APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions, plus try our money-saving tips.
Here she gives advice to a self-employed domestic cleaner who wants to expand her business.
Q) I’m a self-employed domestic cleaner and I really want to expand by getting a team together, so that I can earn some good money.
However, I’m mum to a demanding five year old, and am at a loss as to how to actually move my business forward and give it that boost.
Do you have any tips?
Kay, via email
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I’m 32 and still don’t feel like I’ve found my dream job – is it too late?
A) Expanding a business while being a parent can be challenging, but it is doable with some planning and effort.
If you haven’t already done so, develop a business plan.
This will help you to focus on your goals, what you need to do to achieve them, plus identify potential challenges and how to overcome them.
When hiring a team, you need to make sure that you are employing people who share your work ethic and are reliable.
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Then it’s important to train them properly.
Make sure they understand the quality of work you expect and the importance of professionalism when dealing with clients.
As a business owner, it can be tempting to try to do everything yourself, but this is not sustainable.
Delegate tasks to your team so you can free up time to focus on growing your business.
Attend local events to connect with other business owners and potential clients, and join online groups and participate in discussions – you never know where your next opportunity might come from.
There are online tools and apps that can help you to streamline your processes, such as scheduling software and invoicing tools.
It’s also important to be flexible and adaptable – you may need to adjust your schedule or make changes to your plan as your family’s needs change.
Growing a business takes time and determination, so be patient, resilient and stay focused on your goals.
- Got a careers question for Karren? Email [email protected].
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