Get the Help You Need

I have a lot of strengths. So do you. And there are many things that I have no business trying to handle myself! It’s a really good exercise to get clear on what your strengths are so that you can outsource the rest.

For instance, I haven’t opened a bank statement for my personal checking account in over a year. Balance my checking account? You might as well have asked me to stick a fork in my eye. Thank goodness for that daily email with my checking account balance. That, and the fact that I have very little activity in the account at least give me the (probably false) feeling that everything is hunky dory!

My business checking account is another story. I let the pros handle it. Yes, I get that daily email with my company balance, but I save up the statements and turn it over to someone whose passion is accounting. I know debits are on the left and credits are on the right (that hasn’t changed, has it?) but I don’t really care. Conclusion: delegate!

Something else I don’t like is the administrative part of my business, so I hired a Virtual Assistant to handle a lot of that. It’s wonderful to have my weekly phone call with her and just say “can you handle that for me, please?” It’s a win-win for both of us. She works in her brilliance, and I work only in mine.

Another great partner is my graphics designer for times when I need that kind of work done. Also, I have a great web guy to help me. An added bonus to these relationships is that I refer my own clients to them and provide more business to them.

And let us not forget the business coach and mastermind partners who fill an important role. I strongly believe in the value of coaching and mastermind groups. Remember, it is important to invest in yourself and your business. How else can you expect others to invest in you? Each part of my business needs nurturing and I have different people to help me when and where I need it.

I started paying for the help I need after about a year of being in business. And I wish that I had started sooner. How do you know what things you should let go of? Some are obvious, like the accounting. Some aren’t quite as obvious. For instance, my background is in computers, so it was fun for me to do my own website work. But it became clear to me after a year or two that the pros were better, faster, and ultimately a less expensive solution. The experts keep up with the latest and greatest in their industry, too. Plus, the end result when working with a pro is that awesome feeling of letting go and knowing the job is off your own desk.

One suggestion is to keep a little tablet on the side of your desk for a week. Every time you do something during that week, write down the task, then ask yourself if it is something you like to do. Also note if it is something that somebody else can handle for you. At the end of the week you should have a pretty good list of things you can delegate. Then find someone to do at least one of those things starting immediately. If you don’t know who to hire, ask your business friends for recommendations. Check on Facebook or Twitter. I promise you will get some suggestions! And be open to a virtual solution. With all of the great tools out there, you may not need someone local to handle the job.

What kind of help do you have in your business? D you have any advice to share with us?