When does affording to outsource become an issue?

As your business moves up a notch, you know that something has to change. It's like a staircase where the steps get higher each time and you need a hand to get you onto that next step. It's scary and overwhelming you are taking on larger projects, lots more clients, working in circles others only dream of.

You want to give up, not go any further for fear of failing, see others push forward through the terror, excited about where they are heading.

You know you have to explore what possibilities there are to find time to move your business forward, make your job (and home life) easier, add processes that will help ease up the time grabbing tasks that have to be in place to make best use of each days allocated time – or work into the early hours of the morning.

See https://www.38partnership.co.uk/ask-yourself-are-your-goals-unachievable-with-the-processes-you-have-in-place

Whether you’re a sole trader of moving up into middle management on your corporate ladder, there comes a time for decision, a choice.

1. Bring in help, whether it’s at work or at home, helping you to achieve more and give you a better peace of mind
   
2. OR doing it all yourself, constantly feel overwhelmed both physically and emotionally. If the latter route doesn’t take its toll in 3 months, it will in the next twelve. Your business will suffer, your commitments and deadlines will begin to slide or you turn around and find your children are 3 years older, where did that time go? As for your home, where’s the paint tin and when did we even venture up the garden?
   

Yes it has happened to me as each level of our business grew. I had to stop and take note of what was happening, step outside – and look back in. Your closest friends will have already said, you’re doing too much, you’re very busy how do you cope? Your best friends will say you don’t look well, can we help?

In days gone by we were just told to work harder, longer, put in the overtime, work came first. It was unheard of to pay someone to do a job you could do yourself unless you were in upper management, but also woman didn’t have full time work, they possibly had a small part time job. Looking after the children, the home and having a dinner on the table was her major role. The part-time job gave her what was at that time called pin money. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pin_money

What are the options ? This is what I’ve learnt along the way, more often because I have gone past the point where I should have asked for help and stubbornly resisted the urge to say I can’t cope.

Inside help at home: How much will a cleaner cost against what your hourly rate is? To grab back those hours and bring in a cleaner who will have your house looking great for the weekend or coming in on a Monday to clean up after a busy weekend, will that give you peace of mind. Having someone come round and do your garden 2 times a month, mow the lawn, clear out the borders during the spring and autumn, would that help relieve that feeling of covering so many jobs on top of your workload?

Can you children swap ? arrange between your friends a rota on whose collecting from school, would that give you an extra hour. Could you set up an arrangement to take them home for that first hour to let your friends gain back an hour themselves?

Slow cooker dinners Simple things like investing in a slow cooker, preparing a slow cooker dinner in the morning take about 20mins and is ready for everyone in the evening. Think of the money you could save by reducing the amount of convenience or take-outs you buy each week, think of the healthy meals you can cook for a fraction of the price.

Subbing out at home : is a great way to get back your time but your gives you peace of mind and suddenly home life becomes the relaxing, enjoyable place it should be and not the never-ending chore that is constantly nagging at your mind and disrupting your thought patterns. Having a family that works (and plays) together means you all get more time to do the things you love, even if it is pulling on wellington boots and all taking the dog for a walk over the woods or down the river. It gives everyone more quality time.

Declutter: This is such a vast topic I cannot possibly do it justice , however it’s true the less you have to tidy, the less time it will take . Time is wasted just because you can’t find the things you need to use, want to wear.

Organise: So many to choose from, here are just 7 tips

1. Arrange your home so that everyone knows where things are kept.
   
2. The children’s sports bags will always be on that hook.
   
3. The scissors are always kept in that drawer.
   
4. Fold your duvet covers and additional pillow and store inside the matching pillowcase.
   
5. Train everyone in the house to take their dirty washing to the washing baskets and separate the whites and colours.
   
6. Teach them how to change their beds – and how often
   
7. Take it in turns to cook, include the children, later they will want to cook the whole meal.
   

Stagnate or succeed?

Make a plan , we have seen over the years that in difficult times, some business owners decide to 'sit it out' in fear of taking the wrong path, a decision that may impede their already stagnating business. The fear of failing turns into inactivity. Sometimes making a plan, however detailed your chose it to be - and taking the first small step reveals the next small step and the next and before you know it your plan is moving at a pace. Every area you were concerned about, overwhelmed at the thought of the grand pictures suddenly when turned into small pieces similar to a jigsaw puzzle - become whole.

Find a coach there are many to choose from, Life Coach, Personal Coach, Business Coach, Development Coach, Mind-set Coach? Finding a coach that suits you takes time, we recommend you speak to at least 3 before you make any decisions, each one will have a different skill, however, the type of personality will also depend on how well you are able to define your goals and whether you proceed to fulfil them. Many people make goals and never put them into action. A good coach will encourage, coerce and motivate you enough to make a real difference to not only your business but also yourself.

A collaboration, or business partnership , engaging other people to take on part of your workload makes perfect sense as you grow. First, look at the things you are spending your time on when you could be spending that same time on your business.

Find people who compliment your services, people you are already aware of, know they provide an excellent quality of service, understand your business and have great work ethics. You may already be recommending these people. Could you arrange a collaboration or even a 'white label' service where they do the work and invoice you, you invoice your client and still have full contact with your client. Treat them as another department of your business.

Is your networking really working , do you get the results you are looking for? Make a note of the networking events you or a member of your staff attend, who are you meeting and connecting with. Are your arranged 1 to 1's actually taking place, do you understand what the other person's business is about enough to refer them and have they given you enough time to talk about what services you provide. Basically are your 1 to 1's turning into a nice coffee out of the office. We learned the hard way, a 1 to 1 out of the office is easily 2 hours, a zoom meeting around 1 hour, no parking, no paying out of coffees and the meetings are kept on a friendly but business like basis. Before we book a meeting we ask for their networking calendar and send ours asking for either a zoom meeting or to meet before or after a networking meeting. Its a win, win. If they can visit as a guest to your networking event and meet afterwards, great. If you can visit theirs, at least you are mixing with a new group of people, who may turn into new prospects. Both parties have to be out of the office why not make the most of it.

Find and work with people who know more than you . Really this says it all, look for people who are several levels up in their business, skill base, socially and professionally. It truly is a numbers game but you do need to mix with people who can either buy from you or you can learn from.

Extending your services, this way may just mean the clients that don't fit perfectly are suddenly knocking at your door as you provide such a rounded product.

Engage people who are skilled at the tasks you are trying to learn. How long will it take you to learn how to do your accounts, your vat, your website, your social media?

Can you for example, design a branded image? One that says exactly what you want it to do, reflecting the exact colours and using the correct fonts. Do you understand how to add your logo, and upload in the correct size?

Have you tried before and found the edges are cut off and the image looks blurred? How much time do have to spend learning what others take years to do.

Your hours will be their minutes allowing you to concentrate on the work you enjoy, the stuff you started your business for in the first place.

Are these some of the actions that could help take you to the next step in your business?

Can you afford not to take them?

Is it now time you grabbed the opportunity, and pushed your business to the next level?

To explore some of the ways we help you flourish in your business take a look at https://www.38partnership.co.uk/how-to Can’t see what you want? Simply complete the form and we will be in touch.

Gill Fountain

30 years, living the up’s and downs of running my own business, as a woman starting out in a man’s world.

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