A great analogy I’ve heard about business ownership is how it compares to being a plate juggler at a carnival. As entrepreneurs, our days consist of juggling many tasks (i.e.: spinning many plates) in an effort to keep our businesses moving forward effectively and profitably.
But as we are all so painfully aware, all it takes is one misstep or crisis to throw off the delicate balance and send our “plates” crashing to the ground. If your business has become stretched too thin; so thin your margin for error and disaster has become finite, it is time to get help. There are all kinds of words and terms we can use to describe getting help … but for now, let’s use the term delegating.
Better described as spending money to make money, or investing in your success, delegating is also a wise move for business owners who want to spend less time on non-income producing tasks so they can focus on those that are income-producing and business-building. When business owners first begin to delegate, they quickly discover the advantages of delegating those tasks and services they don’t want, or know how to do, to someone who not only enjoys doing those things, but has the skills and expertise to execute them quickly and more efficiently. This allows the business owner to free up more time for things like speaking, coaching, product creation, and a host of other money-making tasks.
In addition to the typical front and back office services we all know about, here are just a few examples of tasks and services a busy speaker or coach might consider delegating:
- Sending out your newsletter consistently
- Repurposing existing content into micro-content for blog and social media posts
- Social media management
- Website and blog maintenance
- Email and broadcast management
- Audio and video editing
- Podcasting technicalities
- Creative work, like creating logos and graphic design
- Managing and maintaining your content marketing platforms
I could go on and on …
Many business pros feel they have to do everything themselves. Two of the biggest excuses I’ve heard are “It’s easier for me to do it than train someone else.” and “It’s not in my budget.” (Substitute whatever it is you need to be delegating for “it.”) In reality, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you continue to try to do it all yourself, sooner or later you’ll dig yourself into a hole and experience major burnout. All business owners and entrepreneurs need to give themselves credit for what their time is worth and stop doing the things they were never meant to do … just because they think they should.
Pause for just a few minutes and take a hard look at the tasks you do on a daily basis. Grab a sheet of paper and a pen. Make two columns – a column for income producing tasks and another for non-income producing tasks. Then list each thing you do under its respective heading. Then, cross off all of the things in the non-income producing task column you don’t like to do, that take a lot of time to do, that you struggle to do, and/or things that aren’t getting done at all. Those are the things you should delegate to someone who not only enjoys doing them, but has the expertise to do them quickly and efficiently. You don’t have to hand off everything all at once; you can start with something small. The key is, to start!
Delegating can be done project by project or long-term when you partner with a team of online support specialists that have the skills and expertise you need. No matter what you call it, partnering with a virtual assistant … or whatever; when done right, becomes an investment in your business, not just another expense. Do your due diligence to find the best person/company to meet your needs. Partner with someone who is a good fit for both you and your business based on the overall picture and not just on cost alone!
What tasks and projects could YOU start delegating that will free up your time to grow your business and make more money?
