Why you should start outsourcing your work

There are many reasons you should start outsourcing your work, but the main reason that stands out is a better work life balance.  Why struggle to get the tasks done each week, when you can get someone else to do them.  It’s time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.  What should you be spending your time on?

It saves you time

We always think it is easier to get a job done if we do it ourselves.  I have been guilty of this too!  But, you don’t need to do everything; you just need to know everything is getting done.

All those tasks you don’t enjoy doing, actually take longer because you don’t enjoy doing them.  You always leave them at the bottom of your to do list.  When you get around to doing them, you often procrastinate over how to get it done quickly.  Then it ends up taking longer anyway.

It can be more time effective to get someone with the right skills, who actually enjoys doing those tasks to do them for you.  By outsourcing to a VA to do these tasks, they will actually get it done quicker.  This also means your time is spent doing something more proactive within your business.  Also, you will also find you have more time to yourself, so no more late nights doing paperwork.

It saves you money

People are often under the misconception that by employing someone else to do a job, it will cost you more.  But if you are spending all your time doing the tasks, how are you saving your money?  Your time can be better spent providing your products and services to your customers.  So you will actually have more time to run your business and increase your income.  Outsourcing will help you make money!

Finding the right pair of hands to help

When looking for the extra pair of hands to help you with these jobs, where do you start?

• Ask a friend or family member:

Most of us have a friend that can help us out from time to time.  But are they the best person for the job?  It is always worth putting your friendship first, will this work in the long term?  Keep your outsourcing as professional as you can, as this can save you a lot of arguments and time.  Outsourcing your projects to someone you have a personal relationship with is sometimes the least effective way to get the job done.

• Try a temping agency:

Temp agencies are a good way of getting a job done and it only has to be on a temporary basis, suiting both the job and your business.  But if you are hiring a temp for ad-hoc work, you might never get the same temp twice.  You will spend a lot of time having to explain your business each time to get the job done.

Also, there are a lot of hidden costs in hiring from an agency.  On average you are paying 15-20% of your fee to the agency, so the price you are paying to the temp might affect the quality of work you are paying for.

• Get a Virtual Assistant:

There is a lot of confusion to what a Virtual Assistant actually does.  They basically do the work that you don’t have the time for, or don’t know how to do.  A VA usually has a wide range of skills and the training to undertake a wide variety of tasks.

The difference between a VA and employing a member of staff, is you don’t have to worry about all the PAYE and TAX that comes with employment.  A VA is someone who is self-employed and they pay their own tax on their earnings.  There is no worry about providing a workspace for them, as they work from their own office.  You only pay for the hours they work for you, so you don’t have to worry about their break times.

Pay them to do the jobs you need to get done.  This may be on a temporary basis for ad-hoc pay as you go work.  Or you may wish to have them on a monthly retainer, where they do a set amount of hours each month for you.  Whichever way you choose to work with a VA, you are in control of how much it is costing you.

By outsourcing to a VA, it will actually cost you less than your time!  They will get the job done quicker than you, therefore saving you time and money.  They will be used to working to deadlines, as they will be working for more than one client.  This does not mean you have to wait longer for your work to be done, it means they are used to prioritising and scheduling their work load to meet their client’s needs.

Enjoy a better work life balance

When you start outsourcing your work to a VA, all the work will be getting done in the background whilst you are working hard to meet your customer’s needs.  You will have a sense of achievement that you did not have before.  This will also give you that sense of relief when the work is done for you and you have more time for yourself.  No more saying no to that dinner invitation, or missing out on family events as you are too stressed or busy to attend.

So start outsourcing those tasks you don’t need to do and find the right pair of hands to support your business.

Not sure what tasks to delegate to a VA?  Why not start by getting in contact with our team for an informal chat about your business.  Let us help you identify what you should be doing and where you need support going forward.  Send us an email at [email protected], or pick up the phone and call 0333 577 9698.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash