To Delegate or Not?

If you're a small business owner or entrepreneur then you've probably struggled with this age-old question: 'Do I delegate or do it myself?'

In the beginning of a business, we may delegate but we often feel we have to do everything. There are many reasons for this way of thinking and they are as follows:

1. We don't have the money. (this is a valid reason)
2. We don't have the time to teach someone else.
3. We don't really know what we should delegate to someone else.
4. We're too busy to even realize we need to hand off some of our work.
5. We feel independent and want to 'go it alone.'
6. We don't want to give up control (this is a huge one that people fear)

There are other reasons we hold off on delegating but these are the most common reasons.

Relinquishing control is the most challenging habit because we often feel that 'no one can do the task as well as us.' We're afraid that if we hand the job to someone else, they will lose the clients, waste the resources, make us look bad, make the company look bad, etc.

Nothing could be farther from the truth (if you hire right from the start)

All the most successful companies in the world only experience success when they stop doing everything themselves and they delegate the things they hate, don't enjoy, don't have abilities for and so forth.

Ever notice how some companies bypass others? It's got to do with the team they hire. They look for talented, intelligent people who have the same philosophies and a passion and desire to build the company. These people have skills and abilities that their employer doesn't have.

That's right, never hire someone exactly like you or you will miss out on new skills.

Another reason small biz owners hate to delegate and hand jobs to others is because they feel they don't have money to do so.

I have felt this way at times because honestly, I hardly had the money to pay myself. This is where you sometimes have to be creative.

If you're a coach, you might barter and trade your coaching with someone who does website design, etc. See how you can offer your products and services in exchange for other things you need.

I caution against just a straight barter. It's better to pay for something and have the other person do so as well so there is an exchange of money. This way, you will feel abundant and will attract more money.

Being too busy to delegate can be like a double-edged sword. You need to have someone take on the work and yet you're too busy to give them things to do. It's kind of like driving your car and the gas gauge light comes on to tell you that there's only one sixteenth of a tank of gas left but instead of driving to a gas station, you decide you're too busy to slow down and refuel. Instead, you keep on driving and eventually run out of gas and are overly late for that meeting.

Sometimes pride gets in the way and we feel independent and think we should do everythng ourselves. That might be okay for a short spell; it's good to know how all areas of your company work, but after a while, playing a Lone Ranger will make you irritable, sick and you'll lose the passion for your business. You need to delegate so you can do what you do best and bring in revenue.

Finally, sometimes we don't even know what we should delegate. If you know you need to give work to someone else (signs are: frustration, losing revenue, not doing what you're gifted at, etc.) but don't know what work to hand over, you must have a plan.

Start by writing down every single thing you do in your business.

For example, you might read and answer email, send faxes phone clients, follow up with new clients, handle marketing, do book-keeping, etc.

Study your list, think about the talents you have that bring you money and then eliminate things that frustrate you, take you away from making money, take too long to do, you don't really know how to do them and so forth.

Try to only focus on things that are creative and bring you revenue, credibility, clients, etc.

If money is a huge issue, contract out. Get a virtual assistant or an employee to come in to your company and work a set amount of hours per week or month. This is a very viable way to run a company.

For example, you may only need a book-keeper for a few hours per month. Why hire someone full time if you don't need them?

When deciding to delegate or not, ask yourself what your time is worth. If you're charging $100 an hour for a service and your books are draining your time, it may be worth your while to hire that book-keeper for a few hours a month so you can take on more clients and make more money.

Take this week and think about where you might bring an expert into your company. I wish you well and feel free to email me your ideas at: info@escapethepace.com


Lisa "Small Biz Stress Buster"

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/