It’s now been a few months since I launched my new parenting website – I’m now seeing website traffic increase, more activity on the site and getting more requests to run workshops – but I’m also seeing much more activity across my desk and I have more ideas and to-do tasks that I can possibly implement. So I know it’s time to delegate more. To prepare for this article I spoke to three excellent sources :
the HerBusiness Network’s Suzi Dafnis, ABN member Alycia Edgar and someone that one day I will be able to afford as a mentor – the delightful and amazingly successful Anne McKevitt. Delegation requires thought,and preparation and investment but it’s a calculated risk that all small business owners have to take at some stage to grow their business. And Anne told me, from the point of view of someone who has been so outrageously successful, “If you want the sand between your toes, a margarita in hand & a good book to read on a weekday, then learn to delegate.” Anne also made the obvious point that delegation is actually required to grow a small business – I know I just can not do everything myself. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a delegation precipice. If I delegate the right way and use my extra time to earn more income then I will consider it to be a success. To be honest, the financial risk is what worries me the most but I know that I will truly have a ‘business’ and not just a ‘job’ if I can make delegation work for me To answer my questions I used the universal research tools of Google and ‘people I trust’. Here’s the outcome of my research – there are some great tips in here for every small business owner.
Top 3 Fundamentally “Good” Delegation Ideas
- Make a list of the things that only you can do or should be doing for the success of your business. Include at least 30 minutes each day for thinking, planning and creating the next day’s to-do list. Try to delegate everything else.
- Try to hold on to operations or areas that define the core mission of your business. Then, consider outsourcing the other operations that are not as strategic.
- Delegation of tasks is an investment and not an expense. If your current earnings are only covering your overheads and not much else, unfortunately, you’re not in the ideal financial situation to delegate tasks. But sometimes it takes delegating to increase your revenue. Consider the investment and do your best to find a way to make it work as soon as possible – for the sake of your business.
Top Delegation Advice for Small Business from Suzi Dafnis, Alycia Edgar and Anne McKevitt
I am concerned about three things so I went to the people in the know:
Q1: What should a I delegate?
A: As the business owner your role is not to manage the business but to strategise, connect and bring in the ‘dough’. Ideally, small business owners should try to delegate anything that is not an income-producing task. Your time should be spent working on the business (bettering your skills, meeting with new prospects, planning) and tasks that are working in the business (taking calls, processing invoices) should be leveraged where possible. This is hard to do when you’re a solo operator or a very small business. So, the key then is to spend more time on than in the business where possible. Solopreneurs need to think in terms of ‘departments’ and their tasks and then outsource their departments’ work to freelancers such as virtual assistants or casual staff. You can source virtual assistants in Australia and overseas – once you have a VA, work with them by email and imagine they are in the next room to you.
Q2: How do I make sure I cover the cost of outsourcing or delegating more of my work?
A: Make sure you are using the time you have saved by outsourcing, for revenue-generating tasks e.g. selling advertising on your website. What is your hourly rate or its equivalent? If you can outsource work at less than your hourly rate, the investment will probably be worthwhile. Make sure you have measures in place to monitor the tasks that need to be done and understand how they assist you to achieve your goals.
Q3: How will I know if delegating is working for me financially?
A: Start by setting a deadline for an income-producing project and set a financial target making sure you can cover the costs of the outsourcing during that time. Review the results. If you are more than covering the cost of the outsourcing with the increased revenue and you are gaining momentum on future revenue-generating projects then the delegation is working for you. Suzi said “We go into business to improve our lives. A team/leverage can help us get there faster.” October is the month when I start my delegation and outsourcing adventure. Wish me luck!
