I recently had an experience in which I took back a task that I had outsourced. The person who was in charge of this task took some vacation time, so it fell back on me to do.
This was a task that I taught them, and I thought that I was really good at it and could knock it out in no time. Even if I hadn’t done it in a couple of months, it was still within the skill set that I used most every day.
It turns out that what takes her an hour, took me all day! It was a shocking realization that I wasn’t as good at it as I thought. Now mind you, I AM good at it, just not as good as she is!
I found myself taking too much time because I couldn’t decide on which assets to use, and I actually called her back from her enjoyment to confirm some of my decisions! WHAAT? WOW!
And here I was thinking that I didn’t need a lot of help when I hired her! I just needed this one thing off my plate. And now I realize just how that one small task really was taking so much time and putting stress on me.
AND, I realized just how WONDERFUL having her take care of it feels. It totally frees me to focus on bigger things. Things like marketing copy, product creation, and reaching out to my customers and clients.
The funny thing is, I KNOW THIS!!! This is what I teach! Isn’t it funny how you can know something, but get caught up in the fray and forget it for yourself? And then when it shows up again you say to yourself, “OH YEAH!!! DUH!”
Pobody’s Nerfect and we can all use the reminder of the basics in life and business.
How many times have I heard entrepreneurs say, “If only I knew, I would have started my team sooner!” Even my mentors and those folks I look to as “gurus” have said this statement. They all suggest to “outsource early and often” because your business will grow faster.
But there’s still that question of time… Time to find the person. Time to teach the person. Time to ensure they’re doing the job correctly. And if the job takes you all day to do, imagine trying to teach someone else to do it!
“Outsource? I don’t have that kind of time!”
I hear it all the time, but if you don’t take that time, you will never get the benefits of having that time back in the future.
I get a day back every week because she takes care of this one important task for me. A WHOLE DAY! And it only takes her an hour or so. I don’t know about you but paying her for an hour at her rate is a STEAL of a deal if I don’t have to pay ME for a DAY at MY RATE!
I am truly grateful for my assistant and her talent.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how you can find, train, and outsource effectively through process documentation, download the First Step to Cloning Yourself today.
My goal is to show every entrepreneur I come in contact with that it is possible, and easy, for them to release those tasks that cause them stress and take up their time. It is time to shift from “running a business” and realize the benefits of being a “business owner”!
Thia reminded me of teaching my kids to tie their own shoes. I think I started them at about three years old; maybe earlier if they seemed ready. We didn’t have velcro, zippers, or straps on shoes back then, and C.rocs weren’t even invented yet. We played the traditional “bunny ears” training method., (If it works, don’t fix it.) and soon they had the joy of accomplishment and enhanced fine motor skills, and I had the joy and freedom of at least a few more minutes for other tasks that needed to be done
Over the years those few minutes each day (or several times a day), and the fact that I went through this procedure with seven children, had to add up to quite a lot of time.