Prepare Now to Hire Your Dream Team

In part one of this blog series we discussed planning your dream team. If you missed it, read it here.

Create a Profile Sheet for each dream team member

There is another step before actually starting the hiring process. Create a Profile Sheet for each new team member, detailing specific duties you want them to perform.  Be as detailed and specific as possible.  Don’t just put “write copy” beside “Task # 1”; put down “write 2 eBooks, 4 worksheets, 4 checklists and 10 blog posts per month.”
Then write down whether or not you expect the writer to:

• Supply graphics to accompany their written content
• Format copy into HTML or .PDFs

The more specific you are, the better your chances of hiring someone with those exact skills.  If you hire a copywriter and assume she’ll provide graphics or format your content into “camera-ready” format; then .PDF it for you, you may be in for a rude awakening.  A true copywriter often provides only content written in .TXT format. Leaving out details like your formatting expectations provides room for disappointment and frustration on both sides.
Example: Your project is an ebook. Your profile sheet may look like this:

Copy Writer: Write 1 ebook. Topic: Work/Life Balance Minimum Word Count: 3000

Graphic Designer: Create 12 graphics that illustrate the ebook. One should be a cover stating ebook title and author. Return in jpg or png format.

Virtual Assistant: Coordinate work of copywriter and graphic designer to ensure ebook is ready to be distributed by (date). Load final ebook to my website.

Note that this is very simplistic. Your actual profile will have far more detail.

Balance Your Budget

Now that you have a list of positions you need and tasks you want to delegate or outsource, it’s still not the time to look for the perfect personnel to fulfill these mandates. You need to make sure any hiring you do will bring a good, solid return on your investment – and that you can consistently afford to maintain wages or fees.
An independent contractor will most likely be your most cost-effective hiring solution if yours is a small, online service business.  With regular employees, you need to worry about taxes, benefits and government requirements. Also, if you work from a home office, as many entrepreneurs do, it would involve having a place for employees to work. Outsource contractors take care of their own equipment, i.e. computer, supplies, insurance, and taxes.
Take the time to determine the amount you can currently allow to outsourcing or hiring. Be realistic and base your figure on what you can afford right now. This number should not be based on what you think you can pay “when you get X more clients” or sell “Y number of products. Read more on budgeting for outsourcing here. Familiarize yourself with rates for the professionals you have decided you need. (Remember cheaper is often not cheaper!)
With that information in hand, you can determine how much money per month you can allow each team member. Each contractor may have different payment options or policies. Some will be flexible so, if their payment option is not your preferred arrangement, ask them. Depending on the service you will find hourly, per project, monthly and per package rates. With this in mind, determine how much you can afford and what will coincide with your cash flow.
In my next post, I will look at the steps to take to find the right people for your dream team. Have a question? Leave me a comment.