Running a business involves so many moving pieces that it can add up and become more than you can handle on your own. When you start feeling like you are stretched too thin, it is a good sign that you need to start outsourcing the tasks that do not need your direct attention.
Whether you plan to build a team of employees or hire a contractor to take over, outsourcing is the answer to doing more in less time. It allows you to free up more time in your schedule to work within your zone of genius, producing more output and wasting less time on tasks that deplete your energy.
New business owners often think they have to handle every step of every process, but seasoned entrepreneurs know that mindset limits your ability to grow. When you release control and learn to delegate, you can scale more effectively and spend more time doing what you love most.
Here are 3 signs that it is time to split the workload and outsource your most unpleasant tasks.
You always find yourself procrastinating on marketing tasks.
If you are always pushing marketing tasks to the next day (and the next), it is because you either do not like it or you do not feel confident about doing it. Either way, nothing is getting done and you only feel worse about the lack of progress in your business.
Cut the dead weight and let it go to someone who lives and breathes marketing! You excel at what you do because you are passionate about it, and you can hire someone who feels exactly the same way about your marketing efforts. Quit stressing and delegate, delegate, delegate.
You are struggling with burnout and feel overwhelmed by it.
Maybe you love the idea of marketing. Perhaps you usually have some pretty great ideas. But, lately...your creative juices have dried out and marketing has become your biggest struggle. If you are deep in the throes of burnout, find someone to take over your marketing while you take a step back from business and focus on yourself.
Outsourcing your marketing during a period of burnout can actually help to lift you out of the slump, as you will gain new perspectives and insights into your brand messaging. You might find that someone else’s point of view reinvigorates your own creativity and brings you back to your heart’s purpose. There is no need to keep burning yourself out just to see less-than-exciting results.
You are tired of trying new techniques and never seeing results.
Nobody expects you to have a marketing degree to run a successful event business. It is OK to accept the reality that someone could do it better than you! In fact, it is quite freeing to shed the pressure and disappointment that is often associated with responsibilities outside of your specialty. Think about it: You could be spending that time and energy on your craft!
In addition to reclaiming your schedule, you also get the confidence of knowing that your business’ lead generation system is in the hands of an expert. You can get all of the results without the heavy lifting of doing it yourself.
While marketing is a part of business that is most often outsourced, these signs can apply to any area that leaves you overwhelmed and under-satisfied. Consider your top three “must do” actions that will move your business forward. If these do not get accomplished, you will not see progress.
For example, a wedding planner might define these three top priorities:
-
Bring your creative energy to life and implement your ideas into operating procedures to ensure your team can work autonomously.
-
Handle client intake calls to sell more clients and book more business.
-
Go to networking events to connect with industry peers that can help you grow your business.
Anything that falls outside of your top three priorities can be delegated within your team or outsourced to a third-party contractor. That includes tasks like managing social media, designing lead magnets, writing sales emails, researching trends, tracking expenses, writing copy for your website, and anything else that does not fill you up with joy.
While it may be challenging to start outsourcing and learn how to do so with trust, it’s an essential step to scaling your business. If you want to be able to take on more business and earn more revenue, you have to accept that you cannot do it all—but that doesn’t mean that it cannot all be done. It just does not have to be done by you.
