Collaboration with the Collective in Heart Centered Entrepreneurship
As business owners, it’s common to feel the weight of having to know everything and do it all well. Though we feel called to start our business from our passion and purpose, we may not immediately have the capital to invest in staffing, employees, or subcontractors. Instead, we feel like we have no choice but to do it all. However, when entrepreneurs wear too many hats, we become stretched thin, frustrated, annoyed, and overwhelmed. If we don’t take steps to relieve the pressure, we can quickly become burned out.
The best news is that we don’t always need financial capital to be able to find economical ways to delegate duties within our business. There are creative business and compensation models that can support your heart as the business owner, create work opportunities with someone else’s areas of strength, and in turn increase community reach and profit of your business.
Let’s take a look at the importance of people, process and physical environment. And how taking stock of these areas in your business can cultivate ease, clarity and vibrancy.
The 3 P’s of Service
People: Who provides products and services to customers? In most cases, it's people. The quality of product or service being provided by a company's people largely contributes to the customer's overall experience. This is why many product- and service-based businesses view their staff, employees or subcontractors as a valuable investment.
Process: For every product and service-based business, there is a process that happens behind the scenes to make that product or service possible. Your processes contribute to the overall experience you offer and are also a great way to differentiate yourself from the competition. What do your processes look like, and how do they make you unique? Does it make your product or service more punctual than the competition? More affordable? More memorable? More reliable?
Physical Environment: Since services are intangible, businesses often make up for this by putting additional effort into the physical environment where the product or service is being offered. Basically, the physical environment is the appearance and overall vibe of the area where the product service is received. Are you an online business - a common pivot for many entrepreneurs during the pandemic? What messages are being conveyed through your email communications, website design, and online platforms (social media, e-newsletter, blogging, etc.)?
Evaluate Opportunities for Collaboration
Once you have answered these questions, you’ll have a good idea of where the gaps are, what you need help with, and what you feel comfortable delegating.
It’s important to build this foundation intentionally so that you continue to feel your customers are still getting the best overall experience and that each collaboration stays true to your values and brand.
One of the exciting benefits of collaboration is the opportunity for multiple, diverse points of view. Other people that you work with will see things differently, ask different questions and come up with different solutions. Collaboration provides you with the opportunity to be inspired by all the suggestions and create the path that is the best fit for your business vision and goals.
The Collective Way Forward
Moving forward, we can develop your dream team in a way that maximizes your true strengths, mend the “cracks” in your business, increase profit and productivity, and provide the opportunity to be of loving service to your community. Team members may take the form of colleagues directly within your field, coaches and mentors, accounts managers, social media and marketing coordinators, copy editors, office managers, assistants, and more!
Connect with Costron + Co at hello@costronco.com for a complimentary consult. To learn more about how your heart centered business can lean into collaborative models with staffing, employees and subcontractors.
You deserve clarity, confidence and calm within your heart centered business.
