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You’re ready to ditch the late nights, the early mornings, the lack of time and that feeling that everything is being held together with a piece of string that could snap at any moment!

The decision to outsource usually comes when you’re neck deep in the doing and don’t have the time to dedicate to finding your perfect partner in outsourcing crime. I want you to know that if that’s you, that’s ok! You can still outsource. It may just take a little longer as time is your greatest enemy right now.

But if you’re not quite at the brink of burnout, I strongly recommend you try and do at least two of the following things to prepare yourself and your business. If you decide to outsource to a virtual assistant, it will lay the foundations for a great relationship that will help your business to grow.

Decide what you want to outsource

I would be rich if I had a dollar for every time that someone asked, ‘what can you help me with?’ The answer to that question is, technically, anything! However, what is right for one person to outsource will not be right for you. You can’t follow a 10 step process to outsourcing as it’s as unique and individual as you. In addition, I might not have the necessary skills or experience to do what you really need.

The first step to a great relationship with a virtual assistant is to know what you need to outsource and match that with the skills and experience with the person you want to partner with. Cold calling and social media management are two very different tasks that require very different skill sets.

Matching skills with the person will mean that you have very clear expectations of what can be completed and you won’t be disappointed when the outcome is not what you expected!

Understand what it takes

A mentor once told me that you don’t need to know everything, you just need to surround yourself with people who do. I agree that you don’t need to be an expert in everything you do, but you do need some idea of what it takes in both time and skills to complete any given task.

Before you hand over a task you should know approximately how long it takes as will as the necessary skills needed to complete it.

Bed down what you’ve got

What systems and processes do you have in place? If they’re crap, you’re only going to amplify that crap-ness when you outsource.

I’m not saying it must be shiny and slick, but have a good idea of what’s working and what needs improving before you outsource.

Be prepared to be a good manager

You will need to spend time on induction and training. Gold star if you start working on that now. Next time you go to do a task that you’re planning on outsourcing, grab a tool like Zoom or Loom and video record what you’re doing. You could also use your phone to record the audio if you prefer to talk through the process.

Being a good manager also means that you need to be somewhat hands on. If you hand over a task and then never check back in, how do you know if there are any issues that need ironing out or whether your team member needs more guidance?

Note that managing is different from micro managing! Empower your team member to be able to complete the job. Stay connected with them and make sure that you treat them how you would expect to be treated. Consider a regular check in to make sure everything is on track.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, ditching the DIY and creating a skilled and valued team is your next step. Follow some of these ideas and you will be the Queen of Outsourcing.

If you’re not sure on what to outsource, grab this workbook so you can identify the right tasks for you and your business to hand off to a virtual assistant, or any other outsourcing provider.

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