In a frustrating situation!

[thekitchendesigner]

I've now got to the stage where i need to take my business a few steps further.

Workload has been manic and there are several substantial opportunities on the table. Trouble is its too much for just me to take on alone!

So i've chatted to my accountant about something similar to a franchise, in order for me to take on a designer or two to help move things forwards. The setup will be great and quite unique, but...

I just cant find enough time to a) think it through more thoroughly b) get things setup and moving and c) find the designers to make it work!

its soooo frustrating - because there is so much work on (which is why i need these designers) i cant spare enough time to do anything about it! Its been buzzing round in my head for ages.

I'm sure many of you have been in similar situations, and if so have you got any advice on how to manage a situation like this?

I'm worried if it doesnt happen soon i might risk losing work and upsetting existing clients, but the setup is not something to be rushed.

Any ideas!

Cheers

[cqueen]

I don't know how to advise you but, hey, look on the bright side! your business is doing great!

[VeryMark]

My advice, Mark, would be to figure out first what admin/routine work you can delegate and hire someone to do it - the time you'll save and the work you'll be able to do in consequence will far outweight the cost involved.

[Cornish Steve]

Ithere are several substantial opportunities on the table. Trouble is its too much for just me to take on alone!
Also, you should think seriously about taking one or more opportunities off the table. Focus on the ones that are most beneficial for the long term, do an excellent job, and grow from there. Companies can get into a lot of trouble by trying to take on too much, doing a poor job, and losing it all.

[cjd]

This is actually the hardest step to take - people think it's starting out but it's not; it's hiring your first employee. It's hard because you can't really afford it and you have to give something up to do it. It's also a big risk.

But it's the only way you can get bigger. If there's good business there then do it.

(I don't like the franchise thing.)

[KM-Tiger]

...... hiring your first employee. It's hard......
Someone (Steve Roberts?) said here that he had built his business by only hiring people that were better than him.

I think he is dead right, but that really is hard, both to find them and to bite the bullet and take them on.

[thekitchendesigner]

Hi all and thanks for the replies so far! (Just as a note, my clients are B2B, with me designing for showrooms & studios)

cqueen: thank you!

Crossguard: invoicing is one admin task that i think i could certainly ask someone to do. I take too long to send them at present (due to the situation) and it does take time on doing them.

Steve: I think you may be right. Thinking on this, there may be 1 or 2 opportunities that i should say 'sorry, not at this time' to. In my opinion my regular existing clients are tooimportant to risk losing, and like you say, its more beneficial to do an excellent job for them! One company had several weeks almost full time work to be had, but part of the work was using their in house pricing system which i would need to be trained on - its too risky to neglect others, and i dont think there would be much there long term!

cjd: oh yes! i've proved that what i've set up works (B2B kitchen design) and there are many many more clients and good business out there to be had. But not with me on my own!

The way in which i'll hire these designers is by way of them renting a licence to do work under my business name, with me supplying software (which is sooooo expensive when starting out), and other essentials. Its the only way of me having control and it allows me to keep costs under control - its close to a franchise but not a franchise!

Kent: You are right - freelance designers (good ones) are very hard to come across, but amongst these i hope to find some that want to go freelance, which is why my licence setup will be beneficial in encouraging people to do so, without struggling for work and high stratup costs.

I have 2 designers i'm in touch with at the moment - one of which had his own showroom/franchise and has just shut up shop. He's very keen! But then it goes back to finding enough time to vet him and talk more to him.

Thanks again for all your replies, would be good to hear some more replies as these have been helpful!.

Cheers

[Coding Monkey]

Funny you mention this, the same problem has occured to me over the last week. Problem is that by the time I begin to advertise employing someone, it will take about a month to find them (trust me, I've got friends who work for design companies that interview people and the portfolios that come in are bloody awful), and then to find the right person, they will more than likely be in a job, so have to hand in their notice and wait about 4 weeks to leave. You then have sick pay, holiday pay, employees tax and other things I probably have no clue about, but my accountant will grind into me.

I'm going to look at May, if it carries on as it is, just employ someone. My concern isn't not being able to pay them, it's not having enough work on so they get bored and demoralised. I've kept toward my targets this year and it so far hasn't been a problem - in fact, it's exceeded them in the last 2 months, through purely word of mouth - but I know it can all suddenly go wrong.

[thekitchendesigner]

My concern isn't not being able to pay them, it's not having enough work on so they get bored and demoralised. I've kept toward my targets this year and it so far hasn't been a problem - in fact, it's exceeded them in the last 2 months, through purely word of mouth - but I know it can all suddenly go wrong.

Very similar to me! Luckily, i've had no need to advertise, but i do want to - though its pointless until i have designers!

A good friend of mine, and my ex-boss (who taught me most of what i know) is keen to go it alone (and already is selling a few kitchens alone), and would be perfect for my setup - trouble is there's something holding him back and he wont leave his f/t job. Very frustrating knowing there's someone there to help but cant give enough of his time!

I too worry about having not enough work, which is one of the reasons for the setup i have chosen. I've tried to make sure that as well as the B2B design, i can offer selling of my own kitchens, and one or two other offerings so that if one area is slow, others may not! But overall they will be freelance.

[Coding Monkey]

Again, similar to me. The current designer is absolutely fantastic - and would definitely be my main preference as finding someone as good isn't going to be that easy - but he can't move house to come work full time. I've spent no money at all this year on advertising, and recommendations are the only way business comes in, to the extent that it's actually too much work. Always a positive sign. So, I can only look on the positive of the first 4 months and have money set aside for a large advertising campaign if it suddenly goes quiet. I'm just going to look at the first few weeks of May (yet already have 6 contracts to sort out) and then decide whether to proceed with the fulltime designer route. It will also be a lot cheaper to employ someone fulltime.

You seem to be like me and have taken toward the high-end market, so my major concern is about finding the right designer to replace the existing one. If the standard drops, Coding Monkeys loses what makes it unique in the first place.

[DuaneJackson]

Crossguard: invoicing is one admin task that i think i could certainly ask someone to do. I take too long to send them at present (due to the situation) and it does take time on doing them.

Sorry, I know this is a blatant pug, but....

Invoicing and all the associated paperwork was one of the first things we identified as being something we could delegate. Because we use KashFlow we were able to employ a relatively cheap school leaver to do this - much cheaper than a book keeper! That was over a year ago and she's proved to be a real asset and now does all sorts of other admin stuff. I'd be lost without her now.

[thekitchendesigner]

Tom: are you sure you're not me?! Seems like we have identical situations! totally agree with your last paragraph.

Duane: i did sign up for your free trial, but, you guessed it, didnt have time to get to know it and use it and before i knew it my trial was up! My other half is very admin orientated and i think i may ask her to help out, maybe with Kashflow!?!?

Mark

[DuaneJackson]

Feel free to sign up for another trial MArk, let me know if you or your other half have any questions about it.

Good luck getting your situation sorted.

[thekitchendesigner]

Thanks Duane.

I shall most probably do that and hopefully get to know it this time (with some help)

Cheers

Mark