When you leave the country you were born in, you do so for a reason. Those reasons are often similar to what most people experience, but in that new environment, it’s important to start building and organizing your life. That beginning is usually hard—especially if you don’t know anyone, you have a new apartment, new neighbors, new grocery stores, new streets… and also a new job.

First job

Unless you were recommended by a company and already have a job waiting, your first job will likely be anything you can do with your own two hands—just to get started. My first job in Canada was as a building cleaner. That job isn’t easy, but it’s also not some big scary thing. You usually work alone, you have a set amount of time to get the tasks done, you’re paid hourly, you finish your work and go home—with no pressure or stress. And if you happen to enjoy cleaning at home like I do, it even feels a bit therapeutic. 🙂

Anyway, while I was doing that job, I often didn’t waste time overthinking, but one day I started reflecting on how everyone in that building was responsible for a certain part of the system.

When something breaks, a specialized technician is called to fix it. If there’s a problem with the elevator, the building manager is responsible for overseeing it all and making sure the right person handles it. I would come on scheduled days to keep the building clean. Gardeners had their own days when they’d tend to the garden or the greenery out front, and so on.

One day, I came in to find a mess on one of the floors where electricians had been working with wires the day before. It was my cleaning day, so I cleaned it all up nicely. Before that, the manager had made sure the necessary repairs were taken care of. That’s when I realized something very important:

It doesn’t matter whether you’re running a small business or a large company. Even if your business is so small that you’re the only one working in it, you should delegate certain responsibilities—especially those that aren’t your strong suit. That way, you create a structure where everyone is in charge of the part they specialize in. Just like little ants, we all take care of our own piece of the work, and the company can grow and thrive.

Let me explain

Take opening a hair salon, for example. First, you come up with a name. Then you rent a space, furnish it, buy all the products you need to provide services. Then it would make sense to let people beyond your immediate circle of friends know about you. So, you create Instagram and Facebook profiles for the salon. You do your best friend’s hair and post a photo. You announce a 30% discount for the first ten clients to celebrate your opening. That’s all great. The neighbors hear about you, business begins to grow, and one day you have ten clients in a single day.

The day winds down, you’re exhausted—and now, who’s going to upload all those hairstyle photos and write posts on social media?

I get it—word of mouth is the best advertisement. When someone recommends you, that’s the strongest promotion. But what if you consistently promoted your work on social media, the right way? Maybe your little salon would grow into something even bigger, with more clients, and you could hire help—and soon, everyone would know about you. Or… you could stay at those ten clients a day, with eight likes from your closest friends.

As a digital marketing manager, I can provide your business with everything it needs, whether you are starting it right now or have been in business for years.

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