A day in the life of a busy entrepreneur usually consists of many cups of coffee, sifting through an extensive amount of spam, and extensive procrastinating. We need people to work for us while we don’t, or so we can focus on important aspects of our business. Unfortunately, the internet is overloaded with information on who, what,or when to hire outside help to delegate tasks to. The realty is you should be delegating from the beginning. Delegation is more than hiring a virtual assistant, it is a necessity to grow your business and stay focused. Here are 5 steps to delegate your business so you can continue watching Youtube viral videos all day, or hopefully grow your business.
Make Check-list
By making a check-list you have taken the first step in delegating your business. Write down your daily activities and look over them. Make sure this list is relevant (looking at viral videos all day doesn’t count). After the list is made, go through and examine what is imperative for YOU to be doing. Tasks such as sifting through e-mail, support phone calls, and formatting blog posts aren’t tasks YOU have to be doing. These tasks can be delegated to a team. Instead, focus on activities such as making business calls/contacts, creating quality posts or products, and activities that directly reflect on you or your business model.
Sort Through The Crap
People tend to over-delegate tasks. You must avoid this at all costs. Only delegate what is needed. Spending money on a virtual assistant or an employee is cheap, but if you have ten virtual assistants working on e-mail, this is obviously not productive. Make sure you stay focused in your search and don’t overextend yourself.
Grasp “The Journey”
I call the search for a virtual team “The Journey” because this it is more than a search. A search is more informal. You are looking to build a relationship with your team. Although you might never see them, these people will be running your business so it is important to build a relationship that is conducive to business and loyalty.
Find A Qualified Team
Finding a team online is a feat. The internet is full of “web gangsters” and con artists. Forums, especially, are a cesspool of scammers and cheaters. Don’t be swayed by cheap prices and false promises. Finding a qualified team is an art. Look to legitimate sites like Elance, oDesk (be cautious), and Guru.
If you are looking for actual partners for jobs such as a CFO, look to Twitter and sites like Jobs.Mashable.com. Mashable is a breeding ground for brilliant partners and social media geniuses. It is one of the best platforms to find qualified business partners. Twitter can also be utilized using a simple hashtag, or by searching for what you are looking for in a teammate.
Like I said earlier, finding a qualified team is an art. If you don’t feel up to the challenge use an “online concierge” service like Snthy. This service uses information provided by you to find a list of qualified applicants and presents them to you in a simple fashion without you lifting a finger.
The Journey Continues
Delegation is the key to automation. If you want to expand your business , look to a team to help take on some of the responsibility. Although it is a challenge in the beginning, a great team working with you is the cornerstone of growing your business. I have a virtual assistant who helps me with bookmarking, social media, and e-mail which saves me hours I can devote to my work. Delegation is about freeing your time to accomplish more with it. Start your delegation journey and turn away from the Youtube videos and your business will soar.
Josh is the founder of Snthy, an online recruitment concierge service which streamlines the hiring process.
