The reality is that very few of us are talented in every aspect of designing, building, running and maintaining a thriving business. Let’s face it, even if we could do it all chances are there as parts of the “job” that we don’t enjoy.
One of the biggest leaps a Solopreneur or Manager can make is to ask for and allow others to help. Interestingly enough, getting help earlier rather than later in the process often speeds up success. So, why do we suffer so long? Most commonly it’s lack of funds (or the perception of lack) or the concern that it will take us longer to teach someone how to help us than it will for us to do the tasks ourselves.
I’m not saying that these issues aren’t real – they often are! However, when you move through these fears you’ll find yourself spending your time doing what you love and what energizes you.
By delegating tasks that, when you get right down to it, you:
- Either aren’t doing (procrastination)
- Are doing poorly (frustration)
- Or that drain you of your energy and cause you to question yourself (STRESS!)…
your work becomes more joyful and you get more done. Once you allow yourself to delegate effectively you can put your body, heart and mind into building your perfect business!
It’s probably easiest to start with virtual assistance – people doing work for you from their office, not yours. The most common tasks that I contract out are bookkeeping, web design, shopping cart set up and creation of professional looking materials. Why? Because those are the tasks I don’t enjoy or that I don’t know how to do and have no real desire to learn. Do you need some reasons why Virtual might just be better than live?Check these out:
Benefits of Having Virtual Assistance
- You do not need to provide a physical workspace
- You do not need to provide costly equipment
- You save valuable time not performing tasks you don’t have time for or are not able to do
- You do not have to deal with payroll, taxes or benefits
- You can accelerate growth by finally having the time to focus on the msot important issues of your business
- You have the freedom to work on growing and improving your business/life skills, knowledge, and relationships. You may need help in different areas. Every individual has unique strengths and different limitations.
So how do you get started? It can help to make a two-columned list. In the first column, write out all the aspects of your work that you LOVE. In the second column write out all the aspects that you HATE, make you feel STUCK, or where you tend to DRAG YOUR FEET. This list will help you to determine where you would best be served by another’s help.
Now you can prioritize your two lists and ask “What tasks, if complete, will help move my business forward?” You may want to talk with a respected friend or hire a coach to help you evaluate where you are likely to get the biggest bang for your buck. I just recently reviewed a new clients list and it was immediately apparent to me where he could gain benefit quickly and easily. Of course, the issue was a highly charged one for the client - credit card debt - BUT when he realized that he was paying as much as 31% interest on one card consolidating his business debt became priority number one!
I often encourage people who are unsure of this process to choose a small project, hire a VA and contract for a limited time to work on the job at hand. For instance, let the contractor know that you are authorizing a specific number of hours (say 2 - 5), at their hourly rate, to complete or make as much progress as they can on your project. This gives you both a chance to see how well you will work together with limited financial exposure. For many people, just taking this small leap of faith opens a new world of support and value to them and their business!
To your continued success!
