When you’re a small business owner or an entrepreneur running a startup, it’s natural to assume an enormous amount of responsibility. After all, the business is your baby, and it’s hard to resist the impulse to stay involved in every aspect.
Yet assuming too much responsibility can cause problems. If you’re over-scheduled or spread too thin, you won’t have enough time to effectively manage all areas of your business. If you’re spending long hours at the office, you may have trouble striking the right work/life balance.
If you delegate, on the other hand, you’ll free up enough time to focus on core, high-value tasks, while also creating more personal time to enjoy.
With that in mind, let’s cover a few smart ways that business owners can delegate.
Use a virtual receptionist
Great customer service is one of the cornerstones of any successful business. By hiring a virtual receptionist to help manage incoming calls, small businesses owners can free up time to focus on other tasks that are more mission-critical.
A virtual receptionist offers 24/7 accessibility for customers and the flexibility to handle a wide array of tasks (answering, routing and forwarding calls, taking messages, scheduling appointments, etc.). Additionally, using a virtual receptionist can save businesses money by lowering staffing costs and reducing turnover. Plus, you only pay for the time a virtual receptionist actually spends handling calls for your company.
Find a social media manager
Social media platforms have become an essential tool for generating new business, cultivating customer relationships and creating a brand. However, effectively managing multiple social media accounts is a huge time commitment. For small business owners who are already busy with the day-to-day demands of running an enterprise, it’s easy to let social media activity fall by the wayside. That’s unfortunate, because social media offers a low-cost, high impact way to build awareness for your business and even bring in new customers. By working with a social media manager, you can reap these benefits while carving out more time for yourself.
Ask for assistance with marketing
Effective marketing is critical to the success of any business. After all, even if you have the greatest products and services, you won’t thrive if people can’t find you. Many small business owners lack the time to fully leverage the benefits that high-quality marketing has to offer. By delegating these tasks to an employee, an outside firm or a contractor, you can market your company more effectively and free up time to work on other critical business areas.
Delegate administrative duties
Data entry, filing, customer outreach and other administrative tasks can consume much of a small business owner’s time. While these duties are obligatory, they don’t always offer the same value as higher-level tasks and strategic initiatives. By fully delegating all administrative functions, you can ensure that you have sufficient time to focus on the tasks that have the most impact on business success.
The takeaway
Small business owners are some of the busiest people on the planet. To be in the best position to succeed it’s important to delegate effectively. By following the smart advice outlined above, you’ll be able to do precisely that.
Here are some related articles you might be interested in:
Big Business Marketing Tips for Small Businesses: Aligning Your Strategy
