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Delegate your Way to Greater Success
Dreamy eyed, passion filled new business
owners are committed to doing whatever it takes to get your
new business off the ground. As an unstoppable one-man-band,
you find yourself playing the roles of sales person, order
taker, order fulfillment, customer service, accounting,
and management. But as your business grows, there will undoubtedly,
be more to running the business than you had anticipated.
To keep up, you'll put in more time, and wind up so busy
working "in" your business that you'll no longer have the
necessary time you need to work "on" building your business.
In order to move beyond start up phase to a more mature
solid business, it's crucial to break this vicious cycle.
So what is an overworked, overstressed business owner to
do? The key to creating more time is to delegate!
WHAT TASKS CAN I DELEGATE? Successful people don't
work harder; they work smarter. This means focusing on what
you do best and delegating the rest! Ask yourself what you
enjoy doing LEAST for your business. Now, imagine that you
could literally give away these mind numbing, frustrating
parts of your job.
TROUBLE LETTING GO? – GET A NEW ATTITUDE!
Are you a control freak or a micromanager? Do you have trouble
trusting others to do your work? Believe it or not, some
people actually have trouble "letting go" of even monotonous,
boring task because of the belief that they can do things
getter themselves. True, as entrepreneurs we are wonderful
gifted creatures capable of tackling the most monstrous
of tasks, but why go to the "pain" if you don't have to?
Delegating is a skill that will become easier with practice.
Once you let go of the huge "I am Superman I can do everything"
attitude and realize the power of letting others help you,
the payoff will be big. Save your time and energy for creativity,
for planning and growing, and for enjoying your life.
WHERE TO FIND GOOD HELP
Good help can be hard to find. Finding both someone you
can trust and who qualified can be a little intimidating.
Ask for referrals. When you do find someone, call their
references. You can even give someone a tiny job to test
the waters and see how they fare. Below are some different
types of help that are available and where you can find
them.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS
In this day of email, fax, instant messaging, and ftp anyone,
anywhere can assist you with your work. Virtual assistants
can help you with editing your newsletter, paying bills,
invoicing, marketing, travel plans, bookkeeping, email management,
Internet research, event planning, bargain shopping, appointment
reminders, and word processing. It's like having your own
personal secretary! A virtual assistant can act as your
partner in business and a fresh source of ideas for management
and growth. Typical rates for a virtual assistant run around
$30 per hour. Here are some places to find virtual assistants:
- http://www.vacertification.com/listing.html
- http://www.ivaa.org/rfp_form.html
- http://www.staffcentrix.com
WEB DESIGNERS
Why spend your own time updating your web site when you
can pay someone else to do it for you. If your bill your
clients $200 per hour for your time, isn't it worth it to
hire someone for $30-$60 per hour to maintain your site
for you? Your time is money. When you take on your own maintenance,
it actually costs you potential sales that you could have
made in that time. In many cases, a professional web developer
could do a better job, with less mistakes, and in half the
time. Save yourself the frustration and hire some help.
- http://www.econstructors.com
- http://www.comparewebdesigners.com
- http://www.webprosnow.com
- http://www.codecranker.com
- http://www.aaadesignlist.com
- http://www.web-design.com
CONSULTANTS & FREELANCERS
While the "do it yourself" approach can save you money,
it won't always get you the results that a professional
can achieve. For instance, you may save yourself money by
writing your web copy yourself, but how many more sales
would you have made if you invested in a copywriter. What
is your opportunity cost? Whatever your business need, there's
a freelancer who can assist you including: business strategists,
personal coaches, publicists, lawyers, newsletter editors,
accountants, copywriters, search engine specialists, and
Internet marketing consultants. There are several directories
where you can go to find qualified talent to assist your
every need.
- http://www.guru.com
- http://www.freeagent.com/Myhome.asp
- http://www.allfreelancework.com
- http://www.allfreelancework.com/employers.html
CAN'T AFFORD GOOD HELP?
Don't fret, even if you can't afford help, there are still
ways to get the help you need. Here are some ideas below.
VOLUNTEERS
If think creatively, there are often ways to find volunteers
to take on certain tasks. For instance, some people will
volunteer their assistance just for the pride of participating
on the team. This strategy has worked brilliantly for Dmoz.org,
otherwise known as the Open Directory Project, the world's
largest human edited online directory. The Open Directory
powers the core directory services for the Web's largest
and most popular search engines and portals, including Netscape
Search, AOL Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and
hundreds of others. In a brilliant move, Dmoz has recruited
volunteer editors for the various web directory categories.
The volunteer staff takes pride in helping to build Dmoz
into a better directory and the chance for to be recognized
as an expert on your chosen topic. Ask yourself, what similar
types of programs could you develop? Is someone willing
to volunteer their time and efforts if you would mentor
them in exchange?
INTERNSHIP
Getting work experience is a vicious experience for the
new college graduate. You need experience to get work, but
you need a job to get work experience. For this reason,
college students are often eager to get real world work
experience. Check to see if there is an intern at your local
college. An internship will give a student valuable work
experience and something fantastic for their resume.
PARTNERSHIP
Is there someone you could trade services with? For instance,
maybe someone could assist you with your ezine promotion,
if you would offer business coaching to him or her in return?
Dare to dream up a scenario that would work for your situation.
To increase your odds for success, when you approach someone
about a potential partnership, present as a win-win situation
that will benefit both parties.
SUMMARY
Are you ready to ramp up to the next level of success? I
challenge you to take a look at the work you do and ask
yourself what you can take off your plate? By handing off
tasks you'll find you have more time, more energy, and more
creativity to focus on growing your core business and enjoying
your life.
Article by: Kristie Tamsevicius, is the
author of "I Love My Life: A Mom's Guide to Working
from Home"! Thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs
have used her step-by-step home business system to earn
money working from home. Get a free ecourse Home
Business Success Secrets at http://www.Webmomz.com
| NOTE: Like this article? Feel free to “reprint”
this home business article online as long as it remains
complete and unaltered (including my “about the
author” section at the end), and you send a copy
of your reprint to kristie@webmomz.com. |
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