With the onset of the Internet and satellite TV, you can access a wealth of knowledge on many projects, which are made to look pretty easy. Software is readily available to seemingly make things easier for us. Many of us become Do-It-Yourselfers because we want the satisfaction of doing something outside our normal routine, we have a knack or talent, or perhaps it becomes a hobby.
As a business owner, being too much of a DIYer can hold us back in growing our business. So many of us get caught up in feeling we must do everything ourselves to either save money or we feel no one else can do the task as well as we can. Daily, we are faced with handling dozens of responsibilities, from generating leads to taking out the trash – and if we are convinced that we must do everything – we are holding ourselves and our businesses back! The solution for this dilemma is delegation. Enlisting help is important because it gives us the time and space to keep our operation running smoothly.
As we grow our business, we must learn the art of delegation. It’s important to step back and take inventory of what we do and what can and should be delegated in order for us to focus on our revenue generating activities. Here are a few tips:
- What is your passion? Take a moment to write down the things that line up with your passion and interest. Perhaps you are great at closing sales, designing products, or marketing to new customers. These are jobs you want to keep doing yourself.
- Repetitive Tasks. Write down the tasks that don’t require a special skill set, such as filing papers, sending invoices, mail. Hand these over to a staff member or consider hiring a virtual assistant.
- Specialized Tasks. Identify tasks you do that require special knowledge, skills or a license. Rather than struggling to figure out complex processes or programs alone, hire a bookkeeper or accountant; lawyer; marketing consultant; website designer.
- Tell yourself to let go. If you fall into the “if you want something done right, do it yourself” category, focus on the free time you’ll gain by delegating.
Remember that trying to cover all the bases yourself can be not only exhausting, but also potentially harmful to your business, as well as the quality of life for you and your family.