When I started my first business, Port Macquarie Performing Arts, it was just a little idea I had. I put an ad in the newspaper to let people know I was opening a dance school and thought a few people might turn up. 

I had said to Heath “It’ll just be two afternoons a week teaching, just a handful of babies, maybe like 15, 20 kids maximum”.

Well…. 70 people signed up and I was terrified. 

Of course there was the immediate buzz of ‘this could actually be a thing!’ but it was closely followed by a dread in my stomach of ‘there’s no way I can do this alone’. 

For me, the question of outsourcing was answered before I’d even had time to think about it. It was just physically not possible for me to run the dance school on my own. I had to hire staff. 

In retrospect I’m grateful that happened, as I didn’t have a chance to second guess myself or over analyse the decision to start outsourcing. In most businesses, it’s more a case of gradually climbing towards this breaking point where you’re forced to acknowledge you simply can’t do everything any more. 

When that happens, whether it’s a slow or rapid progression to get there, it’s scary! But if you’re going to move forward in your business and continue building the lifestyle you really desire, the only option is to start sharing the load. 

So why do we fear outsourcing so much? 

“I can do it myself.” Sure, you can, but is that the best use of your time? I used to do my own payroll, because I could, but then I’d spend twice as much with my accountant as she had to fix up all of my mistakes! 

“It costs money.” It sure does, but when I began to outsource my payroll I actually saved money on accounting fees (as there weren’t as many mistakes that had to be tracked and fixed!). 

“Finding the right person takes time.” Indeed, but once you find that person, you gain BACK all the time you were previously spending on said task. And you get to spend that time actually growing your business—or on time for yourself. 

“I don’t want anyone to see how much I’m winging it!” I know I had a lot of fear about outsourcing and “exposing myself”. I was so nervous what people would think when they realised I was just flying by the seat of my pants. 

Do you want to know something, though? EVERYONE is flying by the seat of their pants when they start out in business. You are not alone. 

Can I ask you, just for a minute, to imagine what you could achieve if you reclaimed just 3 hours of your week: 

• The ways in which you could innovate in your business. 

• The product or service changes you could make. 

• The customer relationships you could nurture or build. 

As I enter my 12th season in business, I can honestly tell you I wouldn’t be where I am now if I didn’t start outsourcing.

Whatever it is that’s holding you back and keeping your playing small, dig deep on that and ask yourself “What’s the worst thing that could happen if I outsourced?”

And I’m going to take a guess that the WINS will far outweigh the potential downfalls. 

Stacey

p.s If you want some 1:1 support to know where to make outsourcing investments in your business, you can schedule a 1-Hour coaching session with me here. 

If you’re wondering whether you’re ready to start outsourcing, this free training might help.