Work Less, Earn More: Step 1 – Commitment
*Note: Okay, my simple post wound up being multiple pages in MS Word, so I’ve turned my process into a series of posts so you don’t have to sit here reading all day 
The other day I brought up the idea of working less and earning more, and how at one time I didn’t believe it could really be done. I’ve always understood the concept of outsourcing, and started using a VA off and on quite a few years ago. While the concept was clear, I didn’t really get it in the sense that I wasn’t letting go, and because of that I was still chained to my computer and weighed down with work.
It also didn’t help that my short-sighted thinking made me believe that I couldn’t afford to hire help, and that’s the roadblock a lot of people struggle with. Well that, and a desire to stay in control of every aspect of their business.
I may feel like the queen of outsourcing now, but believe it or not, until recently I wasn’t using the power of outsourcing to its full potential. So over the next few days I want to share with you how I’m working less than ever before, and how I manage to maintain and actually grow my income. It’s not some big secret or anything cool like that, it’s more of a shift in the way you think and approach your business, with a healthy dose of focus and action thrown in too.
So without further ado…
Step 1: Commitment
The first thing you have to do is make the decision to do it. A lot of times, we nod our heads in agreement at the importance of outsourcing, yet in the back of our minds we know we’re not going to do anything about it. We’re going to keep on doing what we’re doing now, even though we know we should make a change.
So until you’re 100% ready to take that leap and make a commitment to seriously working less, it’s going to be tough to make it happen because of your need to cling on to everything.
In truth, I’m not sure I would be working less now if I hadn’t made a change out of necessity. We always think, “it’s not going to happen to me, I don’t have to worry about it,” so when something does happen, we feel like we’re “up the creek without a paddle”.
Working less not only means you have more free time to enjoy life, it also means you have a business that can run without you. Again, you have to be committed to making a change, for change to happen.
What’s next?
Tomorrow we’ll talk about one of the biggest roadblocks people face when it comes to outsourcing – MONEY!
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Work Less, Earn More…Too Good to be True?
It sounds so good doesn’t it? To work way less than you do right now and actually earn more money doing it.
I believe it to be true now, but I didn’t always think so. I guess I just couldn’t connect making money with not, or barely, working because that’s all I’d ever done. Trading hours for dollars. Besides, at the time I was only making enough to pay my own bills; I couldn’t afford to hire anyone to help me.
If only I had thought differently. Or at least knew how to do then what I do now to spend minimal time working, while continuing to grow my business.
Now I have to admit, I’m not a serial planner, but rather a planner out of necessity. Like you, my life outside of my business is busy, and when there’s downtime I like to spend it reading or watching movies. I can’t work around the clock like I used to, I just don’t want to do it. There are more important things in life, and I intend to get out of it all I can.
For me, I think the major shift in how I run my business today happened when my 21 month old son was diagnosed with Neuronopathic Gaucher Disease Type 3 when he was 10 months old. So much was, and still is, unknown. There is no set path for his disease to follow, every child progresses differently, and because it’s so rare they don’t have many children who have gone before to say it’s going to go down like this.
So I have to be prepared for the unexpected, and I can’t do that by being so attached to my business that it can’t run without me.
A few years ago when I was so sure I couldn’t afford to hire help, I was merely looking at the dollar cost, and not what it was costing me not to outsource:
- There’s no one to take over for you should the unexpected happen, which means your business comes to a screeching halt while you’re attending to personal things
- You spend too much time working, and not enough time enjoying life because you’re too busy attending to all the little details
- You actually make less money because while you’re attending to all those little details, you’re not able to focus that time on money making activities – like taking on an extra client, or working on your next product
- Your business loses value, because if you ever want to sell it will be really hard to hand the reins over to someone else when your business is you
- You get stressed and burnt out working so much, that you inadvertently take your frustrations out on your innocent children
To have all of those things gone, is it not worth $75 to $250 a month?
Of course it is.
Unfortunately, we tend to look at the bottom line instead of what it’s costing us in our life to keep going on without help. We just can’t imagine paying someone to do the things we can do ourselves.
But how do you make the change that will allow you to work less and earn more?
Well, that’s for Wednesday’s post where I’ll outline how I’m able to work less than ever before, and earn more doing it. 
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Free Handy Outsourcing Printable
I just sent an email to sweetie customers and subscribers about a handy outsourcing printable, but I really wanted to share it with you too.
So, here’s the email I sent out about it:
Before you head off for the weekend, I wanted to send a copy of this handy outsourcing printable that I put together.
With the New Year fast approaching I’ve been busy planning my business for 2010. And in order to meet my goals and bring more balance to work and family, outsourcing will play an even bigger part in my business next year.
