How Can I Delegate Tasks In My Business?

When you first begin a business, the thought of multitasking might be a dream that cannot be fulfilled right away. Afterall, there are orders to be filled, daily business operations to be handled and lots of expenses. Except, your cashflow might not allow for tons of employees.  However, as your business grows, so should your team. You may find yourself wondering “how can I delegate tasks in my business when it’s just me?”

A recent study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that passion, entrepreneurial mindset and burnout are all linked together. That’s not too surprising as many business owners work with a sense of passion but also deal with high levels of anxiety and stress. The solution to alleviating burnout: delegating tasks. 

Learning to delegate tasks is a key ways that can begin defeating anxiety and stress. By hiring an assistant to handle specific projects, you can actually increase your efficiency. Just imagine: if you hired an assistant to handle your office administrative tasks, you would have more time to focus on prospecting and onboarding new clients, placing your business in a position for greater growth.

Read This: How Can I Avoid Entrepreneur Burnout in My Business

Let the Simple Jobs Go

As your business grows, so should your responsibilities. Your focus should be on deciding how you want your business to grow and then, developing a strategy. That means you shouldn’t spend most of your time answering emails, handling bookkeeping, filing, or booking travel for conferences. Hire and train someone who can handle daily office tasks. This might include answering emails on your behalf, setting schedules and keeping your space organized. 

Online platforms such as Task Rabbit will help you identify contractors who can work with you on a project by project basis or, help you hire someone for a few hours per week. 

Train and Trust Your Staff        

Coach your team and virtual assistants on how to help your business thrive. Initially, overcommunicate your needs and goals. Then, as you see your team consistently fulfills your needs, begin to let go. The key to building a strong relationship with your assistant is developing a trusting relationship. You hired them to do a job–train them and trust that they will be responsible. 

One job that is time consuming, major brain drain is checking and responding to emails. It is also a task that can be easily delegated to someone else if you train them to field basic inquiries.  

Focus on Results, Not a Specific Task 

A big part of delegating is also building understanding on your team. It’s important that your team–whether it’s just one assistant or several–understand your business’ mission and vision. When your team understands your purpose and your needs, they are in a better position to help your business grow. Make sure your team knows your goals and allowing them the space to help you achieve these goals. 

In business, it’s not always about a specific task being completed as much as it is about productivity and overall results. 

Read This: Organizing Your Time For Sales In Your Business

If you need to a block of time left free so that you can handle research and prospect new clients, make this clear to your assistant. Perhaps you need your afternoon schedule to be flexible to handle personal tasks. Keep your assistant in the loop so they can help you run your business better. 

The key to avoiding entrepreneurial burnout is to finding people to support your mission. Communicate your goals effectively to your team so that you can continue to work passionately with less stress.