Let me guess, when you started your business you didn’t envision working 12 hour days and having a never ending to-do list as a part of “the dream.” Entrepreneurship can be exhausting, and just because you love what you do doesn’t mean you need to love doing it 24/7. 

I’ve seen first hand the relief that can come from outsourcing – not only because I have clients delegate up to 30 hours a month of their tasks to me, but because I outsource myself.

But, if you’re nervous to delegate you’re not alone. Some of the most common reasons I hear why entrepreneurs are hesitant to outsource are:

• I’m nervous they won’t do it as well as I can
• I don’t know where I would find someone I trust
• I don’t have time to train someone
• I can’t afford it

But, every single one of those is simply an excuse. Outsourcing doesn’t have to cost you five figures, training a new team member doesn’t have to consume your entire day, the key to finding someone you trust simply comes down to knowing what to look for, and I promise you, there is someone out there who can do those tasks as well (dare I say, even better) than you can.

You simply need to learn what tasks you should be outsourcing and how to vet your candidates, and today, I’m going to teach you how.

When is the right time to outsource as a small business owner?

If the idea of outsourcing sounds tempting (which I imagine is why you’re reading this blog) but you’re wondering when the right time to hire is, the answer is that there’s no perfect time. However, there are a few universal signs that indicate it could be time to hire:

You’re turning away clients due to a lack of time:

If you find yourself unable to take on new clients or pursue passion projects due to an overwhelming workload, it’s time to hire support in order for you to have time to focus on those projects.

You’re working too much and feeling burnt out:

Twelve hour days and working weekends shouldn’t be the norm. If you’re constantly pushing personal relationships or hobbies to the back burner, judging the quality of your days by your productivity or feeling burnt out in your business – the time to outsource was yesterday.
While I believe that nearly every business can benefit from outsourcing, regardless of what season of business they’re in, there are a few specific scenarios that indicate it is not a good time to outsource like:

If don’t have SOPs and you’re not committed to training:

Having Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place is crucial. Without them, your new hire will be solely reliant on you to know what they should be doing and how they should it. Since the entire reason for hiring is that you don’t have a lot of time to spare, having SOPs in place is so important for your new hire to make the most impact. 

If you don’t have Standard Operating Procedures in place but you need to hire as soon as possible, then be sure you are prepared for the time commitment of training, and create your SOPs as you train.

If you can’t afford it:

Of course, the biggest reason not to outsource is if you truly can’t afford it. When you hire a service provider or employee, they are relying on you for that income. Only hire when you are confident in and committed to the monthly investment. 

With that said, a common misconception is that outsourcing is only for those with large budgets. But that simply isn’t true, at MVS we believe that all inclusive support shouldn’t require a 5 figure monthly investment. Practically, working with a generalist and being specific about what tasks you need support with are great ways to keep your costs down.

How to know what to outsource

Make a list of all the tasks you do on a regular basis

The first thing to do when you’re considering outsourcing is to ​​create an exhaustive list of all the tasks you regularly perform, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Include everything from things you do well, to things you dread doing. This is just a time to brain dump. Here are a few things most business owners typically have on their plate, to help get you thinking:

• writing blogs
• writing podcast show notes
• repurposing podcast/videos into social media content
• answering emails
• invoicing clients
• adding new tasks to clickup
• updating website 
• sending/responding to emails
• tax tracking
• attending client calls

Now, next to each of those tasks, include an estimate of how long it takes you to complete it. Don’t get stuck in the weeds here, go with your gut instinct and assign it a ballpark number.

Decide what to keep and what to delegate

So, you’ve got your master list of tasks, now it’s time to sort that list:

First, categorize your tasks into two distinct columns – tasks that require your personal touch (i.e. face to camera Reels/TikToks, Client Meetings, etc) and those that don’t. Hint: Most things should fall into the latter category.  Anything that requires you, stays on your plate, everything else is a potential thing to delegate. 

Now, consider your preferences and passions. What tasks on the “to delegate” list do you genuinely enjoy doing? What are the activities where your strengths truly shine? Mark those tasks and move them to your list of items to keep on your plate. On the flip side, what tasks don’t excite you? Those stay on the list of items to potentially delegate.

