The Best Way to Delegate When You’re a Business Owner 

It’s not uncommon to find that most business owners are too busy and often struggle to get the balance of work and personal life right. Long hours and rising stress levels mean we’re usually teetering on the edge of burnout. This is why there’s a real need for us to slow down.

When you’re so used to managing everything yourself, the thought of getting help can be daunting. Outsourcing is a mutually beneficial solution. However, when it comes to allowing strangers into your business, you may have apprehensions.

Delegation does not have to be scary if you prepare well and follow a well thought out process.

We’ll walk you through some useful steps for navigating the world of VAs effectively.

1. Recognise the benefits

Recognise the benefits; it’s about so much more than just saving time. 

When we become proficient at delegating, we’re getting;

✅ Faster progress

✅ New opportunities

✅ More headspace

✅ Added flexibility

✅ A broader range of skills

2. Adjust your mindset 

Delegation requires trust, and if you’re not willing to let go, you’ll get in your own way.

Learn to let go and trust if you want to reap the benefits of delegation.

Recognise that your business exists independently of you.  The business can still thrive and survive when you’re not doing everything yourself.

Take a step back, see the bigger picture and find the clarity you need to make strategic decisions.

If you find the right people (or person) and manage them well, you’ll find that trust comes more easily and your concerns will soon disappear.

3. Assess your own strengths and weaknesses 

To get started, assess your own strengths and weaknesses. Where are the holes? What type of people/skills will be complementary to your operation?

It’s okay to admit that you don’t have any resources to learn something new.  So, what areas do you need help in most?  Which skills do you want to improve, and which things are you happy to let go of and leave to someone else?

Outsource before getting overwhelmed and you’ll do a much better job!

4. Find the right people 

A key to finding the right candidate is finding someone who has the right attitude and skills. Additionally, you need to consider factors such as location, availability, and cost.

One of the advantages of outsourcing vs. a full-time employee is that it is cost effective and you get to spread the work without being restricted to location.

Unlike hiring a full-time employee, outsourcing to a virtual assistant service provider like Venice Virtual allows you to have more flexibility. It means you can find the right person for every job and take advantage of a broader skill set.

Don’t just think about your immediate needs, consider the future, too. Might you need support in several different areas?

By opting for support from a flexible service like Venice Virtual, you can streamline the process of finding the right people.

Our founder Merl has built a team of associates that all share the same values and work ethic. Each team member specialises in something different, so as your needs grow over time, you can still rely on us to support you.

5. Communicate Communicate Communicate  

Clear communication is critical when working with anyone new. Having a clear communication method with your team is vital to preventing miscommunication.

Never make assumptions. When paying by the hour, communicate your desire to keep a task low-cost.

Project management tools such as Monday, Trello, or Asana allow you to manage larger tasks and/or teams. Projects can be planned, documents can be shared, collaboration can be done, progress can be monitored, and feedback can be given/received.

You should also ask for feedback. Could you do anything to make it easier? How did they feel about the way the project was managed?

6. Being resourceful 

Increase the success of a handover by creating training materials for your team.

By providing a digital training option, team members will be able to review the instructions at their own pace and in their own time.

Make use of software such as Loom to demonstrate processes or systems.

Building a strong and supportive team is one of the most valuable things you can do for your business. None of us can do it all and the sooner we recognise that the sooner we’ll be on the path towards finding balance.

Effective delegation is a process, and it takes effort, patience, and constant tweaking to get it right.

Once you find the sweet spot, though, you’ll reap the benefits.

Ready to start delegating? 

Venice Virtual is a team of social media experts and virtual assistants. With a wide range of skills and a flexible approach, we make it easy for you to get the support you need, as and when you need it.