Fight, flight - or outsource?
When you run your own business, you are often everything to everyone. You need a wide range of skills from management and accounting, to human resources, sales and marketing. It can be easy to fall into the trap that you have to be jack of all trades. Many years ago, I certainly went down that path. At the time, I was running a business that required me to learn about a whole new industry. I remember sitting down one day and thinking: "My brain is too full. I’m sick of learning new things."
Of course, that comment was a product of exhaustion and too many late nights trying to learn new technology, reading reams of tax legislation to become an instant expert in the field and running a retail store which was open seven days a week. The reality is that I actually love learning about new things. But I was simply overwhelmed with too much information.
What’s your response?
Those were the days when I had convinced myself I had to know everything. I figured it couldn’t be that hard to be Superwoman (it was). Now that I’m further along in my entrepreneurial journey, my experience has evolved. I now have even more to do, new businesses to develop and more staff to look after. Instead of deluding myself that I can do it all, my gut reaction has been one that’s very human - "fight or flight"
I either dig my heels in and get ready for battle - that is, fight. In this case, I am ready for the challenge and am prepared to take on any obstacle in my way. But then, if I’m too tired, uninspired or just not interested in the minutiae of a project, the flight response can kick in. You know, when you just can’t be bothered to work through a valid initiative - maybe you have too much on your plate right now, or you just can’t get motivated to make it happen.
The trouble with the flight response is that you could be missing out on a great opportunity. You could be letting a smart business idea fall by the wayside because you don’t have the time or inclination to make the most of it. Some people convince themselves that this is the right thing to do in the interests of good work-life balance and sanity. While there is merit in that concept, could you be kicking yourself later because you passed up on a great initiative that your competitor has now exploited.
The alternative
Flight or flight are not your only two options. If you really can’t face the idea of making your project happen - but know deep down that it would be good for your business - there is an alternative. Outsource.
This could range from outsourcing entire projects - where your contractor acts as a project manager to pull it all together - to outsourcing certain sections of the project.
For example, I had to do about three days worth of internet research recently for a new business idea I’m working on. The thought of sitting in front of the computer for three days browsing the internet wasn’t all that appealing. So I found a great web researcher on www.guru.com who did the project for a set rate.
Similarly, I am putting together a study tour for about 12 customers for one of my businesses. Instead of trying to work out the logistics of travel, meetings and tours myself, I’ve outsourced it to someone with previous experience as a tour manager.
Both these people will also do a better job than I will on the respective projects.
Other areas I recommend outsourcing are: bookkeeping and accounting; computer networks and mobility applications; public relations and marketing.
Of course, every business owner is different. The bottom line is that you want to be spending your time on work that you enjoy - and that brings in the dollars. Outsource the tasks that get you bogged down so that you can free up your time on truly working on the business - instead of in it.
August 8, 2008