No matter what your business, there comes a time when you need to decide what priorities you need to handle yourself and what you can outsource.
Whether you offload work to a live or virtual assistant, a different "team," or an outside specialist, more often than not, the time and energy you save will be well worth the expense.
The Litmus Test
When deciding whether to take on certain projects or offload them, here are some of the questions you need to ask yourself:
- Is this related to my specialty?
- Can someone else do it?
- Should someone else do it?
Characteristics of items that are good to outsource, include:
- Repetitive tasks, such as data entry
- Time-consuming tasks, such as transcription.
- Out-of-your-comfort-zone tasks. If something will take you more time to learn than it will take someone else to do properly, unless it's something that will benefit your own professional development, it should go on someone else's plate.
Professional Services. Unless it's your actual business, look to others for:
- Web Design and Support
- Legal Advice
- Accounting
- Graphics
- Finance
Project Support. There are also certain cases where you need get assistance, even when the action item can be done by you. Especially when doing something close to you, such as self-publishing, to get the best product possible, you may need to hire the following contractors:
- An editor
- Copy editor
- Cover designer
- Book designer
- Marketer or Publicist
- Don't forget a photographer for new headshots.
Finding the Right People
If you do decide to outsource, start with your network. Ask friends directly for recommendations, post a request in a LinkedIn update, or go to networking events where you can potential find the right people.
Alternatively, you can look to job boards and ask for suggestions relevant Facebook or LinkedIn groups.
The Bottom Line
When the question is about outsourcing, it usually comes down to money. If you can afford the expense, it enables you to focus on the things you do well and are passionate about ... which will ultimately generate more money. Outsourcing in the perfect world pays for itself.
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How do you decide what to do and what to outsource? What are your tips for finding great resources? Please share in the comments.
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For more on Getting Press, read the #GoalChat recap on the topic.
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