Email: laura@lbcopy.co.uk
Growing your business? Bring in the pros.
Is it OK to blow my own trumpet for a second?
My business has grown quite a lot over the last few months.
It’s been faster than I expected. And after taking a few months away on maternity leave last summer, I wasn’t planning for things to build back up as quickly as they have.
I’m thrilled, of course. And pretty proud: I love what I do, and work hard to make my business a success. But I’m not blogging today just to share some (self-indulgent?) news.
The growth, and pace of it, means I need a bit of extra help.
I can’t afford to hire an employee (nor do I really want to). If I want to keep happy clients, it’s time to outsource.
Why ask for help?
Putting something off? Yep, me too. And probably for the same reasons: you hate it, and you’re not very good at it.
One person’s trash is another one’s treasure. So it doesn’t really matter what you hate: someone else out there is a whizz at it. Writing, design, social media, accounting, Excel…you name it.
Ask an expert. No, not someone’s uncle’s cousin’s dog who once worked in an office or has an ‘A’ grade in GCSE Maths. Someone who makes a living doing what you don’t want to. Because they’re really bloody good at it.
What’s it going to cost?
You have a job to do. And it’s non-billable.
Look at your hourly rate. Say you charge clients £100 an hour. You could outsource a job, paying someone £50 an hour. And an hour’s all it will take them.
How long will it take you to do the same task? Multiply the time it’ll take you by your hourly rate, and you may be in for a shock.
And, if the task’s not in your skill-set, you’re unlikely to do the job anywhere near as well as the pro you’ve hired.
Pay £50 for a professional job well-done. Or waste £300-worth of your hours doing it yourself.
No-brainer.
What can I get help with?
You can’t do everything yourself.
Outsourcing can be simple, and affordable. When my business gets bigger (and I plan for it to), I’d like to have an accountant on board. For now, I use accounting software to make things a lot easier for a number-phobe like me.
Content’s a brilliant thing to outsource. If you find it’s taking ages to write a blog post, ask a copywriter to do it for you. Writing an article filling you with fear? Ask someone who does it for a living to take care of it for you.
Taking that first step can be scary. After all, you’re trusting someone with a bit of your business. But if you want to grow, and chances are you do, it’s probably necessary. (And, it might mean you can take a little extra time to yourself, too.)
Spend your time wisely doing what your clients are paying you to do. Save time, money, and your sanity and outsource the rest.
Content giving you a headache? Give me a yell.
www.verat.co.uk
laura@verat.co.uk
07940 393086