You may, or may not know that my youngest son has special needs and requires a lot of my attention. And as his medical needs grow, I am so thankful that I have a team of people I can count on to keep things running. Especially when the unexpected happens.
If you plan to start outsourcing, or you want to do more of it, here is a checklist to help you create an action plan, build your outsourcing team, as well as some ideas of tasks and procedures you can outsource.
Grab your copy here:
http://sweetiemarketing.com/outsourcing-checklists.pdf
If you’re ready to start outsourcing, you can pick up 140+ fully-illustrated and customizable training sheets that you can give directly to your helpers. Along with 8 teleconference recordings and transcripts to help you can cut your learning curve for just $5 bucks.
50% discount expires tomorrow!
Go to: http://www.outsourcingsweetie.com
Use coupon code: 5B3EA during checkout.
All the best,
Melissa Ingold
Your Partner in Online Success
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Want to work less? Being Constantly Connected Isn’t Necessarily Bad
In our never ending quest to work less and earn more (think: Increasing your hourly worth for work you do in your business), I’m reminded of Timothy Ferriss, author of 4-Hour Work Week, who insists that people stop checking their email, do away with Blackberries (and iphones if you prefer). He insists that phones are for phone calls and when you allow yourself to be reachable via email at any time of day, you’re headed for disaster.
Maybe. Maybe not.
His advice applies if you’ve organized your business to allow for this. And to be fair, his book does explain how and his book does explain how to. If you have delegated a manager who can make all the day-to-day decisions that works just fine.
For my business and the business of many of our readers, we don’t have the right kind of delegation or chain of command set up. Many of us are content being the managers of our businesses or simply prefer it. My business is already 7 years old, but has undergone a few transformations and because of that, I WANT my finger on the pulse of what’s happening or it may not currently be economically feasible to have a full-time manager.
Side Note: I also don’t have the goal of a 4-hour work week – and I know many of us don’t. I’m happy sitting at about 10-12 hours per week at this point in time, as it serves my current needs. At other times, it may be higher and at other times lower. Just depends on what is going on in my life and I what I feel like doing.
So, here we are… for a lot of us, if we are not reachable our businesses may suffer, simply because of the way we’ve set it up. That doesn’t mean we can’t take time off, but on day-to-day basis we need to be accessible to those that report directly to us (VA’s, writers, programmers, etc.)
If this describes your business, this is how I’ve managed to stay connected without it eating up my time or taking over my life.
- Customer support and general inquires go to a ticket system and a VA is in charge of these. When she is away, she has delegated help to fill in.
- My VA manages a lot of additional correspondence for me. For example, she fields my interview and JV requests. She will gather the data, get answers to my questions, and do scheduling. If a JV relationship develops further, the contact may receive my personal contact information at that point. But short-term contacts and relationships are largely handled through my assistant.
- Many of our contractors, writers in particular (for our ghostwriting and PLR businesses) communicate with our project managers. For the volume of work we produce on a monthly basis, it’s not feasible for me to manage this and stay in contact.
- However for more “close to home” contractors, I do keep in contact directly. For example, writers that work directly for me, my tech person, etc. For less time sensitive projects, we communicate through an online system that is checked less frequently. For work that needs to be up-to-date and moving along, those contractors contact me directly through email.
This all means that five or six contractors and a handful of other people who can contact me directly to my personal email address. In other words, my email is LIGHT. For that reason, my personal email goes directly to my cell phone, so I can be responsive to those working for me and they can get their jobs done.
I find being hooked up via cell phone saves me time because I can answer any necessary emails and move on. If I had to log onto my computer to do this, I’d run into these issues:
- I’d feel compelled to log onto my computer more frequently to check for messages (I do need to be responsive to those who report directly to me).
- I’d get distracted while logged on and get lost in all that distracts online business owners.
With a handful of emails going directly to my phone I can relax and avoid the distractions. I like it this way.Of course, all businesses and individuals are unique. Just make sure your “connected” preferences match your chain of command.
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Sweetie Saturday: Working with a VA, Being “Unpopular” & Building Your List
It’s that time again -> Sweetie Saturday Report Club Time!
And this month’s announcement includes an extra EXTREMELY valuable goodie for club members. Plus a heads up about boosted value and ultimately, boosted club dues (but don’t worry, if you’re already a member…you never have to pay more as long as you keep you membership active).
To Report Club Members: If you’re a member, everything is ready for download in your account.
Not a Member Yet? Click here to find out about this super-affordable and value-packed membership.
