45 www.printmonthly.co.uk March / April 2023 - Issue 341 that to the experienced production staff we had. Don't try to be something to your business that you’re not. It will only hold you back. business owner. It's tough! You're typically the designer, the production person, the salesperson, the bookkeeper, and the marketer. The key is to recognise when you are at the point of wearing too many hats and get some help. The secret here is to know your own strengths. For me, back in the day, bookkeeping, accounts, office admin, and telesales, were never my forte. I could do them but I never enjoyed them and they were a time sapper. Nowadays there are plenty of options open to us. Virtual Assistants are easily accessible, you can outsource various done-for-you services to lighten your workload. Not getting help soon enough Set goals to know when to hire people to take over where you are light on knowledge or time. Not getting help or waiting too long can kill a business. Most people don't start a business with good all-around business knowledge. I, for example, came from a background in print sales. I could generate print orders with no problem at all but when it came to standing in front of a guillotine, I only had to mess up a print run of business cards once to know I needed to leave Every employee and every department should have a solid blueprint, a checklist, and an ethos to follow that ensures consistency and that everyone is working towards the company's strategic objective INDUSTRY TIPS / THE ONLINE PRINT COACH ► Sinclair McDermott says to ensure you know your own numbers rather than using competitors’ pricings ► Sinclair McDermott warns against not charging for all your time and costs as your business will be the one suffering
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