Outsourcing Tips!

I'm a great fan of outsourcing! Over the last 5 years, I've had 3 different businesses and have successfully outsourced all kinds of tasks during that time which has enabled me to do what I am good and what I enjoy doing in my businesses.

My first golden rule when outsourcing is never to abdicate responsibility! Just because you are paying someone to do your admin, telemarketing or book-keeping, the buck ultimately stops with you. There's no use blaming others if things don't go according to plan - it's your responsibility to manage the project and the person you've outsourced to. You need to be able to dedicate time in your schedule to make sure the project goes smoothly and meets your expectation.

Secondly, (and this applies mostly to the first timers!) is to identify just how much time you have freed up from your schedule by outsourcing a specific task. Often, the professional will be able complete the task in hand in a faction of the time it would take you but in order to measure your productivity, log just how much time has become available in your diary. Is it 2 hours or 20 hours? Once you've identified that, the next step is to ask yourself what are you going to do with that extra time? Will you be able to schedule more client appointments in your diary, or will you spend the time working on a specific income generating project that you've been meaning to do all year? Or will it simply mean you'll get more time to spend with your family or get to the gym?

The important thing is to value those hours that have been freed up - don't just let them get eaten up by general busyness!