March 10, 2008
“I Can Do It Better Myself” - Myth Crusher
Many of us started our online businesses because…well frankly, we’re good at what we do. Most of us usually work at home and alone, so we’re used to just getting it all done for ourselves.
So when people start toying with the idea of outsourcing, many stop themselves before they even begin by saying, “I can do it better myself.”
If you’ve said that to yourself before, I’m sorry, but you are wrong.
Here’s just a few reasons why:
1. Even if you are a talented [submit your talent here], running a business requires a tremendous amount of planning and managing. If you’re too busy [submit your talent here] and not spending enough time managing the course of your business, you’re going to stagnate your growth.
2. Many people think it’s just easier to do the little tasks themselves, instead of taking the time to hire and train a new person. If you’re talking about repetitive task, imagine how much time you can actually save by having someone else on hand and ready to do this task every time it’s required.
Don’t believe me on saving time? Many people don’t, but as the MANAGER/CEO of your business, you need to systematize these things so they do save time and ultimately money (because if you’re doing all these mundane tasks in your business…you are WASTING time and money). You can systematize by:
- Having a hiring process in place. Have written requirements for your contractors and a set of interview questions prior to hiring.
- Create your training materials. When many people outsource, they give instructions on the fly. They write an email to their assistant and explain how to do something. Then when it comes up again, they have to rewrite the instructions. SILLY! Each time you need to explain a process, save these instructions in a folder on your computer…before you know it, you’ll have a whole training manual to refer to and you won’t have to train people anymore.
3. No matter how many times I say it can’t be done, some people are determining to add extra extra hours to the 24 hour day. 
We can hope, wish and pray, but there will always be only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. Trying to squeeze in more is a drain on your sanity, personal life and even your physical health. Give yourself a break and get some help.
Of course, I know…that’s all easier said than done. How do you get started? How do you find the right people?
I always suggest starting with a good virtual assistant (VA) who can alleviate a wide variety of regular tasks. A VA can help you manage your email, update your websites and do a lot of the ongoing things that eat up so much of your day.
But again…how do you find the right VA? Trust me, I know it’s not always easy (but it gets easier with the right strategies and experience). That’s why I’ve arranged a very informative call with my Outsourcing Sweetie Members this Wednesday on all the ins and outs of finding and working with the right VA.
I’ll be interviewing my long-time VA, Melody Spier, and giving you all the insider info on working with a good VA. Mel will provide tips on finding the right VA, warning signs of problems and making the most of your money.
If you’re already a member, just log in to get the call details.
Not a member yet? Now is the perfect time to try out our $5 Sneak Peek access to the Outsourcing Sweetie Membership. When you sign up now, you’ll get access to all the great resources, plus the VA members call (NOTE: The $5 Sneak Peek offer ends this Friday, so get in now).
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Are you following me around? I’ve finally gotten around to outsourcing and it’s been amazing! I am a different person. I definitely need training manuals - even a one-woman operation can benefit from this. Helpers come and go, but much of the business stays the same. I love being freed up to concentrate on what I really love to do - growing my business!
Hi there!
Have a great day!
Thanks for your email… this is classic!
It’s not just “I can do it better myself” I am a “It’s easier to do it myself” person… at least if I do it I know it’s been done right! and teaching someone how to do something sometimes is just not worth the hassle! I know that this is not always the best thing to do as you end up doing everything yourself…!!!
I am a control freak nad that why I love being in business for myself! I work hard, I reap the rewards
Kind regards, Kara Subritzky
NZ Founder of Jack & Abby
I have been honestly thinking about it more and more. I just do not know about the whole interviewing process and I have a tendency to be a softy and not speak up when things are a little off.
Even though I’ve been getting better at this sometimes, you tend to slip into your old habits. Only a few hours ago, I spent over an hour creating (and juggling 3 y/o in arm) an instruction sheet for my new assistant.
I felt like I had wasted time creating this sheet. But luckily caught myself just in time. Kept reminding myself this is the last time I’ll ever need to do this. What a happy thought that is.
I recently also handed over a personal email account to my personal assistant. Whoa! For a few days I felt like.. Now what am I going to do? I got nothing to do! But thankfully, quickly filled that up with work that pays $$ and work that goes towards progress in other passive income projects. Love, love, love it.
Thanks for the thoughts everyone…giving up control can be a tough road.
Dawn, it’s a skill that you need to develop and it comes with practice. At first, I had trouble asking for corrections, etc…but now it’s second nature. I surround myself with people who want to do a professional job and when I ask them fix this or fix that, they are happy to do it because they want to ensure their clients are happy.
As far as the interviewing process goes, this FAQ on finding a VA might help.
