Rachel returns from her hiatus and kicks-off season two by interviewing Annie Singer, founder of Reciple, the first ad-free recipe platform that is equitable for small creators. Listen to Annie tell Rachel why she should have waited before jumping into outsourcing too early in her business, and how having a standard operating procedure for outsourcing is best practice.
Annie learned that she should have identified what she wanted from outsourcing and the best course of action to achieve it before turning to help outside her business. Annie offers the sage wisdom of “slowing down to speed up” when starting a business. For Annie, creating an SOP that told the assistant what to do and how to do it was a vital part of getting the desired results. Annie also stresses the importance of building a close relationship and trust with an assistant. Rachel and Annie then discuss the value of collaboration between the business owner and the assistant, and how the best relationship and the ideal path to growth—what Annie calls “the perfect recipe”—is when there is a two-way street where both are open to giving and receiving constructive feedback. Annie and Rachel agree that one goal when hiring a virtual assistant is to find a trustworthy expert in the area where you as the business owner are lacking, someone who will eventually have a stake in the success and growth of the company. Despite her shaky introduction to outsourcing, Annie lets Rachel know that once she found what works for her situation, outsourcing has truly changed things for the better, as it has allowed her to return to the things she’s most passionate about, in work and life.
As a business owner, take some time to think about what you want from outsourcing before you turn to help outside your business. By doing so, you can avoid some common pitfalls associated with outsourcing and ensure that your business runs smoothly. Thanks for listening, and be sure to check back next week for another episode of Rachel’s interview series!
Opinion: This was a great kickoff to our season of interviews! As a business owner, it’s important to remember that not everything needs to be done by you. By outsourcing specific tasks, you can focus on the things you’re good at and grow your business more efficiently. However, before jumping in, take some time to think about what you want from outsourcing. By doing so, you can avoid some common pitfalls associated with outsourcing and ensure that your business runs smoothly. Thanks for sharing this advice, Annie!
Thanks for listening, and be sure to check back next week for another episode of Rachel’s interview series!
