Why are business owners scared of outsourcing?

Do you often wonder where your day has gone? There are a million things on your to-do list, you’re drowning in admin and you’re working around the clock. Do you want to take your business to the next level but lack the vital time you need to pursue that growth?

When you outsource work, you swap working ‘in your business’ for working ‘on your business’. A survey conducted by YouGov in 2016 found that an incredible 56% of people spend only two hours a day or less on work they would term as ‘important’. Building your business, with help from talented and dedicated outside professionals, can have a powerful impact on your business’s growth, productivity and bottom lines. So why do some SME owners still feel reluctant to outsource?

It’s common for entrepreneurs to feel that they want to do everything within their business themselves and it can become increasingly difficult to let go. In the early days of starting a business, it’s generally just you, putting in the hours and ‘wearing every hat’ to get your business off the ground. But how long can this solo approach work for you? By attempting to control or oversee every little thing – you can quickly end up feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks you face on a daily basis and in turn, this can lead to your businesses progression stalling.

Tip: Here’s a great way to maximise your productivity and ensure you stay focused on your goals. RescueTime is a time management app that analyses how you spend your computer time – how long you spend on a certain site and on your task. It then gives you a daily productivity score based on your activities, showing at a glance how productive and how distracted you’ve been. The graphs and charts it generates are an excellent way to track how you manage your time every week and show you how you can make simple changes to your behaviour to increase your productivity.

Virtual work is becoming increasingly popular, and it’s easy to see why there is a growing trend towards SMEs hiring staff to work for them remotely. Improvements in technology have made this all possible, giving workers the ability to complete a huge range of tasks that don’t require them to be physically present in an office. And with the help of excellent project management tools such as Trello and password encryption management tools such as Lastpass, it’s even more efficient and secure than ever to work together virtually. In fact, it’s possible to outsource almost any function you can think of, for example: covering knowledge gaps with web developers or graphic designers, through to Virtual Assistants (VAs) – capable and skilled administrative professionals who can take on a plethora of business support tasks.

What’s more is when you hire an employee in-house, you generally only have access to a small local talent pool. Unfortunately, this can often mean having to make numerous compromises. Outsourcing means you can cast a much wider net and expand your search – globally if you wish! With access to so much talent, you can hire people with the exact skills and expertise you need to help direct your business where it needs to be and ensure you only ever work with the ‘best of the best’.

Working with a talented and experienced Virtual Assistant could be your business’s ticket to growth and successfully achieving your goals – be they business or personal. The key is to find the right Virtual Assistant to go on this journey with you. When you’re looking for a VA, take the time to check out the candidates online, for example, by reading testimonials and LinkedIn recommendations. A good VA will also offer a no obligation call for you to have a chat about the services they offer and get a feel for the kind of support you need.

The range of tasks a Virtual Assistant can expertly manage for you are endless, from managing your social media platforms, updating your CRM, operating ZenDesk, managing your diary and inbox or writing your blog, to name but a few tasks. You’re now free to consider this important question 'what could you achieve with all your extra time now you’ve outsourced those tasks which have been holding you back?' What could this mean for your productivity?  What could it mean for your bottom line?

‘The art of delegation is one of the key skills any entrepreneur must master’

Richard Branson

Download your FREE guide below and start to reclaim your time today!

My name is Selina Johnson and I'm an elite Virtual Assistant providing Virtual Business Support to Executives. We help SME's with administrative, technical and creative support so you are free to grow your business and increase your profits.

Contact us today to discuss how we can add value to your business.

01234 602596
hello@selinajohnson.com

Join our mailing list

Be the first to receive free eBooks, productivity tips and updates. We respect your privacy.