Are you having trouble deciding what to outsource first? As a solopreneur, you wear a lot of hats. And making the jump from "I can do it all myself, because I sorta have to" to "I'm ready to give myself some help!" is a big one.
I don’t like to assume anything about anyone, but I’ll venture a guess that you either have:
- No clue which tasks should take priority, or
- A LOT of tasks you want to hand over to someone else, but don’t have time to do extensive training, or
- something in between?
Maybe you’re not sure which tasks are more important than others and what should be outsourced because you’re so used to doing all the work yourself.
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Some of the Benefits of Outsourcing
- You can stop thinking about so many nitty gritty, technical, and (let's face it) annoying parts of your business and re-align with your overall mission and why you started your business in the first place.
- You become more efficient with your time and energy because you don't have to switch tasks as often and you get to spend more time in your genius zone.
- You create a better work-life balance because you're not attached to your phone or electronic devices and trying to "stay on track" all the time.
The Tricky Part About Getting Started Outsourcing
The trickiest part (once you get over the hump of convincing yourself it will be worth it to not wear all of the hats in your business anymore) is choosing where to get started AND how to keep it going without throwing in the towel too quickly.
If you're feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of outsourcing because it's such a new concept, I have some tips for you!
My first, TOP tip for being in this tricky situation:
Pause. Breathe. Take it slow.
Give yourself a moment, basically.
It’s easy to go into hustle mode when we start thinking about scaling our businesses. There’s just SO much to do and so many questions that need answering.
If you don’t have an easy, quick answer to your own question of what to outsource first, then self-compassion is always the answer to start with.
Acknowledge that you have a lot going on.
Hype yourself up or congratulate yourself on being serious about taking your business to the next level.\
Gather up your business plans, marketing plans, vision board, and other inspirational materials to keep you in high spirits.
And then, here are some options to consider.
Remember, don't get all overachiever on me.
Pick ONE!
Option 1: Do the thing that’s on your mind
Go with whatever task stands out to you as the thing that you should start with. There’s value in not overthinking this! If you need some ideas, you'll find a lot of them in the free 15 Tasks to Outsource PDF.
Pick a task, set your monthly budget, and then go and find someone who’s willing to do it for you.
Option 2: What would an intern do?
Imagine you have a bright-eyed, eager, super sharp college student who’s going to be your intern for the next 3 months. They’re 100% on board with your mission and they admire the work you’ve done so far with your business.
They’re arriving at your office today (yes, your current office, even if it’s just a teeny desk in the corner of your kitchen) and you’re going to have to give them SOMETHING to keep them occupied for an hour.
What would you give them?
Write down 3 options, and then use one of them as your first task to outsource.
Option 3: Outsource the Uploading
Just start with an uploading task. Outsourcing the uploading of your social media content will feel silly (after all, you can do it yourself in a few minutes, right?) but it will get you thinking of yourself as part of a team instead of doing everything on your own. It also adds an element of accountability to your process.
No more “making it up on the spot” or “whenever I find time.”
Now you’ll have to make time, batch out content, save it to a folder, and then tell your VA it’s ready. If it’s not ready, they’re going to ask you about it until it is (and you’re paying them to check in on you).
Every single week.
It’s easy and obvious, but outsourcing the repetitive uploading will free up creative space in your brain to do more of what will move the needle in your business.
What have you decided to outsource, first? Was it one of my suggestions or something else entirely?
Let me know what's on your mind in the comments below!