Today I’m sharing how to determine who to hire first. Either in your business or in your life, to move you closer to your goals. And I’m looking at this in a unique way.

If you’re starting a clothing line, you’re probably looking for a definitive answer like, hire a designer first then a product developer then an e commerce manager. But canned answers like that really aren’t going to move your business forward.

They may be good in theory. But, I’m here to give you practical recommendations that are going to work for your specific business and ultimately your life.

Today’s topic is really for anyone feeling the overwhelm. The overwhelm of too many things to get done in your business, the overwhelm of doing things you hate, the overwhelm of not having enough time to focus on your business, because the rest of your life is busy.

My personal story about asking for help

Look, I know I can be hard to ask for help. This is one of my biggest personal struggles.

I was raised by a single mom that did it ALL. While raising three kids on her own, she put herself through law school and worked graveyard shifts to help pay the bills.

My mom is tough. She doesn’t complain and she brought me up to be a fiercely independent girl that learned how important it was for women to be self sufficient.

And I am so thankful. It has given me the courage and strength to stand up for what I believe in, nurture relationships in my life that truly light me up and pursue my dreams without a fear that I’m not enough.

But it has also given me the false illusion that I can do it ALL, all by myself. But knowing this, and truly understanding where it comes from, helps me see the opportunity that I have.

So I’m working on it. I’m identifying opportunities where I need help and bringing in the experts. Because, imagine how much more fierce we could all be with a little help?

So let’s get to it. Here is my strategy for determining where to hire help in your life and your business.

Consider this, everything in your life can be graded

• Is it something you’re interested in or not?
• Is your ability low or high?

Consider each of the things that you are responsible for in your business and your life. How you would plot them out?

Designing your product?

You may be very interested but have a low level of ability.

Creating technical sketches?

You may be very skilled at this but not interested in doing it.

Cleaning the house?

I don’t know about you but I’m not great at it and I’m not particularly interested in doing it. Low ability, low skill.

Take the time to plot out each of your responsibilities on the grid. You can grab a copy here.

Which segment does each responsibility fall in? 

Which of the segments each responsibility falls in can give you information on what to keep and what to outsource.

Low Interest

Responsibilities that fall in the bottom half of the grid should be the first things that you consider hiring help for.

Items in the bottom left segment (low interest and low ability) are the easiest to outsource. You’re not good at it and you don’t like doing it. Get help quick!

Items in the bottom right segment (low interest and high ability) can also be a great option for outsourcing. If someone can do the job faster or cheaper than you, get some help.

High Interest 

Responsibilities that fall in the top half of the grid will need more consideration.

Items in the top left may be things you’re excited to learn about but you don’t have a lot of ability in, yet. This is where I would suggest looking at course, coaches and mentors to help you learn the skills you need faster.

Items in the top right segment are probably the trickiest. These are things that you love doing and that you’re great at. The question is.

Are you going to be able to achieve your goals by doing this work yourself?

If the answer is yes, get working. If the answer is no. It’s time to get uncomfortable and start hiring some help in this area to free you up to reach your goals.

This visual really sums up the big picture.

Do the work  

Now, if you want to do the exercise for yourself, you can download a workbook that walks you through this concept and gives you some ideas of the SPECIFIC responsibilities that need to be managed when you’re starting a clothing line.

Plot them out on the grid and see where you are going to need help as you get ready to launch.