8 Minute Read
Outsourcing, What is it Exactly?
Well to start with, according to Google, outsourcing is simply “to contract (work) out or abroad.” This means, that you are simply delegating some of your tasks to others. Is it for you? I finally came to the conclusion this was something that I needed to do to scale my one-woman business. Read on to find out why I decided to take the leap.
Outsourcing is an extremely helpful thing to take part in if you find yourself struggling to grow your income/business. It is by all means not required or necessary, but simply a suggestion of mine to help make your life easier.
Please do use your own personal judgement and be sure to keep in mind any profits you may be losing until these tasks really get up and running at their full potentials.
Related: How I Profited $25,000 in My Poshmark Business
Your income may dip slightly for a little while if you are paying for these services. But, when it allows you more time to do the more important tasks, it will pay off. It is definitely not for everyone, and I only recommend doing so after you’ve put a lot of thought into whether it would be worth it for you and your own business.
Note: This is Part 1 of a 2-part post, so be sure to check out the update at the end of the page!
Should I Start Outsourcing?
This question bopped back and forth around in my head for the last many months. Overall, my business had been growing at a slow but steady pace, and profits were gradually moving in the right direction. I was thrilled that this was happening, but eventually it kind of just got stuck, for lack of better words.
When I say stuck, I simply mean that profits stopped increasing, and instead, started plateauing. I’ve read that this can happen in business, and a lot of times I will read or talk to someone that will simply say, “You just need to work harder!”
Hard work, yeah, I was definitely doing that already! Reselling or blogging is not always classified as doing per se, “hard work.” For example, my husband works outside, year round.
Today, it is POURING, rather cold, and not so fun looking outside. And here I am in my loungewear all cozy and warm, checking the weather from my bay window. This is what I mean by the difference. It’s not as physical as some jobs, (although thrifting at “the bins” really does give me a workout!) but it is most certainly something that is very time consuming and mentally exhausting.
After several times of telling myself that I could continue to work harder and convince myself I didn’t need any help, I finally gave in. Well, about 2 weeks ago, I started searching for some. Let me tell you why.
Making the Jump
Deciding to outsource was difficult for me. I already pride myself on being a hard-worker and capable of completing all my tasks on a daily basis. This is true, although there is only so much one person has time to do in one day. It’s really just as simple as that. One person = one 24 hour time span to get all things accomplished. This just isn’t always enough.
We all know the saying, “There just isn’t enough time in a day.” I mean, for most things, I suppose there is. But, if you want to be able to balance your work and home life, and not be hovering over your phone/laptop/tablet 24 hours a day, take a tip from this post.
Related: How to Balance Work Life & Home Life…While Working From Home
My tip is easy, take a look at what tasks are engulfing your time every day, and see if those are tasks that you are able to delegate to someone else instead. If it is something such as bagging inventory, or lint rolling, taking off tags, etc., maybe you can ask a relative or spouse for help. This is just what I’ve done.
Involve the Fam!
I try to keep my husband out of my business as much as possible. He has his own career, and it is a tasking one by itself, so I like to spend the time we have together, not doing “work things.” However, he’s had Fridays off for the past while, and when I was telling him that I felt “stuck,” so he asked where he could help in his extra time off. I was elated! I was even more excited when he said he would build me more shelves for my packing materials!
So far, we have come to the conclusion, that together, we will do shipping at night after dinner, instead of mindlessly watching television. And instead of me rushing to get it done in the morning when he leaves for work, I can get started on much more important tasks for the day. As for that help bagging? Well, he said he’ll do that too! I was so grateful, because this is something that is not on the fun side of my to-do list.
My point here, is that you only need to ask. Most of us are lucky enough to have a family member or two, a spouse, or kids maybe, that can lend a helping hand in your business. (Especially if you’re working from home). Don’t be afraid to speak up, and think of all that extra bonding time you’ll have together!
UPDATE: Keep an Eye Out!
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Next week I will dive into how you can find the PERFECT Virtual Assistant company, and why I highly recommend a company over an individual contractor.
You won’t want to miss these tips! Stay tuned!
Thank You!
A giant thanks to everyone that has supported me this far into my journey! I greatly appreciate you returning to read my posts hope that you will continue to drop by in the future.
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Happy selling friends!
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