Phoebe Oates, a graduate of Troy University, is the owner of Hands Free Hosting, a full-service Airbnb management and cleaning company. With listings from MidTown Columbus to Lake Harding, Phoebe and Hands Free Hosting are taking the community by a storm, one five-star review at a time. In addition to Hands Free Hosting, Phoebe owns and manages Phoenix Renovations, a contracting and renovation company, and sells at least two ‘flipped’ houses each year. Phoebe has a third startup in the works, a bike-share company that she hopes to grow in Uptown Columbus. In her free time, she enjoys walks along the RiverWalk with her dog Gypsy.
Last week, StartUP Columbus spoke with Phoebe on Instagram Live, and the conversation was fantastic! If you missed it, tune in here. In addition to our chat with Phoebe, she shared her list of the top four things to remember when managing multiple businesses.
Know when to ask for help. Don’t procrastinate.
Entrepreneurs always find themselves wearing multiple hats throughout the startup journey. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to know when to ask for help. Do everything you can not to procrastinate with tasks that seem daunting because you’re stretched too thin. Every day, I make a list of my running thoughts so I can keep an inventory of all the tabs open in my brain. From those thoughts, I make a prioritized list. When I come across tasks that I can’t undertake because of my workload, I know it’s time to reach out to my team for help.
Delegation is the key. Give others a chance so there can be growth in the company.
When I first started my entrepreneurial journey, I was hesitant to delegate important tasks. I’ve learned that trusting your team and feeling secure and organized enough to delegate the responsibility takes time. Pace yourself. Be patient with the tedious things. And always, always take time to efficiently train your whole team.
Know when it’s time to walk away, take a loss, or cut the cord in bad situations.
Some of the most valuable advice I can give is to keep your mind on your bottom line. Getting your startup organized and knowing what does and what does not work for your team takes time, but it is worth it. Sometimes, taking certain losses can mean propelling your success in the long run
Validate everyone.
Applaud the small things! Nothing great can be achieved without first celebrating a series of small successes. Ask your team for feedback. Change your strategy (sometimes!) and set goals from that feedback. Make sure your team knows that you value their insight, and always keep an open line of communication.
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