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> Get Articles > Management and Best Practice > Delegate your Way to Greater Succes
Delegate your Way to Greater Succes
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Kristie Tamsevicius
kristiekcustom.com
KCD Web Design
http://www.kcustom.com
Dreamy eyed, passion filled new business owners are
committed to doing whatever it takes to get their new
business off the ground. As an unstoppable one-man-band,
you find yourself playing the roles of sales person, order
taker, order fulfillment, customer service, accounting, and
management. But as your business grows, there will
undoubtedly, be more to running the business than you had
anticipated. To keep up, you'll put in more time, and wind
up so busy working "in" your business that you'll no longer
have the necessary time you need to work "on" building your
business. In order to move beyond start up phase to a more
mature solid business, it's crucial to break this vicious
cycle. So what is an overworked, overstressed business
owner to do? The key to creating more time is to delegate!
In the first of a four part series, "Ramping up for
Success" we'll discuss how to delegate your way to greater
success!
WHAT TASKS CAN I DELEGATE?
Successful people don't work harder; they work smarter.
This means focusing on what you do best and delegating the
rest! Ask yourself what you enjoy doing LEAST for your
business. Now, imagine that you could literally give away
these mind numbing, frustrating parts of your job.
TROUBLE LETTING GO? - GET A NEW ATTITUDE!
Are you a control freak or a micromanager? Do you have
trouble trusting others to do your work? Believe it or
not, some people actually have trouble "letting go" of even
monotonous, boring task because of the belief that they can
do things getter themselves. True, as entrepreneurs we are
wonderful gifted creatures capable of tackling the most
monstrous of tasks, but why go to the "pain" if you don't
have to? Delegating is a skill that will become easier
with practice. Once you let go of the huge "I am Superman
I can do everything" attitude and realize the power of
letting others help you, the payoff will be big. Save
your time and energy for creativity, for planning and
growing, and for enjoying your life.
WHERE TO FIND GOOD HELP
Good help can be hard to find. Finding both someone you
can trust and who qualified can be a little intimidating.
Ask for referrals. When you do find someone, call their
references. You can even give someone a tiny job to test
the waters and see how they fare. Below are some different
types of help that are available and where you can find
them.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS: In this day of email, fax, instant
messaging, and ftp anyone, anywhere can assist you with
your work. Virtual assistants can help you with editing
your newsletter, paying bills, invoicing, marketing, travel
plans, bookkeeping, email management, Internet research,
event planning, bargain shopping, appointment reminders,
and word processing. It's like having your own personal
secretary! A virtual assistant can act as your partner in
business and a fresh source of ideas for management and
growth. Typical rates for a virtual assistant run around
$30 per hour.
Here are some places to find virtual assistants:
- http://www.vacertification.com/listing.html
- http://www.ivaa.org/rfp_form.html
- http://www.staffcentrix.com/
WEB DESIGNERS: Why spend your own time updating your web
site when you can pay someone else to do it for you. If
your bill your clients $200 per hour for your time, isn't
it worth it to hire someone for $30-$60 per hour to
maintain your site for you? Your time is money. When you
take on your own maintenance, it actually costs you
potential sales that you could have made in that time. In
many cases, a professional web developer could do a better
job, with less mistakes, and in half the time. Save
yourself the frustration and hire some help.
- http://www.econstructors.com/
- http://www.comparewebdesigners.com/
- http://www.webprosnow.com/
- http://www.codecranker.com/
- http://www.aaadesignlist.com/
- http://www.web-design.com
CONSULTANTS & FREELANCERS: While the "do it yourself"
approach can save you money, it won't always get you the
results that a professional can achieve. For instance, you
may save yourself money by writing your web copy yourself,
but how many more sales would you have made if you invested
in a copywriter. What is your opportunity cost? Whatever
your business need, there's a freelancer who can assist you
including: business strategists, personal coaches,
publicists, lawyers, newsletter editors, accountants,
copywriters, search engine specialists, and Internet
marketing consultants. There are several directories where
you can go to find qualified talent to assist your every
need.
- http://www.guru.com/
- http://www.freeagent.com/Myhome.asp
- http://www.allfreelancework.com/
- http://www.allfreelancework.com/employers.html
CAN'T AFFORD GOOD HELP?
Don't fret, even if you can't afford help, there are still
ways to get the help you need. Here are some ideas below.
VOLUNTEERS: If think creatively, there are often ways to
find volunteers to take on certain tasks. For instance,
some people will volunteer their assistance just for the
pride of participating on the team. This strategy has
worked brilliantly for Dmoz.org, otherwise known as the
Open Directory Project, the world's largest human edited
online directory. The Open Directory powers the core
directory services for the Web's largest and most popular
search engines and portals, including Netscape Search, AOL
Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and hundreds of
others.
In a brilliant move, Dmoz has recruited volunteer editors
for the various web directory categories. The volunteer
staff takes pride in helping to build Dmoz into a better
directory and the chance for to be recognized as an expert
on your chosen topic. Ask yourself, what similar types of
programs could you develop? Is someone willing to volunteer
their time and efforts if you would mentor them in
exchange?
INTERNSHIP: Getting work experience is a vicious
experience for the new college graduate. You need
experience to get work, but you need a job to get work
experience. For this reason, college students are often
eager to get real world work experience. Check to see if
there is an intern at your local college. An internship
will give a student valuable work experience and something
fantastic for their resume.
PARTNERSHIP: Is there someone you could trade services
with? For instance, maybe someone could assist you with
your ezine promotion, if you would offer business coaching
to him or her in return? Dare to dream up a scenario that
would work for your situation. To increase your odds for
success, when you approach someone about a potential
partnership, present as a win-win situation that will
benefit both parties.
SUMMARY:
Are you ready to ramp up to the next level of success? I
challenge you to take a look at the work you do and ask
yourself what you can take off your plate? By handing off
tasks you'll find you have more time, more energy, and more
creativity to focus on growing your core business and
enjoying your life.
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