If you want to save a lot of time and get more done, then outsourcing is one of the smartest ways to do that. When you outsource, you hire people for tasks you would otherwise have to do yourself. Think about all the things you have to do in a day for your business. How great would it feel to unload tasks you don’t like to do or tasks you don’t have time to do?
The fact is that we are all so busy. You’re running your own business and trying to wear all the hats. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can outsource any task you want so you can scale up your business, take a load off your chest, get more done, and potentially earn even more money than you’re earning right now.
It’s the dream to be able to scale up your business and achieve your goals much more quickly. You want to earn more. You want to have more freedom in your business and live life on your own terms. When you first started your business, maybe you thought you wouldn’t have to be chained to your computer all the time but that’s the way it’s ended up. Again, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Outsourcing is one of the smartest things you can do for your business. The people you hire can do the things you can’t do and the things you don’t like to do. Really, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed because you can’t or don’t want to do something, then please consider outsourcing. It’s one of the smartest and best things I’ve ever done for my own business.
Consider the Things You Can’t Do
Think about the things you can’t do in your business. Maybe you don’t know how, don’t have the skills, and don’t think you can even acquire the skills. Maybe you don’t even have the desire to learn, practice, or implement these skills because you just don’t think you can.
Well, you can hire someone to take this burden away from you. When you hire someone to do the things you can’t do, then you’ll save a lot of time and stress learning. You can either choose to never learn these things or to learn them later. The fact is that when you hire someone now, then the task gets done now. You don’t have to wait until you’ve learned it yourself.
There is no doubt that there are things you can’t do in your business and those things are really holding you back… you’re not sure how to get around that, so you don’t. Well, this removes that paralysis. You can focus on what you’re good at and outsource the rest.
Consider the Things You Don’t like to Do
Now, think about the things you don’t like to do. Maybe you procrastinate with your work because of these things. The thought of doing these things just gives you a headache.
Again, outsource those tasks. There are people out there who like to do these things and are likely much better at them than you are. Maybe you don’t like writing so you really hold off on creating content for your business. Hire someone instead! Or, maybe you don’t like to do graphics – hire someone. Maybe you dread technical tasks like setting up a website – hire someone.
There’s no sense in procrastinating and holding yourself back when there are parts of your business that you actually like to do. You can finally spend your time on the things you enjoy doing that are most profitable for you.
It’s so freeing to have someone take tasks you don’t enjoy doing. It can really free you mentally as well as physically.
Consider what’s Most Profitable in Your Business
As part of the decision to outsource, consider what’s most profitable in your business because that’s where you want to put your focus. There are certain tasks you have to do but actually aren’t the most profitable. They might even be time-consuming but don’t lead to most of your profits.
As part of this, think about the 80/20 principle. This principle tells us that just 20% of our activities lead to 80% of our results. So, if you focus on the top 20% of what’s leading to most of your profits, then you can scale those things up. Outsource the rest. They’ll get done, but the focus will be on the profit centers.
It’s important to know what’s earning you the most in your business as well as what you most like to do and what you are naturally the best at. Outsource the rest – I can’t say it enough. This will free you up so much in your business and help you get to that next level.
Things You Can Outsource
There are so many different things you can outsource. You can outsource writing, graphics, technical work, and pretty much anything else. It can really help to make a list of all the things you do in your business every day or the things you know you should be doing in your business. Then, consider what you most want to outsource.
What would be most profitable for you to outsource? Maybe you should outsource the things that take up your time but don’t lead to most of your profits. Put your focus where you now know your focus should be.
Outsourcing Writing Tasks
There are many different writing and content tasks you can outsource. You can outsource the writing of reports, either that you sell or give away for free.
You can outsource the writing of ebooks. You can sell these ebooks as part of your info product empire, self-publish on Kindle and other platforms, and so on.
You can outsource blog posts. It can be really time-consuming to maintain your own blog. There are people out there who will be happy to write your blog posts for you.
You can outsource the writing of your sales letters and other copywriting needs.
You can outsource the writing of emails, articles, newsletters, and every other writing task in your business. If you don’t like to write or don’t have time to write everything, then this is an absolutely wonderful solution.
