Small Business Tip | Delegate

To expand your business, it’s all about delegating.  It’s the key to really moving things forward.

Many small business owners and solopreneurs feel the need to do everything themselves, spending valuable time on tasks better suited for others.  And then there are those who know they need to delegate, but don’t know how.  Some find it extremely uncomfortable.  If you haven’t been in the habit of delegating, it can be difficult at first.

So how to begin?  Here’s how to think it through to get started.

• List tasks that only you can do
• List generating-revenue tasks
• List anything that would free up loads of your time, all of those time-consuming tasks
• Then list all of the tasks you absolutely dread doing
• Are there any tasks you don’t do well or find frustrating? List those.
• List all of the To Do’s you haven’t started
• Make a wish list of all of the To Do’s you’d like to do

After reviewing these, you should have a clear idea of what you absolutely have to do and what can be outsourced.  So think about outsourcing those tasks that are easy, routine, or time-consuming.  If delegating is new for you, realize it takes time to get comfortable.

The next step is to find a fabulous virtual assistant or freelancer.  A few things to consider in your search:

• Be clear what your VA’s abilities are (generalist, database expert, social media, etc.)
• Provide specific instructions
• What is the expected outcome?
• What is the deadline?

Once you trust your VA, not only will you have a lot more time to focus on the core business, your stress level will be reduced as well.