The saying goes that entrepreneurs are the only people who will work 80 hours to avoid working 40. More often than not, they’re also the only people who will try to do everything themselves to save money.
When starting a business, keeping costs low is vital so entrepreneurs tend to take on as many roles as possible. I get it, I’ve been there myself. But I also know the sooner you realize the money you’re saving isn’t outweighing the opportunities you’re losing, the better.
When you focus all of your time on saving money, there’s not a minute left for generating money, and your business can never scale. Not sure which tasks you can comfortably let go? Here are five things that are simple to outsource and immediately save you more time.
1) Tedious Everyday Tasks
Hiring a virtual assistant allows you to hand over a few hours of everyday tasks to a capable remote subcontractor. How a virtual assistant will specifically benefit you will differ depending on your business and industry, but some general tasks include data entry, inventory, and even customer service.
What specific tasks you need help with will also determine whether you can delegate everything to one person or will need to hire a few subcontractors. Make a list of those highly repetitive tasks that are eating into your day and then search the sites below to help you find the perfect virtual assistant to start helping you save time:
- Zirtual: Helps connect you with vetted virtual assistants based in the United States.
- Hire My Mom: Helps you find and hire professionally experienced stay-at-home moms.
- Virtual Staff Finder: A staffing agency that specializes in helping you find overseas (and inexpensive) virtual assistants.
2) Accounting
Bookkeeping is definitely something you should be outsourcing. It is extremely time consuming and if accounting isn’t your specialty, you could get yourself into some trouble.
Everyday accounting should be outsourced to a bookkeeper, no question, but you should also hire an online payroll company to handle paying employees and tax filing. Some payroll companies also offer accounting services, so you may be able to bundle these needs at a lower cost.
When it comes to your tax accounting, that should be reserved for a licensed CPA.
3) Writing
Having a relationship with a freelance writer can be a great benefit. There will be many times when writing services are needed, such as website copy, press releases, blog posts, and editing.
A professional writer can be a great resource for getting these tasks completed at a fixed rate. Freelance sites like Upwork are great for finding reliable freelancers. Fiverr, a cheaper alternative, is another site that can connect you with a wide range of creative freelancers looking to work on a project basis.
4) Design
From your logo to social media graphics, there will always be times when your business requires design services. A few Google searches could teach you how to do most of these things yourself, but there’s a good chance they won’t turn out how you want.
I’m a big advocate for outsourcing design because a professionals expertise has the power to make a business feel more legitimate and trustworthy–which is the whole point of creating a brand.
5) Social Media
I see so many business owners oversimplify social media until they eventually can’t keep up with it and abandon ship all together. This ends up costing them potential customers and lost sales.
While social media can certainly be a collaborative effort, the basics are better left to a subcontractor. Someone that specializes in social media will be able to create content/graphics, manage your accounts, and engage with your community in a consistent and effective way.
What to Keep in Mind As You Outsource
As you begin outsourcing, remember that there is a learning curve and your subcontractors will likely go through some trial and error before they understand the inner workings of your business.
Also, remind yourself that you are letting go of these tasks. It may take you a minute to come to terms with delegation, but as you know, micromanaging isn’t going to improve your time issues. Your subcontractors may never do things exactly as you would, and that’s okay. If they do their job well and save you time they are an asset to your business and its growth.