Kara, a lot of people feel the way that you do…absolutely.
But realize that getting people to help out doesn’t have to be a loss of control. As a responsible business owner (which you obviously are), you’d still be checking the work and ensuring it’s up to snuff. It’s just leveraging the time of other people, so you can get more done and not drown in all the little details.
Also…Kara…those pics on your site are absolutely adorable!
Hello,
While I do agree with you on alot of your points. I will say that even though I’m a business support specialist, sometimes (and yes, I will point this out to some of my clients, if I feel it’s best for them) it is best to do some of these things yourself, as nobody else will do a better job with your business, than yourself! Just my two cents on what I’ve found in my experience.
-John Morgan
Hi John. Thank you for your thoughts, do you have any examples on what some of these things would be?
Realistically, I do plenty in my business…but I delegate a huge chunk of it. I keep the things I am good at as my first choice, but that doesn’t mean I have to do those things 100% of the time.
I think by getting ourselves into the mindset that we aren’t replaceable, we do our our business and our future a disservice. For example:
1. What if I want to sell my business? If it’s completely tied to me and what I do, it can’t really be sold?
2. What if I need a vacation or I become ill for a period of time. How will the business continue?
3. What if, heaven forbid, I die and my family either needs to sell the business or continue to run it in order to support themselves?
I certainly don’t think anyone should have to give up every single task in their business (after all, a lot of this work is FUN!), but want them to start realizing that we are and should be replaceable.
Thank you for the input and always sound advice Alice.
Outsourcing/Out-tasking are so valuable, yes… but they are not free.
It’s a frustrating issue… I’d say the cost of NOT outsourcing early in the game, when you have funds to spare, when you are starting out and still have a credit card or cash reserves available is an absolute necessity.
Get focused and start Outsourcing.
Because, if you don’t you may find that you’ve spent all of your reserves trying to do it all yourself… and finding you cannot - but now, can’t afford to do anything about it! This can be a VERY discouraging experience.
So… my advice? If you have funds and focus - learn to outsource, now. If you have no funds or if you are unfocused and have no real destination your are heading towards yet, use Out-tasking to help you get pointed in the right direction and save up your funds for when you get your target clear in your sites… then Outsource with the best folks who will help you hit your target faster, better, and more certainly than you could ever do alone.
Just a few points that might help… I know how frustrating it can be to recognize the value of Outsourcing… and find that you have spent your life savings trying to do it all yourself, just to discover there is nothing left - AFTER realizing the value of “Levereage” (which is, afterall, what Outsourcing is all about… leveraging other peoples time, energy, knowledge, or other resources). So…
If you are ready… and can afford to outsource… get started now. If not… do everything you can to get there as soon as possible…
Just my $.02 worth…
Keep the great info coming…
Great point!
As my business is growing I am finding I want my best practices and processes documented. This will make it very easy to hire someone to help me when I am ready. I had not even thought of that yet, thanks for increasing my awareness.
Jodi
Hi Alice!
Thanks for re-iterating a very valid point. Unfortunately, as I am operating on a shoe string at the moment and am really only starting up I can’t afford to outsource yet.
I can’t wait until I’m able to provide enough work and have the financial back-up to consider outsourcing to a VA, even if it’s only for the creation of data bases, spreadsheets etc, while I’m doing some of the other stuff.
This said, I am rapidly coming round to the idea of outsourcing the set up of an internet shop on the Vinca Cards site . Although already a newby member of ETSY, I thought it’d be fun to set up my very own shop version. How little did I know?
Without it I’m not going to make a lot am I? So maybe I’ll make an executive decision and use the facilities already available to me…
Thanks for helping me decide not to waste more time trying to re-invent the wheel!
Well said! I’ve been tossing around the idea of outsourcing some of my work for the past 2-3 years and never went ahead with it. Now that I’m completely swamped with work, I’m finally ready to take action. There are too many things I repeat on a daily basis, that I could easily train someone to do.
The free time will allow me to concentrate on actually building my business and not helping it “run”. And give me the real-freedom working from home allows
BTW, after I posted my need for a virtual assistant I received over 1500 applicants… in less than 48hrs!
This is the truth Alice.
I am trying to outsource now. In fact, I already started, but the problem is the turn over and delay.
These VA seems to not respect the time allocated to do the work. I think they take more orders that they can handle…
Do VA need to outsource as well? Good question…
Franck, just like in all fields there are good and bad VAs. And yes, in many cases, they take on more work than they can handle…and yes, I think they should be outsourcing. Whether they directly outsource client work or their own administrative tasks, it’s tough to run a business (especially a labor-intensive service-based one) alone!