Many entrepreneurs get frustrated and overwhelmed from doing everything on their own. It’s usually not until then that they realize they need to delegate tasks to others. For many who refuse to delegate, their business is truly the victim. They can not expand any more to be any bigger than what one person can handle. That doesn’t work!
However, even those who know they need to delegate and get some help managing things have a hard time relinquishing control. It’s very hard to go from being in charge of every detail to letting someone else handle a situation or task, especially the act of totally and completely letting go.
You might wonder when is the right time to start delegating responsibilities. The answer might be immediately, for some solopreneurs. Just because your company is small enough to be handled by one person, doesn’t mean it needs to be. If you haven’t already started delegating, you need to.
Wondering why?
The answer is quite simple really. Everybody has different strengths and weaknesses. It is very rare for someone to be good at handling all the jobs and responsibilities that need to be to be done within a successful business.
Do you have problems being organized in everyday life? If so, what makes you think that you as one person should be in charge of organizing everything to the last detail of a business?
Another reason one should be delegating before they think they really need to is that all too often business owners are spending a ton of time taking care of minor, yet time consuming issues. While these issues are important and may range from dealing with customers to organizing paper work, they aren’t what a business owner should necessarily be dealing with on their own.
As a virtual assistant, we always tell small business owners, “If you are doing tasks that aren’t generating you income, then you should be outsourcing it.” Outsourcing is just another form of delegation, after all. If you’re a frequent reader, then you know that “Delegation“ and “Outsourcing” are not dirty words.
Once a company starts to grow, one should start to delegate tasks so they can focus on what entrepreneurs do best: competing in the market.
How does it help my business?
Delegation is one of the best ways to increase productivity and keep your sanity in the business world. It doesn’t need to be anything big at first, just having someone to fill out simple forms, make some calls, or handle your social media pages is going to free up a lot of your time. That allows you to come up with ways to better your business. Don’t forget,, bookkeeping, invoicing, as well as concierge services, all are tasks that a VA can do for you .. so you can get back to making money in your business.
As your company gets bigger, and you expand more and more it is simply easier to delegate. Starting this practice early on in your career will help you to be more organized and stay on top of everything.
If you take nothing else from this, delegate. Do it now, do it as soon as you can. Do it before you’re stressed and sinking into the panic of missed deadlines and tasks, knowing that they are taking a toll on you and your business.
About Out of the Office Virtual Assistance:
Since 2006, Out of the Office has offered ideas and ways to increase your productivity, decrease your workload, and work more efficiently. We nurture a successful business relationship, while continuing to grow as your business partner. We are focused on streamlining your administration, social media planning and execution, content writing and offering creative solutions for your business success.
Image Credit: jarmoluk | CC0 Public Domain