“Man I’m so stressed! There’s so much to do!” hissed the Snake. “I think that I’m just going to hire a virtual assistant” said the Snake to his BNI group, between “payroll, running the business, marketing the business, sales, finances, managing employees, I just don’t seem to have time for anything.” The Dog, the founder of the group said, “Hold up while you might think that it’s a lot, you should hold off on outsourcing too early before you get a viable business model that you know works and can generate money for you.”
Lesson: This lesson is from the Teach a CEO post “Outsourcing & Virtual Assistants – the real story”. Carlo Pandian wrote, “The truth is that, as much as it may be tempting to outsource everything from day one, it does mean that your fragile new business is dependent on the efficiency of others – and that could very easily go wrong. It also eats into the start-up fund and those all-important initial profits. In the first few months you may only make a very small profit (if any profit at all!), and paying out for outsourcing services or virtual assistants could wipe out that tiny margin completely. So the first piece of advice is at this early stage in your business’s life – do as much as you can yourself.”
Gresham W. Harkless Jr.https://iamgresh.comGresham W. Harkless Jr.
Franchise Broker & Entrepreneur | Founder, Blue Star Franchise
Helping founders and aspiring owners find franchise opportunities that match their purpose, finances, and lifestyle. Host of the I AM CEO Podcast with more than 1,600 interviews.
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About Gresham W. Harkless Jr.
Gresham W. Harkless Jr. is a seasoned entrepreneur and franchise broker based in the Washington, D.C. metro area. As founder of Blue Star Franchise, he helps aspiring and established business owners discover franchise opportunities aligned with their goals, skills, and long-term vision.
With over 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and business development, Gresham brings a consultative, client-first approach to franchise matching. Through his media company, Blue 16 Media, and the I AM CEO Podcast, which has featured more than 1,600 interviews, he has worked with hundreds of CEOs, founders, and small business owners to accelerate growth and build scalable business models.
His mission is simple: to help people “run their race” by finding franchise opportunities that align with their purpose, skills, and lifestyle.
Credentials & Affiliations
Certified Franchise Broker - Franchise Broker Association (FBA)
Founder - Blue Star Franchise
Founder - Blue 16 Media
Host - I AM CEO Podcast (1,600+ episodes)
Featured in 50+ Black Marketers on the Rise & Influencer & Media Innovators (2022)
B.S., Business Administration - Howard University
How Gresham Helps
Franchise discovery & matching consultations
Franchise investment and financial fit analysis
Franchise development guidance & onboarding support
Speaking engagements & media interviews
Business growth advisory through Blue 16 Media
I AM CEO Podcast
With more than 1,600 episodes, the I AM CEO Podcast features conversations with founders, franchise owners, authors, and business leaders.
Gresham shares real, actionable insights to help entrepreneurs grow, scale, and lead.
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Contact & Bookings
Email: gresham@bluestarfranchise.com
For franchise inquiries, speaking engagements, or media interviews, send an email or use the consultation link.
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