was able to pinpoint exactly what I needed in our first half hour call and saved me a lot of time and energy by nailing what I wanted in a brand.
3. When I needed community and a sounding board, Reina Pomeroy saved the day. It’s one thing to sell my clients – that comes easy enough. Selling myself? That was another ball game all together. Reina is an amazing advocate for the heart-centred entrepreneur. Another incredible woman I met at Inspired, Reina created The Social Glue Sessions, an intimate mastermind for entrepreneurs just when I needed it. This community has been the perfect platform to not only connect with other entrepreneurs (shout out to my Power Pod, Mariah, Katie and Jen), it’s given me the support I needed to fine tune my business and make big strides in getting over the fear of putting myself out there. P.S. You can join me in round two of the Social Glue Sessions in 2018! Sign up now!
4. When I struggled with my voice, Lauren Carnes gave me back my confidence. As a former corporate consultant, I struggled with talking to my ideal client. I know who she is – she’s a creative entrepreneur who has been at this for awhile and is feeling frustrated and overwhelmed with the current state of her business. But how do I maintain my credibility as a strategist who can grow her business without coming off as a corporate robot? Lauren, who is an incredible photographer is also a formidable communications coach and was able to answer that question easily. With a background in PR, she was able to get me out of my own head and give my content and communications the second set of eyes it needed. She also gave me actionable recommendations on how to proceed. I can now write without staring at a blank text document for 20 minutes thanks to her!
The Takeaway
When I approach a new task, I ask myself: What is the opportunity cost of doing this myself? DIYing takes a lot of time, trial and error so I carefully evaluate whether my time drives more value in my business by doing it myself or putting my time toward revenue generating projects. Every single one of these investments has helped me tremendously on my path. More so, in addition to helping me grow my business faster, I get to support an incredible community of female biz bosses.
If you’re not sure if you should DIY or not, download my mini workbook for a look at how I decide when to invest.
DIY or Not? When to invest in your business.
Download your free mini workbook now!
Where you do and don’t DIY in your business might not be the same, but if you’re in need of an inspiring community, beautifully designed resources to grow your business, an amazing mastermind and an incredible communications coach, I can’t recommend these ladies enough.
I love this post! This is something I’ve learned in the last year too- the importance of not DIYing allllll of the things. I’m a painter and I hired a professional photographer to take my images and a graphic designer to do my branding – they saved me sooo much time and I know have been the reason why my business was so successful this year. I’m glad you found the right people for your business too!!