Am I ready to Outsource?

Business Basics Am I Ready to Outsource?Very often, this is the first question I get from small business owners who are new to remote help: “How do I know when I should outsource?” This question is really two distinct questions. They are:• How do I know I’m ready to outsource?• How do I know what types of things to outsource?Both are great questions that, on the surface, look simple to answer but are worth thinking about in a deeper way. I define outsourcing as “asking for help in your business,” while delegating is “telling that person specifically how to help you.” That’s not terribly complicated, is it? You do that all the time in your work as a parent, spouse, or friend. How do we do it in business? Am I ready? How will I know? These are the most constant questions for an entrepreneur. We visit these questions again and again throughout time, because the answer changes.A right-turn strategic moveSometimes, being in business is like driving your car into a parking garage. Specifically, I’m thinking of the municipal lot in downtown Boston. It’s a concrete behemoth with a circular ramp at its core. This was my secret garage where, with a bit of luck and strategy, I regularly scored the cheapest parking. The secret? At each level, you had to stop and decide to turn left and go down, or turn right and go up. Left meant a shorter walk down but more time spent looking for a space. Right meant a longer walk down but more available empty parking spaces. I usually opted to go right.You’ll face similar questions and choices in your biz. Outsourcing is a right turn strategic move. It might take you a minute to figure out how to make outsourcing work for you, but when you do, you’ll have oodles of opportunities from which to choose and no real competitors around to get in the way. Not that I believe in competition. There is no competition when you are on your own path and not comparing yourself to others.Get ready to delegate!How do I know I’m ready to outsource?  You'll know when you are ready to outsource when you are ready to delegate—now! Delegation is a great way to:• grow yourself as a business person,• achieve more but actually do less,• and create a smart, caring team that can save you from burnout.Delegating allows you to focus on other things that are important to you once you get to be a master at it. Worried about money? Don’t be. There is a teammate waiting to help you—no matter what your budget or project.Get startedA great first outsourcing project is to get custom social media covers made for Facebook and LinkedIn. This project is low risk and low cost, so it is perfect for your “baby step” into delegation. Look at sites like Upwork and Fiverr for freelancers who specialize in social media images and covers. Browse and select a freelancer with a five-star rating who has the visual style you like. Then order!Above all, remember that outsourcing and delegating will allow you to achieve more in your business, earn more doing what you love, and decrease your stress-load. What’s not to love?- Get a free Rapid Start Guide at http://OutsourceEasier.com. WPM__Dina Eisenberg, JDIndustry Best PracticesWhat would you doif you knew you couldn’t fail?“I think I would become an author of books! I would enjoy writing “self-help” books. I have always been interested in the many perspectives [through which] one views the world. I think I can offer, through experience, the many options one can execute in their lives to feel better each day about their achievements—especially, when life is challenging and you look for an alternative mindset that will place a smile on your face!”- AnnaMarie Wintercorn, MWP™, Elegant Weddings and Events, Stuart, Fla.“If I knew I couldn’t fail, I would quit my day job and become a full-time planner and blogger. I would love to spend more time doing what I love.”- Sonia Hernandez, Clarity and Class, Upper Marlboro, Md.“If I knew I couldn’t fail, I would quit my day job and be a wedding planner full time. I’ve been in business for two-and-a-half years and every year is more successful than the last. I know that if I had the luxury of being a full-time planner, I would be able to network more, attend industry meetings, write a blog, and up my social media presence as well as keep my website updated. If only I had the courage to walk away from the security of a regular paycheck!”- Daphne Grier-Payne, CWP™, Ring Thing Events, Garland, Texas“That is exactly what I am experiencing in my journey of life now. I cannot fail with my business of wedding planning. I feel I have a purpose and passion for this body of the event industry. First thing I try to do, though I never meet its goal, is to seclude myself for a non-interruptive day of brainstorming. Then, what I do, simply stated, is eat, sleep, and breath wedding planning, which comes to me like second nature. I press forward to be the best for my current clients, and I put my mind, body, and soul into my work. It’s almost the hardest mission I have attempted other than being a mother of two girls, a wife of 13 years, and daughter to my single mother. I speak positively, I think positively, and I treat people the way I want to be treated. I can’t fail, and I won’t fail simply because I am a child of God.”- Toni Taylor, CWP™, EverMoreEvents II, LLC, Bowie, Md.“I would expand my destination wedding planning business to include an international full-service wedding and destination management company. This would combine perfectly with my passions, weddings and travel. I would also open an international destination wedding planner educational institution.”- Maria Lugo, AWP™, Maria A. Lugo, Puerto Rico