Onto this month’s new stuff:
If you’ve been pulling your hair out with too much stuff to do and you’re tired of little tasks taking you away from really GROWING your business…
Introducing: Your Guide to Finding & Working with a Virtual Assistant (VA) on Any Budget is your guide to leveraging the skills of others to boost your productivity and profitability.
Put together by Melody Spier of Essential Office Support (and who happens to be my own long-time VA), we’ve included a written report plus full audio recording that show you how to find and work effectively with a virtual assistant. And it doesn’t matter what your budget, you’ll learn how to start small and leverage the time and skills of your VA to boost your profits.
**Psst…if you don’t have a VA yet, log into your membership and you’ll see a valuable offer to get some one-on-one guidance and a work done for your with a VA Starter Package. Members-only!
(Full details on the report are at the Report Club Website)
Plus, you’ll receive these…
Members-Only Perks:
The monthly Essential Biz Notes supplement is a personal letter from me including a variety of strategies and recommendations for all aspects of your online business.
This month’s topic: “Being Popular May Not Be All That It’s Cracked Up To Be And How You Can Do BETTER Than Be Popular†~ If you’ve ever felt envious of other people’s perceived success, this will be a real eye-opener. Forget about being popular and learn how to get the true results you want from your business instead.
Stay Accountable & Learn More at the Club Members Only Discussion Forum
It’s one thing to get the information and tools you need to build and improve your online business, taking action is quite another. That’s why we’ve the private club members discussion area is available to you. Each month, you’ll find new discussions about the monthly materials. You’ll also find opportunities to share your action plans and stay accountable to sticking with your goals.
Now, there are no more excuses for NOT taking action.
AND NEWÂ for All Report Club Members
We’ve just added a cool new and handy bonus entitled, “27 Surefire Ways to Build Your Mailing List“. Print it out and keep it handy because this quick guide has tons of ideas for you to continue building your opt-in list.
What to Do Next: Sign Up & Claim Your Coupon Code
To get your first month’s membership (new members only) for only $1, be sure to enter coupon code:
freezie
Yes, the coupon code is: freezie
Click here for full details on the Sweetie Saturday Report Club.
…or…
If you’ve already made up your mind, go directly to the sign up page.
Heads Up on New Perk & Price Hike Coming
Again, if you are ALREADY a member or sign up before June 27, 2009…you’ll never pay more for your membership…as long as you keep an active club membership. However, if you do join after the deadline, you can expect to pay a bit more due to the new and upcoming monthly perk:
Announcing -> Sweet Cheat Sheets!
We’re all busy. Whether we’re working hard in our business or would rather be out and enjoying friends and family – it’s nice to have a clear and focused task list. So, no more mucking around. In addition to your monthly report, recording, biz notes and club forum access – you’ll get a monthly cheat sheet that will either:
- Show you step-by-step how to conduct a specific (yet important) task for your online business. For example, SEO, putting together a sales page, solo email, etc.
- OR…give you plenty of actionable ideas to achieve a business goal (ex. choosing topics for your mailing list, blog ideas, etc.
Over the months, your library of cheat sheets will grow, so you’ll never run out of productive things to do for your business.
I look forward to delivering that in July’s package…but for now, enjoy this month’s bonus report with “27 Surefire Ways to Build Your Mailing List”. That’ll keep you (or your VA) busy!
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Create Shareable Systems: Wiki Might Do the Trick
One of Alice’s older blog posts over at InternetBasedMoms Experts blog caught my eye recently. It was titled “How Outsourcing Can Affect Your Retirement“.
Retirement? I love what I do and the thought of retirement only crosses my mind only once in a blue moon. Yet, I know it is unrealistic for me to expect I’ll be working forever. Doesn’t mean I won’t try but that’s another story. There will come a point when I am unable to work. That’s why all through 2008, I started documenting everything I do – putting ’systems’ in place.
In doing so, I’ve also discovered a problem. You see, I love to write in my Word Processor. I like the thought of nicely formatted documents, neatly printed and binded which I can pull out to refer to regularly. You bet, I still do a lot of things on paper. Particularly reference documents. But paper system has one fatal flaw. Great for businesses with a physical office. Not so great when you’re working virtually like many of us do.
This realization hit me hard when I had to instruct my assistant who lives 50 miles from me. That is not a short distance but far enough I cannot have her in my office everyday or even once a week. It needs to be online.
