Starting A Business? You Need A Job Description.

You’re launching a startup business. Starting out in the Big Wide World as a business owner or self-employed. Why on earth should you write a job description?

Yes, I know you’re going to be the Boss. For perhaps the first time in your life you get to choose what you want to do. There’s no parent saying you should do this, no teacher bossing you around at school, and no-one is telling you what to do in your job.

There’s just you.

And that’s the whole point. There’s only you. At least to begin with. Whatever job needs doing, you’ll be the one doing it. If you open a cafe, you’ll be the one making the cakes, pouring the coffee, washing up the plates and putting the bin out.

That’s why you need a job description.

But I’ll have staff to do most of those things!

Well, maybe.

What about the days when they phone in sick? Or the time when you hit a quiet spell and can only afford to pay yourself. Then there’s the time when you’re really busy and can’t get anyone to help out (on the Sunday just before Christmas).

This is why you need to write your job description. Sit yourself down with a coffee, glass of wine (whatever your poison is) and think long and hard about what you’ll be doing for the next 3, 5, 10 years.

That’s why your business has to be your passion. Because when the buck stops, you’ll be the one working late, locking up, opening early.

There are some parts of the business it’s easy to palm off on other people. If you hate sums, get a bookkeeper and rely on your accountant. You can take on staff to run the day to day side of your business.

But making sure your business is open when it needs to be is down to you. Bringing in sales is down to you. Making sure that everything that needs to be done is being done is down to you.

I ran a 7 figure bricks & clicks business for 12 years. At one point I had 10 staff. I completely delegated the day to day running of the business. I still worked a lot of Saturdays. In-store selling to customers.

It’s your business, it’s your passion, it’s down to you.

Originally published at simplyhatch.com on October 29, 2018.