Running your own business is by no means an easy feat. And, as an entrepreneur, you may be tempted to try to do it all yourself. You may think you could save money in the long run, but this is simply not the case.
As a business owner, you have a lot on your plate. From finances to marketing and everything in between, it’s impossible to run your business effectively without help.
That’s why our advice for small- to medium-sized businesses is to hire a Chief of Operations (COO – sometimes referred to as an operations manager or a head of operations).
A COO is your second-in-command. They usually have strong backgrounds in managing full operations for companies, from people operations to project management. Here are some top reasons why you should hire an operations manager for your start-up.
They help you focus on what’s most important
Everyday admin and tedious tasks can be a real time suck. Focusing on these smaller details can truly get in the way of you handling more important aspects of your business, like growth and innovation.
Having a reliable COO to back you up can help free up your time to focus on what’s most important. They’ll ensure that all the tasks within your company are being done on time and as planned.
They help boost business efficiency
Running daily operations isn’t the only responsibility your COO will tackle. They’re also responsible for deeply analysing your business to help identify gaps in your resources; processes that could be improved; and time sinks in your daily operations.
Having more information and clarity on these aspects can help you make decisions that will benefit your business in the long run. And, as you can imagine, being a more efficient business means saving money.
When hired first, they set the pace and tone for your business
Our recommendation is that your operations manager should be your very first hire when you start your business.
Rather than hiring several employees and expecting them to fulfil multiple functions – which generally is what happens in the first few years of a start-up – hire one manager to oversee the aspects of your business that matter most.
Your COO can identify what talent you need to hire to make your business scale. They can also help you source that talent by managing your recruitment process.
Lastly, hiring an exceptional ops manager sets the tone and pace for the remainder of your early growth period. When new employees start at your business and are managed by your COO, they’ll know what is required of them and how they can best deliver.
They provide support when you need it
When systems fail, and technology lets you down, it can take endless hours, energy, and budget to deal with the situation. Your skilled operations manager is there to provide support in these situations and to find the best possible solution in the quickest time.
This is certainly not an exhaustive list of the benefits of hiring an operations manager for your start-up. However, we hope you now see the value in hiring one.
Did you know that a virtual or executive assistant can help you manage your operations and keep things running smoothly? Visit our website to find out more.