I tried to create PDF versions of the documentation, but that only generated more work. Making the PDF and uploading is not the problem. Keeping track of all the PDF’s and referring to them was beginning to be a major organization issue. My instructions also sometimes come in video format. I could of course create a page to list all the links out but if I was going to do that why not just create the whole system online? It’ll…
- Save me from keeping copies up to date
- Save me from doing work twice – enter information once and everything is there to share
I tried many ways and almost built a WordPress powered staff-only site just to manage all this which is not a bad idea. That may be the next one I’ll try if this one doesn’t pan out. However, my desire to not have yet another script to manage or upgrade stopped me. Right now, I believe a wiki will work best for me because:
- Wikis are editable if I give users the ability to. If an assistant changes a password they can just enter it there and I or anyone else on the team can pick it up without constantly emailing each other.
- It is easy to create and link to different Wiki pages
- Wikis are pretty easy to use
- Staff can add, update or contribute information to the wiki. I can get them to help me create the systems by documenting the work they do work for me. When they leave to pursue bigger and better things, I already have documentation in place to pass on to new recruits.
- Also… doing this means, I’m not the only one who’s generating this internal knowledge base.
If you’re interested to try out wikis to manage and share your systems internally, here are some places you can get started.
- Pbwiki
- WetPaint
- Wikispaces
- Google Sites – this is what I use since I’m already using GoogleApps which makes sharing and permissions a snap.
You can also run them on your web host – I prefer not to do this because I’ll have (yet) another web site and script to manage.
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FREE DOWNLOAD: Effective Article Marketing Efficiency Monthly Checklist & Worksheet
There’s tons of buzz about article marketing. The buzz is nothing new, but it continues years after people started talking about it. You know why? Cuz it works!
The problem is, it takes work and consistent effort to build. But if you have a plan in place, you can get a lot done in a shorter amount of time AND boast great results.
Download This FREE Practical Checklist & Worksheet
To help you streamline your article marketing and to make it more effective, I’ve put together a couple of downloadable documents for you.
1. Effective Article Marketing Efficiency Monthly Checklist
This is a 4-page “how to” checklist that shows you 5 important steps to effective article marketing including:
- Brainstorming: Learn how to save tons of time in deciding what to write about each month.
- Article writing: Whether you use a ghostwriter or write the articles yourself, find out the key to making fast work of writing.
- Byline creation: Discover 3 key points to making click-inspiring bylines.
- Distribution: We share the 6 distribution channels that provide maximum results.
- Evaluation: Don’t get bogged down in endless stats checking. This section shows you what to look for to monitor your results.
…and to keep track of everything, I’ve also added:
Effective Article Marketing Efficiency Worksheet
This is a simple printable document that allows you to track your progress through the various steps. Each sheet has space for 10 articles. If you publish more than 10 each month, simply print out extra sheets.
Both documents, plus complete instructions have been put into a zip file (contents are 2 .pdf documents plus 1 .txt file). You are welcome to use these for your own personal use and to give the zip file out freely to your friends, colleagues, subscribers and customers. All I request is that you don’t make any changes, so that the complete system stays intact.
How to Download
Click here to download the zip folder (includes 2 .pdf documents, 1 .txt file and 1 .csv file)
…then get to work!
NEW! If you prefer to track your progress on your computer, instead of on paper, we’ve just added a spreadsheet that you can use instead of the printable. The spreadsheet has been added to the zip folder above, but if you already have the other files and just need the spreadsheet, click here to get it.
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MYTH: The Work Is Shoddy…My Contractor Doesn’t Know What She’s Doing
Have you every hired someone to do work for you and what was returned to you was complete garbage?
Sure, I have too.
Does that mean the contractor didn’t know what she was doing?
Well, in some cases yes…but often it goes deeper than that and it always comes back to communication.
I’ve been meaning to write on this topic for quite some time and it’s something I talk about at Outsourcing Sweetie, but recently this issue came up in some online coaching I was doing with a client. I thought it was a great example of the need for communication, so I’ll share it here. She needed a website header created and she requested one. She said it was for XX website and gave a simple instruction on what look she was going for.
The graphic artist didn’t ask any further questions and set to work. Obviously, at that point, the artist could have inquired further, but sometimes when working with graphics it’s just easier to give a client something to look at, so you can go from there.
Well, the first graphic produced was not to her liking. She simply said it was pretty, but quite plain. She asked if the artist was planning on adding something and that she was looking for a more professional look.
Again, not much detail. Instead, she might have looked at and gave instructions on things like:
- Color: Did she like the colors? Did she want one or all of the colors changed? To what?
- Text: Did she want additional text? In the original instruction, she didn’t even say what text she wanted, so the artist simply put the website name on the header.
- Font: Did she like the font? What about the size? What about the positioning on the graphic?
- Images: Did she like the images used in the header? Was there something in particular she’d like to see?
The more you can guide your contractor to what you want, the better. They aren’t mind readers and they need to know your vision. Tell ‘em exactly what that is.
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