“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.com👤 Author Name: Gresham W. Harkless Jr.
Title: Franchise Broker & Entrepreneur | Founder, Blue Star Franchise
Experience: 15+ years in entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and business growth strategy
Location: Washington, D.C. Metro Area, USA
About the Author
Gresham W. Harkless Jr. is a seasoned entrepreneur, franchise broker, and the founder of Blue Star Franchise, where he helps aspiring and established business owners find the perfect franchise opportunity to match their goals, lifestyle, and financial vision.
With over 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and business development, Gresh has worked with hundreds of CEOs, founders, and small business owners through his media company Blue 16 Media and the I AM CEO Podcast, which has featured over 1,600 interviews. His unique background gives him a deep understanding of what makes a business succeed — and how the right franchise can change lives.
A proud member of the Franchise Broker Association (FBA), Gresham brings a consultative and client-first approach to franchise matching. His mission is 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 & 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. in Business Administration – Howard University
