Achieving Freedom & Success Through Outsourcing

“As a business owner your time can often be difficult to allocate efficiently however it is important to understand when a task can be better delegated.”

By Kathy Servoss

As a small business owner you never stop thinking about your business, how do you make it better, what product or services to launch, are you working on your business efficiently? Do you ever have time to visit with friends and family? How about watching your son play baseball or even take a vacation? As a business owner your time can often be difficult to allocate efficiently however it is important to understand when a task can be better delegated. Not every business needs a full-time employee or to be fully staffed but that doesn’t mean the burden falls completely on you.

Many tasks can more effectively be outsourced either to an employee or to a freelancer, opening your time up for tasks you are more efficient at. There are a few key differences between an employee and a freelancer. It is also important to know how to determine when you can use a freelancer and how to even find the right one for you.

Outsourcing a task or a project, when appropriate, is a means of time management. Both hiring an employee, or a freelancer are forms of outsourcing. Some of the key differences between the two deal with who sets the hours, how taxes and insurance are handled as well as how long you need to work with the hired individual. Hiring a freelancer can often be a cost and time efficient way to expedite all sorts of work. The process for determining when to hire a freelancer can be a simple process. With time and practice it can come naturally, however, to start try these steps. Make a list of all the tasks you do in your business on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis. Rank each task according to what you like to do and what you do well on a scale of 1-5 where 1 is the least and 5 is the most.

From that list, outsource the tasks you don’t do well at or don’t like to someone who can do them better, more efficiently, or even quicker.

Once you know the type of task to delegate you need to find who best to turn to. There are a number of online resources, like Upwork, Fiver, LinkedIn Pro Finder, and many Facebook groups to place an ad or ask for referrals. It is important to pair your search with the type of project or task you are looking to outsource. As a virtual executive assistant many of my clients are referrals from networking groups like Success Champions Networking. When outsourcing to a freelancer it is important to check out more than one. It is important to have questions ready as well as a detailed list of expectations for the job at hand before you start interviewing. Depending on the task or project you may need to modify what you ask but the following is a good standard starting point:

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• What is your turnaround time for projects/tasks?

• How quickly do you respond to communications from clients?

• How have you handled challenges in the past?

An interview is also the chance for the freelancer to vet and interview you as well. While you are determining if they can meet your business demands, they are also measuring you as a client. With time, you will find a couple freelancers who become your “go-to” - but these relationships take time. Starting with a smaller task or project

can help both you and the freelancer grow more comfortable and aware of each other’s preferences and abilities.

While growing new relations there are a few tips that will ensure the best results:

• Always have a contract- This can’t be stressed enough.

• Communication is key – Share the big picture and your freelancer might be able to help your business grow in other ways than what they were hired for originally.

• Set deadlines – This will ensure tasks are completed when you expect them.

• Check-in weekly – Keep the lines of communication open and stay on top of tasks, projects, and challenges.

• Remember you are not their only client –

Don’t be a demanding client.

• Be responsive to requests – Not responding in a reasonable time frame will hold up projects.

I am positive that incorporating freelancers into your toolbox can make you a more efficient business owner. It also allows you to better allocate your time where your expertise is better suited. By following the tips and tricks pointed out you can more confidently start and grow these expert relationships. Kathy has over 25 years of experience as an Executive Assistant, mostly in the government sector. She started her “Leadership Journey” in 2010 and is still going strong with learning the best leadership and entrepreneurial skills, which brought her to where she is today with running her own successful business. For more detailed interview questions, sample position descriptions or even Virtual Executive Assistance for your business, feel free to visit servossvirtualservices.com.

Kathy has a passion for learning and serving her community, like volunteering for a horse rescue and being elected to town boards. Kathy has a vision to give business owners across the country more time back in their lives to spend doing the things they love to do. She is on a mission to empower businesses to succeed.

“Outsourcing a task or a project, when appropriate, is a means of time management.”