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| Business Services You Need to Succeed By Mary C. Weaver Two years ago, Lois Plowman’s life was turned upside down by an injury that threatened to end more than a decade of self-employment. The owner of a shop-at-home service for custom window treatments, Plowman made draperies, but with a “frozen” shoulder, her stitching days seemed to be numbered. “I started having difficulty sewing and had to go into physical therapy for six months,” says Plowman, an NASE Member living in Charlotte, N.C. “For a while I was afraid I’d have to look for a job.” Near the end of her physical therapy, she hooked up with business coach Patricia Antonitis Woods, based in Fort Mill, S.C., who helped Plowman find opportunity in the newly imposed limitation. “I realized that the part of my work I enjoy most wasn’t sewing but talking to clients and coming up with ideas,” says Plowman. |
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| “Patricia helped me sort out what I really wanted and put me on the right track. She’s also
given me great ideas for marketing. As a result of working with her, my business has literally
doubled.” Now Plowman employs contractors who sew curtains and take care of installations,
leaving her free to focus on creative designs for her clients.
Plowman’s story is a dramatic example of the ways business services can help self-employed
people succeed. As a group, we thrive on self-reliance. But outsourcing tasks to and consulting
with other professionals can make us more effective and improve profits by freeing us to
concentrate on what we do best—and what brings in the most bucks. Walley works with developers on projects such as golf courses and practice ranges, offering pre-construction consulting, market analysis, feasibility studies and other services. Because he hires as many as 40 temporary employees when projects ramp up, he uses a payroll company to handle the checks. “Doing payroll can take hours a week from my income-earning time. I hire financial professionals because I get bottom-line savings timewise and a better quality of service than if I were doing the work myself.” The same strategy works for other services as well. Want to focus more on activities that boost
your bottom line? Start brainstorming about what tasks are taking too much time and bogging you
down. And read on for creative outsourcing solutions, whether you need a typist or a concierge,
that can help you turbo-charge your business. Formerly known as the National Association of Secretarial Services, the organization changed its name in 1998 to reflect the huge variety of services its 640 member businesses provide. “This is not your mother’s secretarial service,” Smith says with a chuckle. “Now we have to educate people about what business-support services are.” Although large companies can obtain such services from temp agencies, most of those same agencies won’t send temps to work in home offices. No problem: Business-support services companies can handle the work in their own offices, and you can hire them for as few or as many hours as you need. It’s a terrific alternative to hiring an employee—and a lot cheaper. “Our members and people like our members are in the business of helping others save time or money,” says Smith. “Very small businesses, whether it’s one person or five, tend to try to do everything rather than delegate. The tasks need to be done, but it’s better to release them to others who can do them better and more efficiently and free up your time. It’s all about knowing when to delegate.” Support professionals are well versed in the needs of small business. Most of them are self-employed too, and Smith conservatively estimates that 75 percent of their clients are companies with five or fewer employees. When you’re interviewing business-support providers, make sure they’ll be available during the hours you need them and that their software is compatible with yours if you’ll be transmitting files. Since not every provider offers the same services, be as specific as possible about your needs in order to find a company that can perform all or most of the necessary tasks. Cost: Expect to pay $20 to $35 an hour for basic word-processing or transcription, $25 to $45 for
editing, $25 to $60 for business writing, $25 to $50 for desktop publishing and $30 to $75 for Web-site
design. The figures come from a survey of ABSSI’s members conducted last fall. “Typically I’m called in because someone’s paper is out of control, but I often find that clients need a broader range of services,” says Marilyn Osborne, owner of Organized Solutions LLC in Tucson. “For instance, many of my clients need to increase their use of business software to improve their productivity. Many can benefit from using contact-management software.” Even the most chaotic office can be put in order, she says, and there’s no need to feel embarrassed about exposing your disarray to an organizer. “Clients usually ask me if I’ve seen anything worse, and I always have,” she says. Organizers can help clients analyze work processes and eliminate time-wasting steps, create paper-management and filing systems, and develop new time-management habits. A good organizer doesn’t impose a one-size-fits all system—he or she learns about your habits and preferences, then works with you to devise a personalized plan. Rapport with an organizer is key, Osborne says, so ask potential providers to describe the way they work, and shop around until you find one with whom you feel comfortable. It’s an added bonus if he or she is familiar with your industry and its processes. Cost: Many organizers charge by the hour. Others prefer to work with clients on retainer. Hourly
fees range from $30 to $150. “I do shopping and errands, hook up audio-visual and computer equipment, pick up kids from school and do odd jobs too—the kinds of things a handy husband would do,” explains Dick Padgett, owner of Five Star Concierge in San Diego. An engineer by background, Padgett sees his core constituencies as small-business owners, busy couples and elderly people. He’s provided computer training and office set-up for home-based entrepreneurs, ferried patients for doctor’s offices and clients for real-estate agents. He even helped one client set up a marketing program for a business that involved giving massages on a yacht. “If you’re a small-business person earning $100 to $150 an hour, it’s beneficial to pay somebody $30 an hour to take care of the little things that get in the way,” he says. “I know it would’ve been helpful to me when I was working in an office full time.” The range of services varies as much as the background of the concierge offering them, so make sure that prospective providers are comfortable with what you need done. And, Padgett adds, it’s smart to get a personal recommendation. “It’s important to hire someone who is honest and dependable, and to find those qualities, you need a referral.” Cost: Average rates range from $25 to $40 an hour. You’ll pay at the high end if you live in a
major city. A good coach can help you identify what you want, whether it’s to grow your business or find more time for your personal life, says Lois Plowman’s coach, Patricia Antonitis Woods. “The process depends on the coach and on the client, but once you’ve identified what you want, a coach can help you put together a list of goals, put them in a time frame, determine what it would mean to meet those goals and create a plan of execution.” Through scheduled regular consultations, your coach will keep you on track and moving toward your stated goals. Because the vast majority of coaches work with clients over the phone, you’re not limited to those who live nearby. Many coaches specialize in working with people of various professions and interests, so it’s likely you’ll be able to find one knowledgeable about your industry. “I recommend calling a handful of coaches before you select one,” says Woods. “Pay attention to your instincts: you’ll know in your gut which one is best for you.” Cost: Most coaches charge clients a monthly fee, from $200 to $500, which includes a set number of consultations. Tapping Into
Business Services |
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