Dreamy eyed, passion filled new business owners are committed to doing whatever it takes to get your new business off the ground. As an unstoppable one-man-band, you find yourself playing the roles of sales person, order taker, order fulfillment, customer service, accounting, and management. But as your business grows, there will undoubtedly, be more to running the business than you had anticipated. To keep up, you’ll put in more time, and wind up so busy working “in” your business that you’ll no longer have the necessary time you need to work “on” building your business. In order to move beyond start up phase to a more mature solid business, it’s crucial to break this vicious cycle. So what is an overworked, overstressed business owner to do? The key to creating more time is to delegate! In the first of a four part series, “Ramping up for Success” we’ll discuss how to delegate your way to greater success!
WHAT TASKS CAN I DELEGATE?
Successful people don’t work harder; they work smarter. This means focusing on what you do best and delegating the rest! Ask yourself what you enjoy doing LEAST for your business. Now, imagine that you could literally give away these mind numbing, frustrating parts of your job.
TROUBLE LETTING GO? – GET A NEW ATTITUDE!
Are you a control freak or a micromanager? Do you have trouble trusting others to do your work? Believe it or not, some people actually have trouble “letting go” of even monotonous, boring task because of the belief that they can do things getter themselves. True, as entrepreneurs we are wonderful gifted creatures capable of tackling the most monstrous of tasks, but why go to the “pain” if you don’t have to? Delegating is a skill that will become easier with practice. Once you let go of the huge “I am Superman I can do everything” attitude and realize the power of letting others help you, the payoff will be big. Save your time and energy for creativity, for planning and growing, and for enjoying your life.
WHERE TO FIND GOOD HELP
Good help can be hard to find. Finding both someone you can trust and who qualified can be a little intimidating. Ask for referrals. When you do find someone, call their references. You can even give someone a tiny job to test the waters and see how they fare. Below are some different types of help that are available and where you can find them.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS
In this day of email, fax, instant messaging, and ftp anyone, anywhere can assist you with your work. Virtual assistants can help you with editing your newsletter, paying bills, invoicing, marketing, travel plans, bookkeeping, email management, Internet research, event planning, bargain shopping, appointment reminders, and word processing. It’s like having your own personal secretary! A virtual assistant can act as your partner in business and a fresh source of ideas for management and growth. Typical rates for a virtual assistant run around $30 per hour. Here are some places to find virtual assistants:
– http://www.vacertification.com/listing.html
– http://www.ivaa.org/rfp_form.html
– http://www.staffcentrix.com
WEB DESIGNERS
Why spend your own time updating your web site when you can pay someone else to do it for you. If your bill your clients $200 per hour for your time, isn’t it worth it to hire someone for $30-$60 per hour to maintain your site for you? Your time is money. When you take on your own maintenance, it actually costs you potential sales that you could have made in that time. In many cases, a professional web developer could do a better job, with less mistakes, and in half the time. Save yourself the frustration and hire some help.
– http://www.econstructors.com
– http://www.comparewebdesigners.com
– http://www.webprosnow.com
– http://www.codecranker.com
– http://www.aaadesignlist.com
– http://www.web-design.com
CONSULTANTS & FREELANCERS
While the “do it yourself” approach can save you money, it won’t always get you the results that a professional can achieve. For instance, you may save yourself money by writing your web copy yourself, but how many more sales would you have made if you invested in a copywriter. What is your opportunity cost? Whatever your business need, there’s a freelancer who can assist you including: business strategists, personal coaches, publicists, lawyers, newsletter editors, accountants, copywriters, search engine specialists, and Internet marketing consultants. There are several directories where you can go to find qualified talent to assist your every need.
– http://www.guru.com
– http://www.freeagent.com/Myhome.asp
– http://www.allfreelancework.com
– http://www.allfreelancework.com/employers.html
CAN’T AFFORD GOOD HELP?
Don’t fret, even if you can’t afford help, there are still ways to get the help you need. Here are some ideas below.
VOLUNTEERS
If think creatively, there are often ways to find volunteers to take on certain tasks. For instance, some people will volunteer their assistance just for the pride of participating on the team. This strategy has worked brilliantly for Dmoz.org, otherwise known as the Open Directory Project, the world’s largest human edited online directory. The Open Directory powers the core directory services for the Web’s largest and most popular search engines and portals, including Netscape Search, AOL Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and hundreds of others. In a brilliant move, Dmoz has recruited volunteer editors for the various web directory categories. The volunteer staff takes pride in helping to build Dmoz into a better directory and the chance for to be recognized as an expert on your chosen topic. Ask yourself, what similar types of programs could you develop? Is someone willing to volunteer their time and efforts if you would mentor them in exchange?
INTERNSHIP
Getting work experience is a vicious experience for the new college graduate. You need experience to get work, but you need a job to get work experience. For this reason, college students are often eager to get real world work experience. Check to see if there is an intern at your local college. An internship will give a student valuable work experience and something fantastic for their resume.
PARTNERSHIP
Is there someone you could trade services with? For instance, maybe someone could assist you with your ezine promotion, if you would offer business coaching to him or her in return? Dare to dream up a scenario that would work for your situation. To increase your odds for success, when you approach someone about a potential partnership, present as a win-win situation that will benefit both parties.
SUMMARY
Are you ready to ramp up to the next level of success? I challenge you to take a look at the work you do and ask yourself what you can take off your plate? By handing off tasks you’ll find you have more time, more energy, and more creativity to focus on growing your core business and enjoying your life.
Article by Kristie Tamsevicius is a Webmistress, Marketing Extraordinaire, Author, and Mother of Two who strives to help people fulfill their dreams through her web site development, consulting, and free ezine so that they can make enjoy the freedom of working from home. Her free newsletter, The Edge, shows you how to MARKET and MANAGE your growing small business. Subscribe to The Edge mailto:theedge@aweber.com
Kristie Tamsevicius, is the author of “I Love My Life: A Mom’s Guide to Working from Home”! Thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs have used her step-by-step home business system to earn money working from home. Get a free ecourse Home Business Success Secrets at http://www.webmomz.com/ilovemylife1.htm
