If you’re an entrepreneur who’s thinking about hiring a team, you’ve likely tried to talk yourself out of it at least once by thinking, “I’m the only one who can do this job well,” or “I can’t afford to hire or outsource.” This is a cycle of thinking that many entrepreneurs get stuck in, including me once upon a time!

But 2022 Brandee has a different mindset, and after 15 years of running multiple successful businesses, here is what I have to say in response to those two thoughts:Just because you can do everything, doesn’t mean you should! And, you can’t afford to not hire team members!

In today’s blog post, I’m going to take a deep dive into why hiring team members is the one thing you should do as a wedding planner in 2022, as well as my tips on how to make the right hires without too much overwhelm or doubt.

Why you need to hire team members as a wedding professional

I know it’s hard to ignore that little voice in the back of your mind trying to convince you that you don’t need a team. However, I challenge you to rebuttal those arguments with this idea: you are a CEO. This means an eventual goal of yours should be shifting your focus to working on your business rather than in it.

When you’re stuck in the day-to-day operations of your business, it’s challenging — I would even go as far as to say impossible — to think about growth or the next steps. The consequence of that? Your revenue moving backward.

That’s why I firmly stand behind the idea that the one thing you should do as a wedding planner in 2022 is to make time in your schedule to see your business from above that day-to-day view. As you and your business grow, you need to slowly evolve into the coach instead of the players (and hire players to fill your place!).

Ok, but this is a lot easier said than done, right? In true Brandee fashion, though, I got your back! Here are three of my best tips to help you start making the transition from solopreneur to a thriving team.

Wedding pros in 2022 — you’re ready to achieve a thriving business this year!

Tip 1: Make a not to-do list

Ok, I know this sounds a bit strange and even like a waste of time, but I promise that you’ll gain so much clarity after you make a “not to-do list.”Here’s how it works: grab a sheet of paper and write down every single thing you do every day of the week. (Don’t leave anything off the list!) Then, look at each item and mark every task that you don’t like — you know, the ones that completely suck the joy out of you — as well as the tasks you’re not great at.These are the tasks you’re going to outsource first.Here are some questions to think about as you start making plans to outsource these tasks:

• Can you find an assistant that could start taking on some of these tasks?
• Can you find a company to take some of these on? 
• Can you automate anything you do regularly?

Yes, automation is outsourcing! However you can get these tasks off your plate, you should definitely consider it. Your mental health and motivation will thank you!

Tip 2: Consider what team members you already have that could be given more responsibility

If you already have a team, consider asking them if they’d like to take on any of the responsibilities you’re looking to outsource.When I take the time to ask my staff what they love to do outside their main job, I find it surprising and interesting that they always have some skills, desires, and competencies that I can tap into! Team members usually appreciate this because it gives them a chance to pursue and learn more about an area of your business they’re interested in. Plus, it gives them more buy-in to the success of the business!As I was figuring out what to outsource a few years into my business, I asked myself, “Can one of my team members be in charge of social media? Or sales? Our processes and procedures?” These were the tasks that I felt were dragging me down, and it turns out, I did have some team members that wanted to explore these facets of business more.I promise that if you can tap into their strengths you will see that area of your business soar!

Tip 3: Set aside time each week to work on CEO-focused tasks

Embracing your role as a CEO has always been one of my mantras, but it’s been especially a hot topic lately over on my Instagram and on my podcast since it’s the new year and many entrepreneurs are motivated to learn how to step more out of the day-to-day operations.To set aside time to focus on your CEO responsibilities, I suggest the first step you take is checking in with your team if you have one. See what they need from you for them to succeed in their role. From there, you can strategize your next moves for the month. That includes reviewing your financials to see how you’re coming along in reaching your goals, if you can make new hires, if you can change any of your part-time employees to full-time, if you can outsource, etc.Again, outsourcing, hiring, and promoting to make more time in your schedule to focus on your business as a whole will pay you back in dividends!

Wedding pros in 2022 — you’re ready to achieve a thriving business this year!

That wraps up the most important goal you should be striving for this year as a wedding planner in 2022!

If you’re loving this topic and want to continue the conversation, join me at the Wedding Business CEO Summit on February 21st! My talk is Having 80/20 Vision: Doing more of what you love, less of what you don’t, and we’ll be talking about why outsourcing is so important, how to do it, and what you should be looking for in your hires. Click here to grab your ticket!