The answer is short: Delegate effectively.
Delegating doesn’t mean telling your assistant to do a specific project and then they report back to you and you micromanage. Effective delegating means relinquishing control to someone or something other than you so that it is completely off your head.
Here are 3 effective methods of delegating:
1. Technology
First on the list isn’t people – it’s technology. It’s the easiest to manage and to implement, and there are a variety of tools you can access easily.
Find the right software. There are so many tools available online to manage time, reminders, calendars, to do lists, billing, sales, marketing, and the list goes on. Think about what things are eating up your time. Think about what kind of app would help you manage those things. Now Google it – you’re highly likely to find something that will be almost exactly what you need. And if you can’t find it, then you can create your own custom solution (you can contact me if this is your situation).
Make sure your software is automated. Having good software is critical. But automation means teaching that software how to think for you. Many software systems have the potential to be much more than just tools. If used properly, a good software system can be used to fully or partially automate many of your tasks.
Try to brainstorm ways that you can use your tools for automation. This might take the shape of recurring tasks or sending invoices with links to credit card payments. Or it might be choosing the right sales CRM or project management software to alert you to upcoming deadlines. Or it might be a data automation tool. Whatever it is, let your software do the work for you. You’re much more valuable than it.
One of my clients had a very manual billing process that they did for each client in their own Excel spreadsheet. Now that they have the right software, they spend minutes on invoicing instead of days.
2. People
If you don’t have an administrative staff, you need one (although you may want to outsource it). You’re the main lifeblood of your business. Make sure that you have enough supportive staff so that you’re free to be profitable. The types of people in your life that can help may be a secretary, administrative assistant, bookkeeper, salesperson, contract writer etc. Your time is valuable, so it makes a lot of sense to pay someone to free up your time so that you can earn a lot more.
3. Outsourcing
There are so many companies that can take over some of your responsibilities. Not only can they assume responsibilities for you, they’ll probably do a much better job since this is their specialty. For solo entrepreneurs, look for a virtual assistant. For small businesses, find yourself a qualified bookkeeper and/or accountant. Get a payroll and HR company to help you with all your human resources and employee management. If you’re looking to outsource or have a service to offer, feel free to contact me – I love matching people up to right service providers.
I have a client who engaged a bookkeeper for $250 a month. In that time she saved herself, she was able to book much more than that of new business, plus she’s spending that time doing what she loves. She still considers it the best investment she’s made. If you need help finding an affordable, reputable bookkeeper, don’t hesitate to ask me.
Not sure what you need or how to delegate? You can reach me at denglander@workstreamsystems.com or 443-450-3529 and we can guide you towards the right tools to help you function best.