Many business owners assume that if something needs to be done in their business, they must personally learn how to do it. They assume they need to take courses in graphic design, online marketing, accounting, taxes, etc. All things that need to be done but are not directly related to the product or service that the business provides. This results in paralysis because the long list of things to learn is overwhelming.
One of the most common things I help with is getting projects moving. My favorite question is “Do you change your own oil?” Most of us don’t. It is much easier to drive through one of the oil changing businesses and pay a modest fee for an oil changing expert to take care of it. Not only do they have all the tools at hand, they don’t ask us questions about how to do it – they just get it done.
All of us have lots of little chores that we “outsource” to someone else. Oil changes, lawn care, house cleaning, gift wrapping, even shopping (have you used grocery pick up?). This is because it is efficient. Even more importantly, it lets us focus in the places where we are the best person for the job without letting any important tasks fall through the cracks.
“Outsourcing” some tasks doesn’t prevent us from doing the ones we enjoy. If changing the oil makes you happy, do it! But if it is one more thing that causes you stress, give yourself permission to get it done another way.
It is simple to understand (but not easy to implement) – you are responsible for making sure that everything in your business gets done. That does not mean you must personally do it. That also doesn’t mean you have to hire staff to do everything. For some businesses, adding an employee to do particular tasks makes sense. Other businesses are best served by finding and utilizing a service for the same task. Most businesses use a combination of these strategies.
So, dust off your ancient to do list. Which of these things has to be done by you? Who could take on some of the things that have been languishing on your list?
Another term for “outsourcing” is delegation – a skill every business owner needs to master to allow for business growth.
