I get it, your business is your baby, so when it comes to outsourcing it can be a bit scary and overwhelming at times. After all, you are adding a member to your team you want to make sure you get along and have the same values. That’s why I’m here to share with you how to outsource for beginners, and how to hire your first contractor with these five business tips and steps.

 

1. Write a list of everything you do in your business

 Include everything from the large overarching tasks to the small minuscule details. I recommend you do this before you get overwhelmed and reach burnout as once you reach burnout you will do anything to make your life easier and outsourcing as a beginner can become more difficult.

 

Identify which tasks only you can do.

When writing this list, I recommend identifying which tasks only you can do & what cannot be outsourced. These are often tasks that you are hired directly to do or are in your zone of genius. ie) A musician is often hired for their specific voice or talent, this cannot be outsourced.

 

Identify which tasks can be delegated.

If it is not in your zone of genius it is time to delegate the task to someone else. Why waste time on your admin, blogging or Pinterest marketing when someone can do that for you! That’s where we come in! Check out the list of services DxD offers that you can delegate to us!

 

Identify which tasks can be deleted.

Now that you’ve delegated a majority of the remaining tasks it’s time to ask yourself this “does this task move the needle in the right direction?”. If your answer is no, then it’s time to delete it! If the remaining tasks are not driving revenue do you still need to do them? (HINT: the answer should be no!)

 

2) Rank your tasks by importance

Once you’ve done the above steps you should now know which tasks you can delegate. I understand outsourcing as a beginner can be overwhelming so, I recommend writing a list of what the highest priority tasks are. These are often the ones that will move the needle the most. When ranking each task it is important to note how much time it is taking you to do each of these tasks every week.

Now imagine having that time back to yourself! Would you spend it getting new clients or with your family? Our time is valuable no matter how we spend it. So it’s time to stop wasting it!

 

3) Document your processes

 It’s important to document the unique process of each task that you plan to delegate as this will allow for a smooth onboarding process with your new contractor. I recommend creating a standard operating procedure (SOP) or a loom video.

By not having your systems documented your run the risk of delaying your onboarding with your contractor, creating confusion over tasks and creating more to-dos for you in the long run.

 

4) Begin your contractor search

Whether hiring a graphic designer or a social media strategist I always recommend looking around. You wouldn’t hire a new member of your team without interviewing several candidates first so treat your contractor search the same. I recommend interviewing ~3 candidates to see who is the best fit for you and your business.

Whenever possible I recommend hiring multiple experts with specialties rather than one general VA who might only be average at your specific tasks/ platforms or has no experience with them. By hiring an expert you won’t have to worry about teaching your contractors how to do things. What would you rather have anyways?  Exceptional quality content or just average?

Important things to note when outsourcing as beginners

• When interviewing candidates it’s important to make sure your personalities mesh
• Don’t just hire the first person who applies
• Technical skills and specialties matter

5) Set expectations

Once you find a contractor that is right for you it is important for you both to sign a contract that clearly outlines the working relationship. Schedule a call to set the expectations of this relationship and how to work best with each other. These steps are essential to a smooth onboarding as this contractor joins as a new member of your team.

Be sure to check out the tasks that DxD can assist you with and let’s chat to see if we are a good fit for each other with your outsourcing needs!