By the way, you can outsource the outlining of your writing projects or the whole thing. You can put your own spin on the content after you receive it back, or not. Do whatever works for you and your business.
Outsourcing Graphics
You can outsource the creation of viral images that you can use on social media and on your blog. You can outsource the creation of logos and banners.
You can hire people to create headers for your website and social media properties.
You can outsource the creation of graphics for your self-published books and products. Think about your graphical needs and what you can outsource.
Outsourcing Technical Work
You can outsource HTML work and web installations. You can outsource the use and installation of software and scripts.
You can outsource all of the technical tasks that are holding you back.
Outsourcing Virtual Assistant Work
You can outsource virtual assistant work. Pretty much anything you would do or need to do in your business is something you can outsource.
You can have people answer your customer service emails, do data entry, perform other customer service tasks, and whatever else you can dream up.
Outsourcing Personal Tasks
You can also outsource personal tasks, for example housework mowing the lawn, and so on. Those are chores that need to get done, and often take you away from your business priorities, so if you can find someone to do them for you, you can often be earning more money in the hours they save you than you’re spending.
What to Look for in an Outsourcer
Of course, you want to avoid some of the headaches that some business people have when they try to hire an outsourcer.
First and foremost, it’s important to hire someone who has a good reputation. You don’t want this to be more trouble than it’s worth. You don’t want your outsourcer to disappear, stealing your time and your money. That won’t happen with most, but you have to do your due diligence.
Make sure that the person you hire is an expert in what you need and does as good of a job as you would do yourself, or better.
Look for good value. This doesn’t always mean going for the bottom dollar, by the way.
How to Find an Outsourcer
There are many different ways to find outsourcers. You can find them in your local area or you can find them online.
One of the best ways to find a great outsourcer is via word-of-mouth. If a friend or colleague has hired someone and has had good results, then you’ll want to know about it. People can refer great outsourcers to you and save you the time and headache of trying to sort through them yourself.
You can also find great outsourcers on online forums. There are business forums out there where outsourcers and service providers hang out. They want people in business to hire them… and that’s you. If you can connect with great outsourcers on forums and elsewhere, you can develop great long-term relationships that work for the both of you.
You can also simply find outsourcers to hire via Google and other search engines. Search for what you need – many of the best service providers have websites where you can look at their portfolio and more.
You can also find great outsourcers via social media. Many of them are very active on social media because they want great clients. You can also get a feel for what others are saying about them via social media platforms.
How to Get What You Need and Want from an Outsourcer
There are some important things to keep in mind when you hire an outsourcer. For example, you should share your goals with them. They have to know why you want to hire them for this project and what you hope to get out of it.
By the same token, it’s important to explain your audience to them. They might not yet be familiar with your audience, so you should share as much as you can about it.
For instance, let’s say you’re hiring someone to write an info product for you. You want this product to sell well with your audience. Well, how is it going to sell at all if there is no understanding of the audience on the part of the outsourcer?
It can be really helpful to point to examples of what you expect. Visual examples work really well. Remember that outsourcers are not mind readers. You have to be very detailed and give very explicit instructions, at least in the beginning. You’re sort of training your outsourcers to deliver exactly what you need and want.
I recommend you collect work in milestones. Let’s say you’ve hired someone to create an info product for you. Well, you don’t want to wait until the very end to make sure they’re on the right track. You don’t want them to deliver your product months late and/or completely different from what you expected. Keep track of their progress make sure you’re on the same page and you’ll both be happier.
You might want to start off with smaller projects with a newer outsourcer (or someone who is new to you) so that you can develop a repertoire of trust.
Get Started Outsourcing
Now that you know the benefits of outsourcing and you have the inside scoop on what it takes to work with an outsourcer, figure out what would benefit you the most to outsource and get it going.
You can start out small with something like Fiverr, where many tasks are just $5.00. Whatever you choose, start to get comfortable with outsourcing and quickly work your way up, outsourcing tasks you don’t know how to do or don’t want to do. For yourself, focus on what’s most profitable and enjoyable for you and you’ll love your business more and earn more from it.