Most business owners start their business with a dream of having more freedom and flexibility. But all too often, they end up stuck on a hamster wheel, doing everything themselves, working long hours and still struggling to make ends meet.
The truth is, if you want to grow and be profitable, you can’t do it alone. You have to start hiring other people to take on the jobs you don’t have time for. So, how do you achieve this in a cost-effective, efficient way? Start by looking offshore.
Business Blueprint’s many members have transformed their profits by learning the right way to hire and empower a virtual team.
These business owners access exclusive training from our founder and virtual team growth expert Dale Beaumont. Take a look at the highlights from his most recent Virtual Team Success Deep Dive.
Why Business Owners Hold Back
It takes time to accept that investing in other people is the way forward in business. Some of the common concerns and excuses include:
- It will take so long to train someone, I may as well just do it myself
- I won’t have control or visibility on what’s happening in the business
- Nobody will care about my business the way I do
- Nobody can do it as well as I can
These fears are understandable, but they’re also limiting. If you keep these excuses in your head, you’ll be in the exact same spot a year from now.
By trying to do everything yourself and working to perfect your own performance across every area of your business, you’re not only slowing your own progress—you’re missing out on the freedom and growth that comes from learning to let go and delegate.
Start Small, Then Build
Dale’s own journey to build a virtual team began over 13 years ago with a single assistant in the Philippines. Fast-forward a decade or so and he now has a team of over 30 remote staff operating across various departments, from admin and marketing to tech support and video editing.
Many of these team members have worked with Dale for more than five years, developing an in-depth understanding of the business and knowing instinctively how to uphold its high standards.
The first step to build your team is to identify the tasks you no longer want to do yourself everyday and find someone to take them off your plate. To get started, write a list of everything you do, then figure out which tasks can be outsourced. You might be surprised at how many small jobs can be taken on by somebody else.
The Ideal Setup for a Virtual Team
Dale recommends a three-part mode to grow your team:
- You, the business owner,
- A personal assistant, and
- Specialists for specific tasks.
This lean structure lets you stay focused on strategy while your assistant manages admin and coordinates with specialists. As Dale explains, “You don’t need a giant team, you need a smart structure and good systems.”
If you’re nervous about hiring people full time, start by connecting with freelancers. Once you have enough tasks to fill up an entire week, you’re ready to hire.
Document & Systemise Everything
One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when building a virtual team is expecting new hires to read their minds. Dale emphasised the power of documenting instructions and creating systems, using a combination of screen recordings, process maps, written instruction, and checklists. Tools like Loom, Google Docs, and 500 Systems make it easy to transfer knowledge once and then delegate confidently.
Onboarding needs to be gradual, and every new team member should be able to access a library of training that is tailored to their role. This requires some upfront investment but will help them to work more independently, sooner.
Culture Still Matters
Just because your team is virtual doesn’t mean you don’t need to establish a positive and safe culture.The Business Blueprint team uses group chats for daily check-ins, shout-outs for wins, and even informal virtual catchups to build rapport. Clear KPIs, regular meetings and weekly reports help everyone to stay accountable and connected.
Leadership is about clarity, trust and support, and you’ll never get the team you want unless you become the leader they need. It’s another step-change in mindset, but if you want the profits that come with a successful business, you have to start seeing yourself as the visionary, not the technician.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Building a team to help you achieve your ultimate vision for your business won’t be a linear process and there will be setbacks and lessons to learn along the way. However, for each person you introduce, you’ll take another job off your own plate, so you can focus on the tasks that help you grow and succeed.
Instead of coming up with excuses, think about the following:
- How much more would you achieve if you had four more hours in your day?
- What would your business look like if marketing, diary management, admin and customer care took place without you having to think about it?
- What would your life look like if you could take a week off and the business would continue to make money?
The biggest regret Business Blueprint members come to Dale with is that they didn’t start building their team sooner! For more information about how to get started, check out our Virtual Team Success Training for yourself.
About Business Blueprint
The World’s #1 Business Program
Business Blueprint brings members the latest techniques and strategies to take control of their marketing, build better foundations and achieve the growth they are dreaming of.
If you’re tired of the business owner hamster wheel and sick of spending every day putting out spot fires, sign up for personal support, group accountability and access to the strategies that will maximise your profits and free you from the daily grind.
Membership includes:
- In-person conferences
- Weekly workshops (including AI news and training)
- Access to a library of over 1000 training videos (check out some samples here)
- Accountability groups
- One-on-one coaching calls
Want to know more? Book a call with a member of our team today.
