A big mistake that a lot of work at home moms make is thinking that they have to do everything themselves. From client projects to website updates, billing, and bookkeeping, they want something done right – or at least inexpensively – so they don’t give a second thought to finishing it themselves.
That’s not all ways the best approach, however. Getting other people in on the act, and especially people who have skills or equipment that might allow them to do the job more quickly, is just good business. After all, why spend three hours scanning paperwork (for example) when you could pay someone else a few dollars to do it for you? Couldn’t you have used that time to finish, and bill, another project?
Here are three quick questions to help you decide whether to delegate a job or do it yourself:
How long will it take you? If you could make more money in that time than you’re saving by doing yourself, then be sure there’s some good reason you couldn’t just pay to have it finished.
Could someone else do it better? The same applies here; don’t take on tasks that someone else could do twice as well, either because they have the proper equipment or experience.
Is it something you need to be doing? Remember, you are supposed to be your own boss, and one of the perks of being the boss is not doing jobs you hate. If it fills you with dread, and you can afford the help, pay someone else to take care of it. It’s a good investment, because you’ll feel better about your work in the long run.
And one final note: these rules don’t just apply to your professional tasks. Often, work at home moms do everything around the house, even though their time would be better spent on their business. So, if your profits are soaring and you’ve always hated doing laundry, feel free to make the executive decision and delegate it to someone else.
