How To Start Outsourcing…

It’s easier than you think!

Recently I created a system for figuring out what needs outsourcing and what doesn’t, I’ve not shared it with anyone up until now. It’s called the T.A.S.K. system.

You need to understand this system before you start outsourcing anything. If you don’t you’ll find yourself hitting a brick wall.

The fact is without going through these steps you’re going to be outsourcing areas of your business you just don’t need to. At the end of the day we all have a budget to work to, so it’s important that you put it to the best possible use.

There’s no doubt in my mind that outsourcing is a fantastic catalyst for your business to grow and expand.

With that said, let’s dig in…

T - Think about your business and everything you do within it
A - Assess those tasks that make you money, those that don’t and those that can be automated
S – Systemetize and automate wherever possible
K – Keep everything else outsourced

Let’s go through each one and you’ll see how it can help you. Miss any step and you’ll be wasting your time and money.

Outsourcing Step 1:

T – Think about your business and everything you do within it

The best way of doing this is to write out a list of every single task you perform in your business. A really great way of doing this is to write down everything you do for a couple of days. This then gives you a list of everything that happens.

It’s critical that you see your business for what it is and how much of your time it takes up. Through outsourcing we’re going to reduce your work load and increase your profitability.

One part of this thinking process is also figuring out your own hourly rate. In other words how much do you make per hour in your business.

The way to do this is simple, just add up how many hours a week you spend working in your business and multiply this by 4. This gives you how many hours you work per month. Next take your gross monthly profits and divide this by the number of hours you typically work. This then gives you your hourly rate.

The reason for knowing this number is because it not only gives us a benchmark for measuring the value of a task, but you’ve also got a way of measuring your success. The idea here is through outsourcing increase your hourly value to your business.

Outsourcing Step 2:

A – Assess those tasks that make you money, those that don’t and those that can be automated

Once you have your list of those things you do in your business to keep it moving forwards it’s time to get laser focused.

I want you to look at your business activities in groups like this:

1. Which tasks make you money (be ruthless and focus totally on what’s making you money today)
2. Which tasks are you have a talent for and enjoy doing
3. Which tasks are necessary but don’t directly make you money
4. Can 1-3 be grouped together because they’re in any way similar

To get the most enjoyment from running your business I recommend only doing those things you’re both talented at and also enjoy doing. After all this is most likely the reason why you’re in business in the first place.

This takes us onto…

Outsourcing step 3:

S – Systemetize and automate wherever possible

Everything else (what you’re not talented at and enjoy) can be systemetized or automated and finally outsourced.

This is where the fun really begins because you can start looking forward to a future where you spend your time only working on those things that give you the greatest pleasure.

Creating systems for your business is important because when you do this it helps your business grow. When you have documented systems you now have something you can outsource.

Automation is another critical part of this process, whatever you can automate you don’t need to fully outsource. There is still some outsourcing needed but only to keep it running smoothly, like a well oiled machine.

Automation within your business can be simple things like delivering a product to your customers either by autoresponder email or by regular mail using automated postal systems. Automation could also be done by using software that helps you get to the end result quicker.

One way of looking at if something should be outsourced or automated is how much time will it save you? Get really specific, look at it terms of weekly hours saved, you already know what your time is worth.

Outsourcing step 4:

K – Keep everything else outsourced

By now you should know:

1. How much your time is worth
2. What tasks are the most profitable for you
3. What tasks you are most skilled in AND enjoy doing
4. What tasks can be systemetized and automated

You should have a good idea by now as to what can be outsourced within your business.

It’s important to also keep in mind that just because a task is profitable it should not be outsourced. Quite the opposite in fact because it means your business is scalable and only limited by how much it can be outsourced.

What’s left to outsource are those tasks you don’t particularly enjoy, things you’re not that good at (but might still enjoy). And overseeing any of the automation. Don’t forget anything you create a system for can be outsourced, so whatever you have there is also good to pass off to outsourcing.

What’s the end result?

Your business is likely to experience rapid growth and a huge increase in profitability because:

• You’ll find yourself focusing in only on those things that you’re good at and enjoy doing.
• You’ll have more time on your hands to think more carefully and strategically about your business.

However… there’s one  piece of the outsourcing puzzle missing!

Once you’ve decided what you’re going to be outsourcing you need a simple and reliable system to help you manage everything from your outsourced workers to the projects you give them.