Some of the first things I outsourced when I made my first hire were tax tracking for revenue and expenses, scheduling social media content, proofreading and formatting email newsletters and blogs. Delegating those items not only freed up time in my calendar but also ensured that these essential components of my business received expert attention from someone who enjoyed doing them, elevating the overall quality and efficiency of my operations.

Determine the skill set needed

In order to make the right choice when hiring, you’ll need to determine the skill set that your ideal hire should have. Begin by grouping the tasks that you decided to delegate into distinct categories based on the skills required. 

For example: your list might include “write my podcast show notes” “write my blogs” and “send client invoices” – the skills needed would be copywriting, SEO, and client management.

Now, based on that list, consider what type of professional aligns best with your needs? Is it a service provider expert who has mastered a particular program? Or perhaps a generalist VA who can wear multiple hats is more suited to the dynamic nature of your business? Or maybe you’d like someone who can grow from part time to full time over the years?

Here’s a quick guide to the four main types of hires you can make to help you navigate this decision:

1. Expert Service Provider:

Ideal when your tasks require a specialized, in-depth skill set. If your tasks to delegate revolve around one program, this could be your best choice.

2. Generalist Service Provider:

I would argue this is the best fit for most small business owners. Generalists bring adaptability and versatility, and the ability to manage a variety of tasks to the table.

3. Employee:

I rarely recommend hiring an employee over a contractor, however this could be a good fit for you if you want the person you hire to focus exclusively on your company and prefer to have more control over when and how your new hire completes their work. But, it comes with complications like tax withholding and other legal benefits.

4. Intern:

Perfect for businesses that value mentorship and education, want to delegate tasks that don’t require a lot of experience, and only need to hire someone for a short period of time.

Decide your budget

Now, it’s time to determine how much you can afford to pay for outsourcing. Fair warning, this part will require you to do some math.

First, determine the cost of your time. Not sure how to put a price on it? Calculate the number of hours you wish to work each month, and divide it by the monthly amount you need to pay yourself each month. 

Then, run your revenue projections for the quarter and year ahead. How much money do you anticipate your business will bring in? Add up the value of all your contracts and anticipated sales.

Next, do the same for your expenses. Take stock of your current financial commitments, add up every cost that it takes to run your business each month.

With these figures in hand, calculate the gap between revenue and expenses, and from that figure, subtract the amount of profit you’d like left over each month. Once you’ve removed expenses and desired profit from your revenue, the dollar amount remaining is the max you can afford to invest in outsourcing support.

Remember, budgeting for hiring is not just about the dollars and cents. It’s an investment in the scalability and sustainability of your business, and you often get what you pay for. So, cheapest isn’t always best.

How to hire the right person

Now for the most intimidating part, taking action. When it comes to hiring the right person, reference the task list, skill set, and budget you developed above. That criteria is the core of making a good hire, coupled with your intuition during interviews. 

Logistically, during your hiring search, start by personally reaching out to people in your network and asking if they know anyone who would be a good fit. Resist the urge to slap up an instagram story saying you’re hiring unless you want to be inundated with resumes.

Lastly, begin preparing now! Craft a detailed job description or, at the very least, compile a comprehensive list of responsibilities to ensure clarity and alignment from day one. Develop and/or update the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the tasks your new hire will be taking on. As I mentioned before, these SOPs become their reference guide allowing them to navigate tasks with precision, even in your absence, and are crucial in helping your new hire to be successful. 

Bonus tip: One of my top tips for simplicity when hiring is to create a generic admin/moderator login for each of the programs that your new hire will have access to so that granting access to your business systems is seamless and simple in case of a change of personnel.

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In case we haven’t met yet, I’m Michaela – a content writer, behind the scenes expert, and chaos coordinator (aka the virgo energy to your creative spirit). And I’m completely obsessed with helping you turn your journal full of ideas into profit driving offers with research backed strategy, magnetic content, and streamlined systems.

If you liked this post and are craving more, here’s how I can help:

Did you have Marketing and/or Operations tasks that you want to outsource? I’m your girl!. Inquire about Monthly Retainer Support for all inclusive support on the tasks you want to start outsourcing.

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