Outsourcing: Should I or shouldn’t I?
Are you one of those people who have a hard time delegating tasks to others due to lack of trust or simply a need for control? If so, you may have struggled with the idea of outsourcing for your business.
During our 19th Mastermind Meeting, we asked our group of entrepreneurs to discuss how they feel about this topic and how they have been able to overcome any negative feelings towards it. Here’s what they had to say.
Editor’s Note: Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
The difficulty of delegating is REAL
“I rarely hire out services because I’m a control freak and it’s hard for me to trust other people.” – Amber V., Atta Boy! Animal Care
“When I first hired an unpaid intern, I realized it was the wrong decision when they didn’t show up the next day.” – Chrissanne Long, Maximize Digital Media and BRIDGE Local
“We’ve gotten burnt by a designer in the past.” – Karyn Johnson, Ekimm’s Place
Outsourcing is worth it!
“I hired people because I didn’t want to burn out and start hating the business. Hiring people will give you more time to do the things you enjoy.” – Bob Ettensohn, Allstate
“When we build a house, there’s no way I can do it; I have to subcontract. The beauty in that is they are experts, they have the tools, etc. It doesn’t make sense for me to do it when they can do it faster.” – Jared Weggeland, Focus Realty
“Hiring someone that specializes in a specific area will help you make more money and help you meet your goals (opposed to doing it yourself).” – Diane Kaplan, 1st Priority Staffing
“I think it’s worth it to hire someone when you start to notice a lack of quality in your work.” – Brittany Whelchel., Spark Bookkeeping
In summary, outsourcing can be difficult if you’ve had bad experiences in the past but it will help you in the long run if you can release control and trust in others to do the work for you.
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Brittany Whelchel in the “Hot Seat”
This week our friend Brittany Whelchel with Spark Bookkeeping volunteered to be in the “Hot Seat,” which is a place for entrepreneurs to discuss a specific challenge they are facing so that they can get personalized advice from the meeting attendees.
“I feel like I’m a free agent right now,” Brittany said. “Not that I need work but I’m just ready to step into a new me where I can have my own personal mission that isn’t attached to my business or family. I want to serve my community more but I’m having a hard time putting that into words. With that being said, how have you defined your personal mission? What steps have you taken to get clear on what you’re doing?”
Here’s what our group had to say:
“I wrote down my roles in life (dad, business owner, community person, etc.) and then I thought about each role I play and how I want to be in that role. Once I discovered that, I decided what actions I needed to take.” – Jared Weggeland, Focus Realty
“Read the book, Find Your Why by Simon Sinek.” – Chrissanne Long, Maximize Digital Media and BRIDGE Local
Dianne Kaplan with 1st priority Staffing recommended listening to Susan David. She talks about how to identify your values by asking yourself 5 questions:
1. What matters to me?
2. What relationships do I want to build?
3. What do I want my life to be about?
4. What activities do I feel alive doing?
5. If my stress was gone, what would life look like and what would I pursue?
After sharing our personal experiences and advice with Brittany, she was able to identify the answers to her questions. If you want to be in the “Hot Seat” next, you can apply here.
Thanks for reading!
