One of the best things that I’ve done for my business is outsource specific business tasks. Not only has outsourcing allowed me to free up time to spend with my family, but it has also given me back my sanity, and the time to work on new business ideas (such as my Membership for Motherhood Photographers).

If you’ve been on the fence about outsourcing, this blog has been written with you specifically in mind. I’m sharing the tell-tale signs of whether or not your business is ready to hire some extra help and ways to find help.

Stressed to the Max

Are you finding that your plate feels overwhelmingly full or as if you can’t get through any of your emails? As soon as you finish one to-do list item, you’ve added three more? If you’re in this cycle, there’s a chance you could be stressing yourself out even if you’re unaware. There are often times that when I have way too much to do, I really just don’t want to do anything at all. My energy plummets and there are even times when I make myself sick because my immune system is down from lack of sleep. 

There, of course, will always be seasons of busyness as a small business owner but busyness shouldn’t be a constant within your business. Being stressed due to your workload is one of the first signs that you’re ready to outsource (or at least raise your prices!).

Start making a list of your daily to-dos as this is often a great place to start outsourcing tasks. Those every day redundancies that take up too much time is something that you can easily train someone to do for you.

Forgetfulness

When you do have too much to do within your business, you may find that you’re forgetting to do even the simplest of tasks. 

Consider hiring someone to help manage your online calendar to remind you about upcoming due dates and client calls, etc. 

Customer Experience is Lacking

If you’re feeling like you’re constantly having to do damage control or if you’re just not responding to clients in a timely manner, there could be an opportunity for you to outsource client management. 

Evaluate your client process and see if there are areas that someone else could help respond or manage your client workflows. 

Missing Out on Business Growth

Do you find that you’re having to constantly turn away new inquiries? Do you find that you’re not able to further your business education because you’re just way too busy with all the mundane tasks? You know you’re missing out on business growth and you can feel yourself becoming bored and stagnant within your business.

List out the things that you’d be able to do if you were to outsource things within your business. 

You’re Just Tired

You’re just tired, plain and simple. It’s time to outsource.

New Tech and Business Platforms

You love what you do, but as your business grows you’re needing new tech and business platforms that you don’t have time to learn.

Consider hiring someone who specializes in the platforms that you’re looking at adding to your business. From setting up the platform to helping you manage them, this allows you to scale your business while not taking away from your expertise.

So you’ve related to one or more of the tell-tale signs above and know it’s time to outsource.

What do you outsource?

When it comes to what to outsource, I highly suggest making a couple of lists…

• Write out tasks that you just do not like doing (i.e. social media, Pinterest, website updates, organizing your inbox, etc.)
• Write out tasks that take up too much of your time (i.e. responding to client emails, scheduling posts for social media, editing, etc.)
• Write out tasks that have to happen daily or weekly to make your business run (i.e. check your inbox, blogging, sending client galleries, bookkeeping, etc.)
  
  *Hint: if you’re a photographer, the first thing I suggest outsourcing is your editing. It’s not expensive at all and can add precious hours back into your day. In fact, taking on just one more session per year will likely cover the cost of having someone else edit all of your sessions for you!*

Who do you outsource tasks to?

In the online business world, virtual assistants are becoming more and more popular. A virtual assistant (VA) can help you with a variety of tasks or can have a specific niche that the help their clients with. From social media, to launching courses, to managing daily tasks, if you want to outsource a specific task, there’s a VA that can help you. Two of the most popular sites to find a VA are OutsourcingWithLove.com and TheVirtualSavvy.com.

Or, maybe you’re wanting someone local to help you within the office one to two days a week. Consider reaching out to local colleges that require students to have internships. This can be a highly beneficial partnership and might turn into more than just an internship and you’ll find someone who can work part-time (or even full-time!) for you.

Don’t have the finances.

If you know you’re ready to outsource, but financial reasons are holding you back, evaluate your business expenses. Where can you cut back to make room to hire help? Would hiring help actually allow you to create more income? I understand that money can often be a hold back, but not seeking help can lead to burnout quicker than anything which ultimately could close your business.

*Hint: every time I’ve added someone to my team, my income has grown because I actually have time to grow my business instead of just manage it.*

Tell me in the comments below if you’ve made the leap to outsource. How has it helped your business grow to new heights?

If you’re still on the fence about hiring some help, tell me in the comments what’s holding you back.