Читать книгу Start & Run a Graphic Design Business - Michael Huggins - Страница 15

The other possibility for your business is to eventually have others working for you. Hiring people gives you the support you need in areas in which your skills are weak, need more support, or you have no interest in doing certain work. This leaves you with another decision. How will you bring on new people? Will you hire full-time employees or will you hire freelancers? Should you hire freelancers by the hour or on contract? The choice is up to you depending on the flexibility and security you want. Hiring freelancers hour by hour can be cheaper, but you won’t always be able to access the people you need when you need them. Contracting gives you a little more security, but may cost you if your business suddenly slows, because you will still need to pay them.

Whichever way you choose to hire someone, it’s a great way to lighten the load. However, don’t overlook the responsibility you will have of managing the people you hire. Very few people you hire will be “plug-and-play.” Even an experienced freelancer will need your direction, guidance, and supervision. As the business owner, you are responsible for delegating work and outlining the roles of others within your company. This can be time consuming and challenging, but the payoffs are huge. Building a team of highly qualified people is not only a rewarding experience, it’s liberating to you and your lifestyle. Once your team is working well, you will have more freedom to pursue other things without being tied to your desk.

Still, having employees can carry with it the stress of the additional income that’s required to pay your new people. If they’re doing the work in the office, you’ll need to make sure you’re connecting with clients to keep the work flowing. That pales by comparison to the bright side — now you have the capacity to do more work and make more money. (For more information on hiring freelancers and in-house employees, see the Appendixes.)

I decided very early that I would eventually hire people to help with the workload. I like the freedom and flexibility I get from having others contribute work. Some days it can be a little challenging to manage, but it’s worth it.