The most common conversation I have with prospective clients is about taking the next steps to grow their business. They’ve reached the stage where they need to expand – the product or service is launched; the clients are building, and the money is coming in. The dream is becoming a reality! Amazing!
I’ve lost count though of the number of business owners who have nearly burned themselves out by trying to do ALL of the things to keep it going. That initial energy poured into late nights and weekend stints becomes a drain and pulls them further away from the real goal – the desire for more freedom and time to work creatively on rather than in their business.
My friend, if this is you then it’s time to delegate! In this article I share my top tips on how to delegate effectively, so you can place the fear you feel of losing control firmly in the bin where it belongs.
Develop your delegation Mindset
Acknowledge that letting go of control is hard, because it is! Keep reminding yourself that by releasing some of the repetitive or time-sapping tasks you will gain the head space you so desperately need to keep your business growing. No one thing can break your business and there are MANY professional support people out there who have the skills you need. Ensure you have the right systems and processes mapped out for each task before you hand them over so you can keep a handle on things from a distance. One mantra that I roll out regularly is ‘done is better than perfect’. Slap this on a post it or your screensaver and keep telling yourself WHY you are taking this next step.
Decide what tasks can be delegated out
Now you’ve got your kick-ass delegation mindset sorted, you need to actually define the tasks you want to offload. Take some time to write down all of the tasks you do each day. From that list, which of these are repetitive? Which ones have a defined process you can instruct someone on? What areas do others have expertise in that you might not?
The top 5 most commonly outsourced business functions that you should delegate out early in your business are…
- accounting
- HR
- admin
- social media
- graphic design
Remember, there may be some tasks on that list that you enjoy doing but in fact you shouldn’t be doing unless you’re specially trained. Graphic design is a prime example of this!
Pick the right person for the job
Ooo, this one is a beefy topic which I will be talking about more in a future blog, but as an overview, to delegate effectively you need the right people on your team. I know it sounds obvious but there’s a difference between the person with the most experience and the person that is the right fit for your business at this very time. Do you need a VA or an OBM? Ask your network for recommendations of people they’ve used and ask for examples of previous work or references/testimonials. If you want more info on this, here’s a great article from Entrepreneur.com ‘5 Tips for Finding and managing the right freelancer’.
What to avoid when you delegate
- Micromanagement! It’s not easy, especially when you’ve been the one wearing all of the hats since the start. Make sure you have the proper processes in place and allow time to handover and explain projects properly.
2. Don’t dump and run. Ok, so you’re relieved to not have the mountain of expenses on your desk to file anymore. You should still factor time when you first delegate a task to explain the processes properly and give detail on any quirks. It’ll pay off in the long run I promise and your freelancer will feel more connected to your team as a result. Win-win!
3. Let go of perfection. As I said before, no one thing will break your business. It’s a complex ecosystem that needs tuning all the time, but if you follow the tips above, you’ll be doing less tweaking and more reaping as time goes on.
Good luck in taking the next step to delegate effectively! Remember, if you need to talk about handing over parts of your business, I’m here for a coffee chat. Just book in a time from this link and we can set up a call.
If you’re looking for some more inspiration, check out my handy tips sheet – How to Delegate in 5 Easy Steps
