The Art of Delegation

When a Business Link email landed in my inbox recently, their “Tip of The Week” resonated with me.

“As a small business owner, you may be tempted to try to handle everything yourself.

However, the most successful entrepreneurs know how to delegate.

Focus on what you're good at and hire people who share your vision to take care of tasks that aren't directly related to your core competencies.

If you're not sure where to start, spend a week or two writing down everything you do. Then analyze that list for tasks you can delegate or outsource.”

Often the best ideas are the simplest ideas. The list-and-analyze strategy is a great way to mull through your priorities. In what areas do you personally want or need to spend your time building your business? Where can you delegate or outsource other tasks?

As a small business owner, your company is your baby. It only makes sense that you want a hand in every decision and every process.

However, as your success and business grow, you simply can’t sustain control over every detail. You’ve got to hire people you trust who share your passion and your vision and let them run with it.

Collaboration

The same could be said about where you outsource. When you can’t keep up, seek out a partnership with an individual or a business in a specialized field (i.e. marketing, accounting, production, etc.). The idea is to have a professionally trained on-call ally to perform a specific task on your behalf.

If your budget is a little tight perhaps there are ways you can negotiate terms or – depending on your product or service – payment-in-kind.

Handing these details over to a new hire or business partner who are invested in your success frees up your time accelerate your business growth.