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Last week I wrote about how my childminder being on leave due to a recent op has really screwed up my month forced me to reassess my priorities and how I am working, because it’s clear that I’m not going to achieve as much out of my day as I normally do. After time management (I know, I know it’s tedious even thinking about time management), I’ve really had to look at my options for offloading and outsourcing.
There’s also another word for this that makes a lot of mother’s shudder: delegate
Just like when you feel like you might explode because you’re trying to do everything at home and not delegating, many of us find that in being the boss, delegating has become unfamiliar territory, particularly if you’re a sole trader.
Delegating to another staff member/hiring someone, or outsourcing elements of your workload may not be an option if you are on a very tight budget or just starting out, but before you sack off the idea of getting some help, weigh up the cost of not doing it, or doing it in dribs and drabs over a longer period of time, versus paying someone else to do it. The great majority of the time, the numbers stack up.
A few months ago, I outsourced a re-edit of an ebook that I had been trying to re-edit for months. It took two days for the work to be done and I could get on with doing other stuff and promoting it. I saved myself time but also realised that sometimes in obstinately clinging to doing stuff myself and being a tight *rse (joking), I’m costing myself money and my sanity – it’s good to know the value of your time.
If your working circumstances have changed, this is a great time to learn how to let go.
Working for yourself, especially when you’re solo can make you precious and a bit of a control freak.
I’ve already realised that the sky won’t fall down if I’m not doing every last little itty bitty thing. In fact, I’ve acknowledged that I have no desire to do everything.
This is a really good time to assess where you are going.
If you have plans to grow your business and don’t want the business built totally around you (makes it difficult to sell in the future), you have to let go and build the business as a separate entity to you anyway.
Check out virtual assistants (VA’s), sites like People Per Hour and Elance- The latter types of site are great for specific tasks. Consider your options for bartering (check out our post on swapsies), or look at what budget you have and see if someone is willing to do work experience. Note that irrespective of how much you’re paying people, you need to allow some time to train them/explain the work, so it’s better to do this sooner rather than later. Also consider hiring someone local on a freelance basis. Obviously the advantage of using online services is that you can take advantage of remote working and even in some circumstances, a strong exchange rate if you’re getting someone from abroad.
What should you outsource? If there is stuff you’re doing that you’re not particularly good at that is costing you time that you could be applying elsewhere to increase your revenue, look at your options. It’s good to know your strengths and it’s better to outsource something and save time, get it up and running, and increase your revenue etc, than it is to not do it, or take double, triple, or ten or twenty times the amount of time to do it and cost yourself money to boot. Some of these things may never get done!
Also, don’t complicate things. One of the most simple things I ‘outsourced’ was the cleaning of my own home. I’ve saved hours of time off my week which I can spend doing stuff with the kids or working.
Some things to remember:
Get a clear idea of how you work and what needs to be done. You may find that you don’t need outside help…you just need to be more organised.
Make sure that you can clearly explain what needs to be done. If you can write out a procedures sheet and any other supporting material it helps. Yes it’s an initial pain in the bum, but it will save you time. If you can’t explain it, they can’t understand it.
Don’t assume; be clear about your expectations, the work that needs to be done etc. Nobody is a mind reader and things will get lost in translation.
Do a bit of research about market rates. This ensures that you don’t expect beyond your means but also ensures you don’t overpay.
Set up temp access to whatever files you need. Don’t give out your own username details and do limit access where necessary.
If needed, draft a confidentiality agreement or include it in a letter of engagement.
Don’t take the mick and cross boundaries by asking for more than was originally agreed. You wouldn’t like someone to treat you like that!
Agree about how and when you will be updated. There’s nothing more annoying than working with someone who doesn’t tell you what is going on. Obviously don’t be one of those annoying people that wants a blow by blow account once an hour, but do agree up front about how and when you’ll be updated so that you don’t spend your time panicking.
photo credit: The National Guard
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