I have been struggling lately, balancing kids, a husband that hates my online time, several blogs, ecommerce store to manage, content that won’t stop flowing from my head…I’ll admit it, I started drowning…
Then something very important happened, I decided to go talk to the experts that have very successful businesses and yet, manage to travel, enjoy their time at home, and look..well…relaxed. When I asked them that pivotal question “How Do You Do It?” they all replied the same thing… Outsource it.
Another priceless tidbit: Write down you entire To Do list, make exact action steps on what you need to do to make more money, prioritize each one with a $value next to it – meaning, how much money would that add to your business. You focus on the big $ and outsource the busy or smaller $ tasks.
For example: I run an ecommerce store that sells my own invented Baby Bath Towel Apron, the Tubby Bundle. I still pack and ship all my own orders. While yes, it’s a nice thing to do, that 3 hours a day would be better spent finding new affiliates (bringing in $), contacting new stores (brining in $) or setting up promotions for existing customers (bringing in $) and letting a part time person, even a High School student, fill the orders and print shipping labels.
The Downside, You Can Make Expensive Outsourcing Mistakes
As with any part of business, outsourcing has its good and bad points, however if you are aware of the potential problems before hand, you increase your chances of an enjoyable experience.
Here are 5 potential outsourcing mistakes every online business owner should be aware of, in order to avoid making them.
1. Not Knowing Who You Are Dealing With
Most business owners who outsource will tell you the biggest benefit of doing so is the fact that their assistants work remotely. The number one problem when it comes to outsourcing, though, is not thoroughly checking out the contractor or company who will be performing the work. Keep in mind that sometimes this independence can work in the opposite direction if not taken seriously. Make it a point to carefully interview the people you are considering working with before assigning a task or project to them. The person or company should be someone you can trust to represent your business.
2. Non-Communication between Owner & Assistant
Whether you are outsourcing tech support, writing, web design or something else, there is a great deal of effort needed in order to keep the lines of communication open. If you allow your workers to do work for you without communicating your goals and what it is that you need, you will find that they your work will not be done as you’d hoped. Assistants are not mind-readers and do need guidance. Take some time to make sure that you and the people you outsource to understand your expectations. This is an important part of making sure that you get what you need.
3. Forgetting to Budget Wisely
In order for outsourcing to work properly, you’ll need to keep a good eye on what you are spending for the work being done. While some projects will require single payments to your assistant, others may involve recurring or retainer payments and you will more than likely have some type of contract or agreement that binds you. Some of your assistants may charge by the hour while others may invoice by project or expect payment based on a commission of some sort. Take the time to figure out how much money you can afford to spend on certain tasks and budget appropriately.
For more information on Outsourcing I have to recommend you check out the new program by Nicole Dean and Jimmy D. Brown, OutsourceWeekly, I have used several of their programs and they know their stuff and make it very clear and concise. Their line, “Get More Done In A Week Then You Do In A Month” rings so true when you learn how to delegate and outsource!
By the way, yes, I am putting this to practice myself and I am currently searching for an ecommerce store manager.
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