In the early stages of your business you may have worn all the hats: buyer, designer, marketer, sales manager, inventory stocker, accountat, shipper  and more.  It probably didn’t take long before you became exhausted and overwhelmed.

Even in a small business, managing all the necessary tasks is not only tiring, but can hamper your success.  Delegating can help you tremendously. Delegating is not just a good idea or a suggestion, it is essential to business success.  And yet, you may hesitate to delegate for a few reasons:

• You are a control freak
• You think you are the only one who can do things right
• You are an adrenaline junkie and like the rush of having too much to do
• You have a gigantic ego that causes you to disregard others
• You want to be liked so desperately that you think you must have your hands in all parts of the business

If you recognize yourself you must be honest with yourself and work on the area that is blocking you. Then, to begin delegating take a look at the tasks at which you are best and which ones don’t need your constant attention and could be done equally well by someone else. Find someone you trust and assign them small tasks to start. If they require training, allot plenty time and patience to give them instruction and practice they need. Check back with them periodically, but don’t hover.

Bookkeeping is one of the first areas many people delegate. While you may be good at keeping your books, it’s an area of expertise that takes dedication and consistency.  Because of many changes in tax laws and business rules, it’s also an area that requires vigilance. Turning this over to an able and efficient professional will not only save you time, money and energy, but also avoid stress.

Delivering your own gift baskets takes you away from your studio and from taking orders. Turning this over to a company skilled at delivery will cost a fee, but you can pass this cost on to your customers.  In addition to using local couriers for hand deliveries, use UPS, FedEx and USPS. They have become increasingly easier to use since you can create your own labels and arrange for pickup from your business.

These are just a few places you can begin to delegate. When you turn over tasks to you others you will discover that you benefit in new-found energy, improved mood and increased business profits.

The time you free up by delegating will feel like a breath of fresh air. Get inspiration for using your time well from our e-book, It’s About Time.  Download your copy here.