When was the last time you had an evening off?
Can you remember what your friends look like any more?
Are you so behind on watching Shortland Street that you think Kirsty and Lionel are still the hot couple?
If you are embarrassed by your answers to those questions, then it could be time to free up some time in your hectic schedule.
Time is your most precious commodity when running a business. Knowing how to get your timing right for a variety of projects could mean the difference between success and failure. Scoring a great business deal, launching a new advertising campaign, or getting the investors you are after require excellent time management AND strategic timing.
While it may not make or break your business in the short term, knowing the right time to start outsourcing aspects of your workload can be tricky. Leave it too late, and you may be wasting precious energy and resources. Jump the gun and do it before you really need to might end up chewing away at an already tight budget.
Here, we help you take a step back and get an overview of your business. That way you can determine the right time for outsourcing to help you and your business thrive.
How To Know It Is Time For Outsourcing…
Your To-Do-List Keeps Getting Longer
If you are productive and efficient, you would assume that by the end of the workday, your to-do list would be mostly ticked off… right?
That would be if you lived in a perfect world. For many business owners, that To Do list tends to grow more than it shrinks. But that doesn’t have to be your reality. Even the busiest entrepreneur should be able to stay ahead of the game.
If you find you are ending the day or week with more tasks than you started with, and just don’t have enough time to get to them all, it is probably time to look into outsourcing. Slaving away day after day but feeling as if you are getting nowhere is demotivating and frustrating.
Instead, squash that feeling and give yourself some wins by bringing in some assistance.
You Are Stuck In Maintenance Mode
Okay, so maybe you are getting your weekly list ticked off, but that’s it. You only have enough time to keep your current customers happy and your business ticking along.
Well done!
This isn’t a bad point to get to, but it is definitely a bad point to linger at. If your business isn’t growing, it is only a matter of time before it starts failing.
Now is the perfect time to outsource some of the daily and weekly jobs sucking up your time. That way, you can get stuck into the exciting task of growing and expanding your operations.
You Are Not Enjoying Yourself
Realistically, there are very few jobs out there that will provide you with enjoyment 100% of the time. Even rock legends and movie stars have to do things they hate. However, if you find the majority of your time is filled with tasks you absolutely hate doing, you may find yourself asking, “What’s the point!”
You started your own business to improve your life and do more of the things you love. So, if that is not happening, don’t hesitate to delegate some of those despised chores to someone who might enjoy them.
Virtual Assistants and Bookkeepers thrive on doing the jobs that you try to avoid. Reconciling bank accounts, entering receipts, taking minutes and typing reports are all things you could easily outsource to your friendly neighbourhood VA and bookkeeper.
You Are Starting To Let People Down
Are you struggling to make those deadlines you committed to, or finding it impossible to keep up with customer demand? Being sought after is fantastic for your business – but only if you can rise to the occasion. It only takes one disappointed customer or supplier to put a stain on your hard-earned reputation.
When you find yourself in this situation, it is time to outsource. Whether you choose to hire someone to help with the daily admin tasks or a specialist to allow you to keep expanding and meeting those customer expectations.
You Have Taken On A One-Off Or Short-Term Project
Perhaps you have committed to a project that’s going to require extra work and effort, but only for a short period. You don’t want to have to employ someone, but do need extra help. Outsourcing is the perfect solution. You only pay for the work you need and are free to engage additional people for the length of the project.
You Need A Specialist Skillset
Of course, you are brilliant at what you do! However, it is nearly impossible to be a specialist in everything! There will be some things you don’t have the necessary in-depth skills to do well. It may be tempting to give it a whirl yourself. But, you will save yourself time and money (not to mention stress) by sticking to the things you excel at and leaving the other tasks to the experts.
Things like web design, marketing, content writing or accounting can be time consuming and ineffective if done by the wrong person. Get the most bang for your buck by outsourcing.
Your Personal Life Is Suffering
If you don’t have the time to do the things you want to do because you are always working, then it is time to get some balance.
At the end of the day, as much as people talk about the “grind,” and the “hustle,” it is important that life is balanced and enjoyable. If you find yourself stressed, burned out, stuck, and frustrated, these are all good signs that you need to take a few steps back and outsource one or two tasks.
While your business is important, so is your sanity. You need to make sure you have the time to connect with your partner, play with your kids, and catch up with your friends. You won’t get this precious time if you are always working!
Creating balance will give you the breathing space to rediscover your passion and gives your business the extra boost it needs to keep on blooming.
So, is it time for you to consider outsourcing in your business?
The first step is to take those time-consuming jobs you really dislike off your plate. Luckily, those are the kinds of jobs we love to do here at Admin Army.
Get in touch with us today to see how we can lighten your load by taking those administrative and bookkeeping jobs off your to-do list!
Struggling to figure out where to start outsourcing?