Guest Post by Nicole Dean
One of my favorite topics to discuss is outsourcing. You’d be amazed how much thinking about outsourcing and where to begin outsourcing flummoxes everyone from the newest newbies to the seasoned gurus and everyone in between.
Buy why? Why is it so very confusing? Most of us manage to outsource quite nicely in our day to day lives.
I oftentimes pose these questions to my coaching clients –
When you go to a restaurant, do you head back into the kitchen and cook your own food? (That’s just silly.)
And, if your appendix burst right now, would you go online to find out how to remove it yourself? (Please say “no”.)
Of course not!
But, why do we think it’s ok to do everything ourselves in our businesses?
I can’t figure out what it is, but I think I’m starting to narrow it down.
- Fear of losing control.
- Not knowing who to outsource work to. (Needing a recommendation.)
- Not wanting to take the time to outsource. (You think: “It’s quicker to do it myself.”)
- Costs. (Oftentimes, though, you can get help for a lot less than you think it’ll cost.)
- Lack of confidence in ourselves.
- Lack of confidence in the potential of our business.
No matter which of those it is, there comes a point with all of us, where you HAVE to outsource — at least if you ever want to be able to go on a real vacation where you leave the internet behind and relax with your loved ones.
I know. I know. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time – you’ve heard this song and dance before. BUT! While outsourcing isn’t perfect, it’s a heck of a lot better than putting the chains on your wrists from a job that you’ve created for yourself – one where you can’t escape.
So, my #1 tip for outsourcing is to try it.
Choose something small and work from there.
Submitting some articles that you’ve written to the article directories.
Finding blogs to guest post on and contacting the owners.
Answering some emails regarding customer issues.
Graphics to promote your products.
It really doesn’t matter where you start. The big thing is taking that first step so that you can enjoy the FREEDOM that comes with the online lifestyle.
Start small. Don’t go crazy. But, when you find someone who you work well with – build on that relationship so you have access to great people who know your style and who you’re comfortable working with. When I need a project done, I have my own personal rolodex of fabulously skilled people who I turn to on a regular basis. Not only does it save me time – but it also helps me to get great prices because they already know what I like, they know that I’m easy to work with and that I pay on time.
I hope this inspires you to start outsourcing in your business.
Nicole Dean is a respected Business Marketing Coach and is full of ideas and common sense advice to help grow your online business (if only it were common we’d all make more cents!) Where Can You Learn More about Outsourcing? Go to OutsourceWeekly.com and sign up for the free “Outsourcing Mistakes” lessons on the top of the page.
