Referring to certain types of work as ‘hands work’ (as opposed to ‘head work’) doesn’t mean it’s mindless or low-value.

In fact, it can be quite the opposite.

Writing, design, coding, for example — this is all high-value work you can certainly build a sustainable business around.

However, the ability to scale this type of work is limited, which is why the shift to more strategic work can be an attractive option to consider as either a substitute to your current work or a complementary service.

Some examples…

Example 1:

Hands work:

• A bookkeeper charges $xx/hr for monthly records

Potential head work opportunity:

• That bookkeeper offers one-time DIY bookkeeping training to a business owner at a multiple of their monthly rate

Example 2:

Hands work:

• A content writer signs on to write 5 short-form articles for a company’s blog

Potential head work opportunity:

• That content writer offers a content strategy service, perhaps centered around deriving a 12-month content calendar
  • If they wish, they can assign themselves any pieces they’d like to write themselves

Example 3:

Hands work:

• A UX designer redesigns a client’s user flow

Potential head work opportunity:

• That designer (an expert in UX) conducts an audit and user interviews, then provides synthesized direction to a client’s product/eng/design team who implements that direction.

As you see in these examples, the idea is to expand beyond the short-term, non-scalable work, and shift the focus to strategic or advisory work, which is both scalable and usually higher-margin.

💡

-Wes