How to Know When to Delegate as a Sole Business Owner
Allocating work to freelancers or colleagues can free up your time so you can do what you do best
Tired of working on your business, not in it? Spending too long on admin and not with your clients? Then it may be time to delegate some tasks so you can get back to doing what you enjoy most. Here, Houzz pros weigh in on why delegating is an important factor in achieving success and how to go about it effectively.
Why Delegate?
As a sole owner, you probably put a lot of pressure on yourself to be the very best, and you may work long, hard hours. However, there’s a limited amount that you can do, and these limitations can lead to stress and a sense that you’ve let people down.
Being able to share the load and delegate is a skill worth learning. Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects says: “We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and to make the best use of them is very important to any growing business. If you can’t delegate, you will find it extremely hard to grow.”
Pro Q&A: 3 Tips to Maximize Your Time
As a sole owner, you probably put a lot of pressure on yourself to be the very best, and you may work long, hard hours. However, there’s a limited amount that you can do, and these limitations can lead to stress and a sense that you’ve let people down.
Being able to share the load and delegate is a skill worth learning. Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects says: “We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and to make the best use of them is very important to any growing business. If you can’t delegate, you will find it extremely hard to grow.”
Pro Q&A: 3 Tips to Maximize Your Time
Calculate Your Value
Are you spending time doing jobs you’re not getting paid for, such as working on your website or balancing your books? Houzz has created an invaluable document, the downloadable Value of Your Time calculator, that will help you identify what your time is worth and how much more revenue you could be generating if you used your time more effectively. “If you spend four hours per week doing admin and finance tasks, you can think about it as 200 extra hours of work per year where you could be out selling or making furniture,” Delane says.
Using the Value of Your Time calculator, you’ll be able to work out the total hours spent on tasks that could have been delegated and discover the additional earnings you could be generating.
Are you spending time doing jobs you’re not getting paid for, such as working on your website or balancing your books? Houzz has created an invaluable document, the downloadable Value of Your Time calculator, that will help you identify what your time is worth and how much more revenue you could be generating if you used your time more effectively. “If you spend four hours per week doing admin and finance tasks, you can think about it as 200 extra hours of work per year where you could be out selling or making furniture,” Delane says.
Using the Value of Your Time calculator, you’ll be able to work out the total hours spent on tasks that could have been delegated and discover the additional earnings you could be generating.
How and What to Delegate
Before you entrust jobs to others, consider whether you would be able to work as many hours as you delegate, and if you would need to account for time spent training or managing. Would you realistically be able to take on more work if you delegated? And if you’d be outsourcing a task, make sure the cost of the service is worth it.
Knowing what to delegate can be a minefield, but as long as you clearly articulate the desired outcome and ensure that you’re available for support at all stages, the process should be beneficial. “As long as you’re confident that the sales are there and you have faith in your product, then you should definitely consider pushing forward and delegating tasks,” Delane says.
Before you entrust jobs to others, consider whether you would be able to work as many hours as you delegate, and if you would need to account for time spent training or managing. Would you realistically be able to take on more work if you delegated? And if you’d be outsourcing a task, make sure the cost of the service is worth it.
Knowing what to delegate can be a minefield, but as long as you clearly articulate the desired outcome and ensure that you’re available for support at all stages, the process should be beneficial. “As long as you’re confident that the sales are there and you have faith in your product, then you should definitely consider pushing forward and delegating tasks,” Delane says.
Stay in Control
It’s important to keep track of the delegated work to maintain a level of control. Establish clear timelines and deadlines, and agree on checkpoints at which you can review the progress of the work.
A clear briefing from the start on what’s expected and what the end goal is will ensure that every party is aware of what’s expected. Also, be sure to accept only completed work at the standard originally agreed on. You don’t want to have to spend time redoing any of the work yourself.
What to Know About Hiring Interns
It’s important to keep track of the delegated work to maintain a level of control. Establish clear timelines and deadlines, and agree on checkpoints at which you can review the progress of the work.
A clear briefing from the start on what’s expected and what the end goal is will ensure that every party is aware of what’s expected. Also, be sure to accept only completed work at the standard originally agreed on. You don’t want to have to spend time redoing any of the work yourself.
What to Know About Hiring Interns
Reap the Benefits of Delegating
Initially, delegating may feel like a hassle, but once you’ve identified the tasks that could save you the most time, the right people to do the job and how to delegate in the right way, you can expand the amount of work you deliver.
You should also get in the habit of complimenting colleagues and freelancers when credit is due. This will build confidence on both sides and may result in an improvement in the next delegated task they’re given.
Your turn: Share your small-business tips with other Houzz pros in the Comments.
This story was written by the Houzz Industry Marketing team.
More for Pros on Houzz
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Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
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Initially, delegating may feel like a hassle, but once you’ve identified the tasks that could save you the most time, the right people to do the job and how to delegate in the right way, you can expand the amount of work you deliver.
You should also get in the habit of complimenting colleagues and freelancers when credit is due. This will build confidence on both sides and may result in an improvement in the next delegated task they’re given.
Your turn: Share your small-business tips with other Houzz pros in the Comments.
This story was written by the Houzz Industry Marketing team.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Josh Delane of The Wood Works believes it’s about maximizing your skills and utilizing your time effectively. “As a sole owner, you may find that you’re a good all-rounder. You can win business, make beautiful furniture, fit it yourself, organize the invoicing and accounts. But at some point, you will have to look at where you spend your time, as there are only so many hours in the day!”