If Ryan Henke could go back in time and give himself one piece of business advice, he knows exactly what it would be: don’t tryto do everything yourself.
Henke, a partner at DHA CPAs who has been in the accounting industry for nearly 20 years, certainly understands why new business owners attempt to go it alone. After all, in the early days, most people aren’t exactly flush with cash and they feel they have no choice but to tackle everything themselves.
“You end up trying to do so many things that you don’t do very well and that ultimately means you’re taking time away from the things that you DO do well,” he said. “I’m a CPA – I never wanted to be dealing with HR or marketing or IT, but as a small business owner, I ended up wearing a bunch of those hats.”
However, Henke soon realized that by turning to people who were professionals in the areas where he needed help and investing in their services, he would gain something incredibly valuable – time.
“I said ‘hey, I want to focus on growing my business so I need to give these other things up,’” Henke said. “And once I took that leap, I not only ended up in a better spot, but I was able to get there much faster.”
In addition to assisting him with growing his business, Henke discovered that collaborating with professionals in other industries has had another major benefit – it has helped him develop a strong, supportive network within the local community.
“I’ve found that small business owners are so passionate about helping other small business owners,” he said. “They’re always willing to share their time, their thoughts and what they’ve learned to help others succeed. For me, it’s been very fulfilling to be part of this community and I think that what we put out comes back to us in ways we don’t even realize.”
Aside from the value of community building, another thing Henke has learned over the years is the importance of not only surrounding yourself with a good team but also nurturing and supporting them.
“Early in my career, I was more focused on serving my clients and the customers who were paying me versus the internal aspects of taking care of my team,” he said. “But as I began to focus more on supporting my team, I realized that it ended up having a positive impact on the client experience as well.”
Part of that support, Henke said, is recognizing that each person brings value to the team in a different way.
“Sometimes you have people who aren’t super high performers but they’re consistent and reliable and they’re great employees,” he said. “Early in my career, I would have wondered why they didn’t want to achieve more or advance, but I’ve learned that not everyone wants the same thing. Now I’m able to look more objectively at what everyone is bringing to the table without pushing them into things they don’t want to do.”
As for what lies ahead, Henke knows there are still plenty of lessons to be learned and he’s open to all of them.
“What the business world looks like today is going to be completely different from what it looks like five or 10 years from now. I know that’s always been the case, but I think the rate of change has accelerated significantly,” he said. “Being a lifelong learner is probably one of the most important attributes of a small business owner right now.”
But no matter what the future holds, one thing Henke hopes to remember is not to put so much pressure on himself.
“It’s something I’m still learning, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to allow myself not to have such high expectations,” he said. “And as I’ve done that, it’s almost like a weight gets lifted, my mind feels more free and I’ve started performing better. It’s like a springboard if you can learn to give yourself a little more grace.”
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