Where to start when you want to save hours of time

In a recent blog I where wrote about how outsourcing helped me improve my business I received a question from a reader asking me what were the things that I had outsourced. My initial reaction was to reply to her by sharing my list of outsourced chores. Immediately I realized that that was MY list, based on my business and needs. Thinking of how I could provide my reader with an answer that would actually help her I realized that I had built my outsourcing list based on one important question.

Before you start to think about outsourcing anything in your business, you should ask yourself what is your core business? What is it that only you can create, give, teach, do? What is your unique value?

One of the things I learned from working with big corporations is that what sets them apart is exactly knowing what their core business is and focus on creating value for their customers based on that. The rest is marginal and should cost the least amount of time and effort as possible.

What I see a lot of entrepreneurs do (especially women entrepreneurs) is wasting their time on a lot of operational things in their business. At the end of the day have no energy to do the things that add value to their business.

If bookkeeping, for instance, is not your core business, please, outsource it to someone whose core business and passion it is to book keep. This will translate into added value for your business as this bookkeeper will provide you with tips and insights on how to leverage your business finances, and you will have more time to devote to things that matter and make a difference in your time and reflect on your bank account. Time is your most valuable possession. Use it wisely! There is a difference in spending time-consuming activities or with value-added activities that that only you have the talent to do.

So to wrap it up:

  • Define for yourself what your core business/value is. The thing only you can do, and that is the center of your business
  • Make a list of all the other activities that you are doing which are time-consuming and not your core
  • Pick one of the time-consuming activities and make the decision and commitment to finding someone else to do it for you. Find the best person you can get. Remember you want to start building the best team possible around. Do not settle for cheap!

Last but not least, I want to bring forward a quote by Maya Angelou which beautifully sums it up why is it so important that you give your core business the attention it deserves.

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”

Share this post