An entrepreneur wears many hats. If your business is still in its infancy, there are likely to be many things on your plate, from finance to marketing. You may think that you should know everything about your business and do everything yourself. Trying to do everything yourself can quickly backfire. 

Take a look at this scenario. 

There are only a couple of hours left in the day, and it’s Friday afternoon. You review your task list for the week in your project management software (or paper planner if you are old school). Although you worked overtime almost every single day, you still managed to accomplish less than half of what was on your list. In addition, you were more productive this week compared to last week.  

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and even burned out, you may be suffering from “Do-Everything-Yourself syndrome.”. 

Simply put, Do-Everything-Yourself syndrome is wanting or needing to do everything yourself without delegating or accepting help. 

When you don’t have a team or have very little funding, or if the funding is directed to parts of your business that you feel are more important, or if you have a lack of funding, the Do-Everything-Yourself syndrome can occur, as well as when you want to appear that you are working flat out to make your business a success and are unwilling to part with limiting beliefs. 

It can also stem from perfectionism (if I don’t do it myself, it won’t be done right) or even feeling in control. 

Asking for Help is a Smart Move 

Consider all the benefits of asking for help and delegating instead of taking on all the responsibility yourself. You can spend more time developing and expanding your business, such as sourcing better-quality leads, for instance.Additionally, you will have time to devote to the things that are most important to you. 

Here’s how to do it right. 

Automate 

So much of what you do can be automated without you realizing it. Systems can automate all sorts of tasks for you, including sending your weekly newsletter and generating invoices. 

Delegate 

Most business owners aren’t very good at delegation when it comes down to it. The problem may be knowing when to hand off a project to a team member, how much or how little supervision is needed, and when and how to close the loop on a project. Here are some tips for outsourcing instead of doing everything yourself.  

Think about a scale that goes from 1 to 10, and measure your employee’s ability to handle a particular task when you are thinking of delegating a task to them. At level 1, the person has a very low level of experience and skill. They have very little experience with the project, activity, or task you’re delegating to them. To complete the task on time, they will need a lot of help.  

Conversely, at the 9 or 10 level, there is someone who knows this work like no one else–maybe even better. If you coach them too much, they’ll feel micromanaged. 

After considering what they are capable of, you can decide how to proceed.  

• Expertise level: 1-3. 

If you rank a team member a 1, 2, or 3, you may want to reconsider the delegation. In the long run, they might end up causing you more work because they lack the skills to complete the task efficiently. They can shadow you while you do the task so they can rank higher and take on the task on their own in the future.  

• Expertise Level: 4-6. 

Most likely, you will be able to delegate many of your lower-level tasks and some of your higher-level tasks at this level.You may even be able to give them autonomy so they can operate without your input depending on the project. Be sure to check in with them regularly to see if they are experiencing any roadblocks or issues.  

Ensure that the task gets done on time by taking a more hands-on approach if it is a high-stakes endeavor. 

• Expertise Level: 7-10. 

It is likely that the person does not need much handholding at this level, if any at all. The fact that you treat them like they have a low or moderate level of expertise may upset them. A team member can take the details of a project, flush out the particulars, complete the required action items, and then follow up with you at the end of the project to share their findings.  

Think carefully next time you delegate a task; how capable is the person you are asking? By answering this question, you will know what to do next, to complete it as quickly as possible.  

Outsource 

Outsourcing has endless benefits. From hiring highly skilled remote employees to hiring virtual assistants to handle business-related administrative tasks. There is usually more value in outsourcing than hiring in-house – this means more hands on deck for less money. You can outsource almost any business function you can think of. 

Partner with the Right Outsourcing Company     

When you decide outsourcing is something you want to pursue, start searching as soon as possible. Identify the characteristics you are looking for in an outsourcing partner. What work will they do? How important are attributes such as location, time zone, and language to us?  What is our budget?  

Consult colleagues about outsourcing providers they like and trust. List potential providers and include their names, contact information, expertise, and anything else you know about them. Find vendors based on your criteria, including proximity to your location, price, and expertise if that’s important to you. If you find any promising possibilities, write them down.  

The key to finding the right outsourcing partner is knowing what to look for. (Don’t miss our checklist here!)   

How do you select the perfect outsourcing partner? If you need help in finding the right outsourcing partner, book a FREE APPOINTMENT with Outsource Asia experts today.