If you own your own business it is likely that you find it hard to detach and to switch off from work mode, and treat your venture more like a child than a workplace. Building your company is a labour of love, and as such you will probably get very attached to it and have a lot of yourself invested in it.
This is no bad thing as it means you really care and really want to succeed, and at the start that is precisely what is needed. As your business grows however, you can afford to take a step back and let go a little, saving you a lot of emotional strain and reducing stress.
–Worry
Outsourcing worry is actually easier than you might think. This doesn’t mean hiring someone to do all your worrying for you, instead it means making sure that you have procedures and processes in place to counter anything that causes this worry. If the thing you are worrying about is outside your area of expertise, or you don’t feel confident designing the process, then at that point you enlist someone else to do it.
For example, if you are worried about computer systems crashing, you can hire an IT expert. If you are confused about formulating policies in general, then a processes manager could help. Or, if you are concerned about legal issues that may befall you, speaking to an expert in professional indemnity insurance might put your mind at rest.
–Stress
Stress is similar to worry, but tends to be caused by things that are actually happening, rather than what might happen. Most stresses in business relate to money or customers and can be outsourced to an extent. It is your business, so there will always be an element of attachment and of stress, but the trick to offloading this stress is to make it someone else’s problem.
This might sound mean, but if you think about it, that’s what all jobs essentially are. A sales manager could be employed to consider how to bring in more business, and a customer services manager to consider how to keep the business you already have. That’s two major stressors outsourced and ready to report back to you when you want.
–Time
Not an emotion as such, but a lack of it certainly has a negative effect on your mood. Saving time is one of the most easily outsourced things around. There are tonnes of apps, programs, tips and tricks that all claim to streamline your working process and give you back some precious hours. Why spend three hours on something that only need take one with the proper equipment?
Why slave over your books for two days a month, when you could pay an accountant to do it for you? Remember your time is not free – work out what it would cost to employ you per hour, and if you can have a system or specialist do it for you quicker and cheaper then take that option instead.
Outsourcing isn’t cheating, nor is it an unnecessary expense. If something was physically broken and you couldn’t fix it, you’d pay someone else to do it. If you are emotionally breaking yourself by being too involved with your company, then the solution is the same.
About the author: This article was written by Roxanne Wells on behalf of Hiscox.