I am looking to build a team of web design and I personaly would like to focus on sales and managing the business more than geting involved in all daily tasks (which I do now). I want to grow and have more familly time rather than do all myself.
I cofounded a development agency that's grown to over 150 employees, so I know this topic intimately.
First off, you're on the right track. Even recognizing that you want to get yourself out of the minutiae puts you way above most founders. What you need to do is learn to delegate. The trouble is, that's a lot harder than it sounds.
It sounds like right now you're wrapped up in doing a lot of daily tasks. That's a natural impulse for a founder – after all, you want things to be done right.
But here's an exercise I'd recommend: make a list of every single task you have to get done within the course of a day. Everything on your to-do list. Then, circle every item on the list that only you are capable of doing – so only circle the items that no other person could do.
Chances are, you'll circle very few, if any tasks. Now for all the items that aren't circled, write the names of anyone else who could do the task next to it. Then, pick a person and delegate each task. It's that simple!
Delegation is hard at first, but it's vital if you want to grow. Once you free yourself from minute detail work, you're free to think and act like an agency head and see the bigger picture.
It's amazing how much clearer things get when you can give yourself more room to breathe. Trust me, you'll thank yourself for it.
I think Ben gave very useful advice. Identifying your task list is what I recommend to anyone in your shoes. I would just add that it may not be possible or the best idea to delegate within your existing team of developers. Instead you may want to ask what tasks from your day-to-day are the ones that you provide the most value to (or what you want to be doing). Bringing someone in to help manage your growing overhead may be worth considering.
If you aren't at the point that you want to bring someone in, you may also want to try adopting some team management techniques from an agile methodology. This could provide a huge benefit by allowing a huge portion of daily tasks to be team driven. You can step back and just focus on the product backlog prioritization and maximizing value.
Running a web design firm is like running a tight ship. There are processes in place that you have to strictly follow to ensure that you grow. Every single day can be an uphill battle, what with all the leads, sales, and marketing that you have to do, and all other things that need your time and attention. Luckily, there are tools out in the market that can help lighten your burden a little bit.
Here are a list of tools that can help you with your web design business:
Internal communication is an important aspect of a team. A crystal clear communication helps you move forward and attain your goals together. Slack is a reliable tool for your team's internal communication.
Productized Web Design Business Vault for finding high volumes of potential audiences in a given niche. If you are looking to get some traction and more contact, this tool is a good to use.
Process Street can house all kinds of documentation processes that you have going in your company. A paperless way of keeping all kinds of information. It can also double as a checklist and automate your simple workflows.
Google Docs for creating documents and real-time collaboration within the team.
Use OffSprout in building your client website since it is particularly created for Web Design businesses. A good client relation is very important in a lot of things, and a high churn rate will impact your business negatively.
CallRail is a good tool to keep track of your call leads and know from what location they keep coming so you can exploit the opportunity to grow your business.
PipeDrive is a good tool for managing your sales and customers from one stage to the next. It also has a Slack integration that makes it even handier.
HelpScout is a good tool for mapping out your clients' tickets and keep track of them.
use Xero for your accounting concerns and keep track of your cash flow.
Gusto makes your payroll process easier so you can better take care of your employees.
Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.
When business is run by designers and programmers, they are the most powerful experts in the company. As a result, all tasks are closed to them, everyone runs to them for advice. And then you do anything but business, strategy and development. The leader should be primarily a good manager. Learn how to delegate responsibility and build autonomous structures within the company - departments that operate on their own, without your constant participation and control. And for this you will need people who need to be taught everything and actually entrust the company to them.
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