You’ve probably heard of the term “digital nomad”. Those who work remotely for themselves while traveling the world. They have a lot of freedom, which can actually be quite lonely at times. As much as they love their independence, they also yearn for that companionship that only a business partner or a good friend can offer. They crave authentic relationships that can only be entered into online. Unfortunately, digital nomads are in the minority. Most of us will be working for someone else by the time we’re 50. That’s what usually constitutes a real career change. It usually happens after you’ve been doing the same thing for a while, hoping that one day you’ll somehow get promoted or that your career will take some sort of interesting turn. That’s probably why so many of us end up working through issues from our past. We’re too afraid that this is as good as it gets, and we don’t want to miss out on the magical career that our parents, teachers, and neighbors always told us about. This is a problem because, as much as we want to succeed in this new world of ours, we still need help from those who know us best. Our issues from the past can get in the way of learning how to be successful in business. We need to learn to conquer our problems, not run from or avoid them.
Your History Is Your Future
Your history is your future. It’s something that your parents, teachers, and coaches always told you. Maybe at first it was just something that you had to learn to believe. You wake up one morning, and without even wanting to, you find yourself in a rut. You don’t feel creative, and you hate coming up with ideas because you always think someone else has already thought of them. Before you know it, you find yourself going through the motions without even really enjoying it. That’s why we need to believe in ourselves more. We need to realize that no matter what happened, we are still valuable as people and can still make a positive impact on those around us. This is especially important if we want to grow our businesses. We need to find ways to overcome our issues, prove our worth, and be the best version of ourselves that we can be. Sometimes this can mean convincing ourselves that we’re capable of something that we’ve never believed in ourselves before. We need to find a way to combat our doubts. We need to find a way to make our history matter.
The Rise Of The Virtual Assistant
If you follow me on social media, you’ll know that I’m a big proponent of intelligent automation and using various platforms, such as HubSpot and Google Sheets, to manage your workload, so that you can focus on the things that matter most to you. One of the things that I like most about the virtual assistant wave is how accessible it makes so many jobs available to so many people. A lot of jobs that only a few companies could typically afford to offer, such as legal services, can now be performed by someone whose only requirement is a decent microphone and a fast broadband connection. Suddenly, anyone can become a lawyer. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lot of grunt work that needs to be done behind the scenes, but at least it doesn’t require any specific training anymore. This brings us to our next point.
Job Demographics
It’s no secret that the demographics of people working remotely is trending towards more females than males. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 75.8% of the American workforce will be working remotely by the year 2022.
Also, 59% of American workers will be working remotely at least occasionally, which is more than the 48% of American workers who telecommute regularly. So if you’re worried about finding employees for your growing business, there’s definitely a niche for you. You just have to make sure that you offer a great benefit package, because, as we’ve established, a lot of these employees will be commuting from home, which means that traffic and pollution concerns are a big issue. You may also have to set some firm hiring guidelines, because a lot of the millennials who were brought up in the digital age appreciate getting a taste of what it’s like to work for a smaller business. They don’t necessarily want to work for a huge corporation, which could be a problem if you don’t happen to be a shareholder. Finally, make sure that you establish clear expectations, because a lot of remote workers don’t necessarily fit into the traditional boss-employee paradigm. You’ll have to learn to be more flexible.
Outsourcing
One of the things that differentiates humans from animals is that animals are meant to be physical while humans are meant to be mental, and that’s a beautiful thing. When you outsource, you’re getting a service provider to do something for you that you wouldn’t have the time to do yourself. Depending on what you need, this can be a great solution. You can’t manage every little detail of your business by yourself. It’s simply not possible. Plus, what happens if you make a mistake? Who’s going to fix it? You or someone else? You can’t be expected to have the answers to these questions. Outsourcing is about utilizing the talents and resources of others to help you achieve your goals. This can be a great way to get things done. It also makes things more convenient for the customer because all they have to do is pick up the phone and make a call, instead of searching for an employee of yours who happens to be in another city, or worse, country. If you’ve found an external resource that can provide you with quality service at a lower price, then you’ve found a deal that could save you a significant amount of money in the long term. Don’t be afraid to outsource. It’s not a sign of weakness, it’s actually a sign of strength.
Flexibility
Flexibility can be a tricky word, and for good reason. It often gets thrown around as a term that means something is negotiable, or can be changed, or that one of the parties has more power than the other. The fact is, flexibility is often a 2-way street, and it requires the willingness of both parties to bend, and not break, the rules. I think that’s why most of us have a hard time accepting flexibility. We don’t see it as an advantageous trait, we see it as a sign of weakness. The truth is, flexibility can be a real strength when used properly. We need to stop seeing it as a weakness and start seeing it as a merit that can be used to our advantage. We have a tendency to want things to be fixed and to want control. This is often the cause of many of our problems. When you’re working with a flexible employee or contractor, you’re allowing them to have some control over their work schedule, which can reduce stress and promote productivity. It also means that if one person is more than capable of handling a task, then there’s no reason for you to take it on yourself simply because you can. We need to stop doing this. We need to start relying more on each other and less on ourselves when it comes to getting things done. This will help us to become more productive and ultimately make us stronger.
Accountability
Accountability is another term that can be difficult to put into practice, but once you do, it can change your life for the better. When you establish clear accountabilÂity between your employees, you’re allowing them to feel that they’re responsible for the success of your business, which can boost their confidence and allow them to become even more productive. This is why most high-quality businesses, from small to medium size, have adopted some form of employee engagement program, where they recognize and reward employee effort, innovation, and professionalism. The fact is, when you have a clear understanding of what your employees are responsible for, you can hold them more accountable. This leads to more productive employees, which in turn, means that you can get more done in less time. It also means that you can rely on fewer people, which is both cost- and time-efficient. You’ll also notice that most high-quality businesses, from small to medium size, have very high standards when it comes to the people they employ, so they can ensure that they have the right people for the right jobs. If you want to grow your business successfully, start by hiring good employees, and then make sure you hold them accountable for getting the job done.