As a small business owner, you know your time is valuable.
Up to this point you've worn all the hats, and maybe hired an employee or two.
Now you're ready to prioritize your time and start delegating tasks that can be done more efficiently by a specialist, such as bookkeeping.
But maybe you're afraid to take the plunge.
You get used to working 18 hour days after a while, and think maybe you'll be bored if you're not busy doing something.
While it can be hard, especially for "type A" personalities, to have less to do, it may be the best thing for your business, family, and health.
You want to live a balanced life because you'll never get your time back.
Once you use it, it's gone.
The best way to improve your business, family relationships, and health is to simply take action and outsource those tasks that are time suckers.
Don't worry about not having enough to do- we've come up with a list below to help you get going on some new activities that are better uses of your time.
• Update your personal budget • Take a spontaneous vacation somewhere new • Go through the rolodex or LinkedIn and call contacts you haven't seen in a while to catch up • Schedule a one-on-one meeting this week • Go to a business event you've never been to • Clean your office • Organize your desk, filing/scanning needed documents and shredding the rest • Buy a gift for an important client and hand deliver it • Volunteer with an organization you admire • Write a few blog posts or make some how to videos for your business • Update your computer software and clean up the folders, re-organizing and deleting old files • Handwrite a few thank you notes to people who have sent you a referral or done you a favor • Go to the gym • Cook a gourmet meal for your spouse • Set up a lunch meeting for a colleague and someone who would be an ideal prospect for them • Join a committee at the local chamber of commerce • Send someone in your network an article of interest • Invite clients and referral partners to an event you host • Nominate someone for an award • Feature someone in your network in your email newsletter • Follow up with prospects you haven't heard from in a while • Get your holiday shopping done ahead of time • Unsubscribe from email newsletters you don't have time or wherewithal to read • Join a professional development club such as Toastmasters to hone a skill • Go to a conference for professionals in your industry • Invest in a booth at an industry specific trade show • Evaluate your brochures, business cards, and other marketing materials and get new ones if they need to be updated • Sign up for social media accounts such as Yelp, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+ if you haven't yet and create profiles for you and your business • Meet with employees one-on-one for performance reviews, feedback for them, feedback from them, etc.
• Have a team meeting to brainstorm new services, products, marketing techniques etc.
• Meet with your business coach • Play golf! • Take up a new hobby such as photography, chess, or anything that is completely unrelated to what you do for a living • Go to a museum • Go to a concert Did you notice that not everything in the above list was about work? That's because when you do something that you enjoy that is not work related, you give yourself a chance to re-charge your batteries.
Then when you go back to work you will be much more effective.
So give it a try! Don't be afraid to pull the trigger on outsourcing your bookkeeping.
It could be the best decision you've ever made.
Up to this point you've worn all the hats, and maybe hired an employee or two.
Now you're ready to prioritize your time and start delegating tasks that can be done more efficiently by a specialist, such as bookkeeping.
But maybe you're afraid to take the plunge.
You get used to working 18 hour days after a while, and think maybe you'll be bored if you're not busy doing something.
While it can be hard, especially for "type A" personalities, to have less to do, it may be the best thing for your business, family, and health.
You want to live a balanced life because you'll never get your time back.
Once you use it, it's gone.
The best way to improve your business, family relationships, and health is to simply take action and outsource those tasks that are time suckers.
Don't worry about not having enough to do- we've come up with a list below to help you get going on some new activities that are better uses of your time.
• Update your personal budget • Take a spontaneous vacation somewhere new • Go through the rolodex or LinkedIn and call contacts you haven't seen in a while to catch up • Schedule a one-on-one meeting this week • Go to a business event you've never been to • Clean your office • Organize your desk, filing/scanning needed documents and shredding the rest • Buy a gift for an important client and hand deliver it • Volunteer with an organization you admire • Write a few blog posts or make some how to videos for your business • Update your computer software and clean up the folders, re-organizing and deleting old files • Handwrite a few thank you notes to people who have sent you a referral or done you a favor • Go to the gym • Cook a gourmet meal for your spouse • Set up a lunch meeting for a colleague and someone who would be an ideal prospect for them • Join a committee at the local chamber of commerce • Send someone in your network an article of interest • Invite clients and referral partners to an event you host • Nominate someone for an award • Feature someone in your network in your email newsletter • Follow up with prospects you haven't heard from in a while • Get your holiday shopping done ahead of time • Unsubscribe from email newsletters you don't have time or wherewithal to read • Join a professional development club such as Toastmasters to hone a skill • Go to a conference for professionals in your industry • Invest in a booth at an industry specific trade show • Evaluate your brochures, business cards, and other marketing materials and get new ones if they need to be updated • Sign up for social media accounts such as Yelp, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+ if you haven't yet and create profiles for you and your business • Meet with employees one-on-one for performance reviews, feedback for them, feedback from them, etc.
• Have a team meeting to brainstorm new services, products, marketing techniques etc.
• Meet with your business coach • Play golf! • Take up a new hobby such as photography, chess, or anything that is completely unrelated to what you do for a living • Go to a museum • Go to a concert Did you notice that not everything in the above list was about work? That's because when you do something that you enjoy that is not work related, you give yourself a chance to re-charge your batteries.
Then when you go back to work you will be much more effective.
So give it a try! Don't be afraid to pull the trigger on outsourcing your bookkeeping.
It could be the best decision you've ever made.
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