As summer approaches and the sun shines brighter, so does the need to delegate tasks and responsibilities within your small businesses if spending time with your loved ones is your priority. Likewise, it is important to realign your business tasks as you split time between work, family, and self-care. So, let's dive into the power of delegation, explore its benefits, and discover some practical tips for outsourcing tasks and responsibilities.
Benefits of Delegation
Delegation allows your business to keep running without needing you to complete the task or action. This is your ticket to a summer spent under the sun without pausing operations. We all have our own currency, either time, energy or money. During the school year, your currency may be time & energy to make more money. But this may shift when your time is more valuable than money during the summer months.
By outsourcing certain tasks, you'll have more time to focus on family, self-care, and the creative side of your business. For example, if you typically create all your content on social media, consider grabbing a Content Calendar to schedule a month of content in under an hour and put a phone down. A Tee Party Planner can allow you to stop reinventing the party wheel by batching and posting an entire party from your CinchShare history folder. Or maybe, it's time to learn how to use AI in your business to assist you with customer service tasks or website overhauls. Doing so will free up time and energy for the things that matter most to you.
Tips for outsourcing
When it comes to outsourcing, there are a few practical tips to keep in mind. First, list all of your business tasks, from ordering materials, scheduling to social media, packaging orders, and responding to customer inquiries. Then, once you have your list, circle the tasks that you either can maintain or that only you can complete. Next, group the remaining tasks into operations, social media, bookkeeping, etc. Choose one of these categories to outsource and delegate for the summer.
Before hiring out or buying a product to assist with these tasks, ensure you have reviewed client testimonies or ask the contractor to see examples of their past work to ensure it is a good fit. The idea behind delegation is to ensure that the work will be done correctly and completely with minimal oversight. If you end up having to redo all of their work, you may have been better off completing the task yourself in the first place.
Before you delegate, create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and list each task step-by-step. This will increase the likelihood that the hired contractor will complete the job correctly. Further, you will know how long the job takes to hire someone for the correct amount of time accurately.
Setting boundaries
Setting boundaries is vital when delegating tasks and responsibilities. Establish clear expectations and communication channels with your partner or team to ensure everyone is on the same page. This will prevent misunderstandings and ensure that your business runs smoothly while you take some much-needed time for yourself.
Setting boundaries goes for your customers and audience as well. Tweak your business hours and operating days as required. Update your website, email signature block and autoresponder with your summer hours.
So What
Remember that the power of delegation lies in its ability to free up time for family, self-care, and the creative aspects of your business, especially during the summer. By prioritizing tasks and setting boundaries, you can successfully outsource responsibilities during the summer months (and beyond!).
Start planning your summer goals today and decide if you will elect to outsource and delegate business tasks.