LEARNING TO DELEGATE IS CRITICAL FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS

Above & Beyond, Inc.
26 Park Street, Suite 2000
Montclair, New Jersey 07042

Media Contact: Evelyn Weiss Francisco / [email protected] / (201) 796-7788

LEARNING TO DELEGATE IS CRITICAL FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS
Letting Go of Non-Essential Tasks is Vital for Prosperity and Work-Life Balance

MONTCLAIR, N.J., Jan. 13, 2010 – Learning to delegate ranks among the most critical management skills for entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to grow their ventures into successful organizations, according to Donna Miller, president and founder of Above & Beyond, Inc. The company, founded in 1994, provides outsourced administrative support and virtual assistant services, and turnkey office rentals at its headquarters.

As a consultant, Miller has inspired, coached and supported hundreds of small business owners, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. In the following Q&A interview, she discusses the importance of delegation and how many new business owners struggle with it, and offers suggestions for how to get started.

Why do many entrepreneurs have trouble “letting go” of tasks?
Successful entrepreneurs and small business owners are, by nature, creative problem solvers, tolerant of risk, comfortable in roles of leadership and able to manage multiple demands. Simply put, this is a perfect breeding ground for control issues. Many small business owners also suffer from a lack of focus. Picture this: an eight-armed octopus moving in eight different directions at speeds meant for a gazelle. That is what comes to mind when I picture a small business owner who is trying to manage all the aspects of running his or her company.

How does this negatively impact progress and results?
People start businesses for a number of great reasons. They may want to control their own destiny, make more money and/or achieve work-life balance. Maybe they want to get off the corporate treadmill, break the proverbial “glass ceiling,” or be in a position to give back. Today, the unemployment rate is the highest it has been in our lifetime – many talented people are out of work and are choosing the path of entrepreneur.


I have been in business 15 years, and I can still feel the excitement of walking into my office on opening day. Failure never entered my mind. At the same time, I never could have imagined how hard it would be. Everyone who starts a business has a great plan. But somewhere along the line things can begin to creep out of control. Unexpected expenses, staff or vendor turnover, and slower revenue streams can find you working insane hours. While you love your new role, it can be exhausting and seemingly take over your life. Many of those original benefits of becoming an entrepreneur can seem like they are getting further out of reach.

What is the best way to break that cycle?
The first step to getting off the merry-go-round is to do some time and task tracking. I recommend creating a spreadsheet that logs what you are doing on a day-to-day basis for a two-week period. These activities should be categorized into three segments: “tasks I MUST delegate,” “tasks I SHOULD delegate” and “tasks I WON’T delegate.”

Please elaborate on what should go into each category.
The first category includes tasks that you would not hesitate to delegate to staff – whether or not you have one. Typically, these MUST items might include clerical and administrative work, basic bookkeeping functions, graphic design, web site edits and social marketing site updates. If you are having a hard time coming up with a list of things you must delegate, take a good look at what you are doing and how it is done. Can the task be broken in phases?

The second category can be a bit trickier and may take longer to develop. The SHOULD delegate category includes things that will help you leverage your time in more substantive ways. These tasks might include researching competitors, marketing channels and new business opportunities; calendar management; mid-level bookkeeping tasks; lead qualification; and telemarketing.

Tasks that you WON’T delegate are the things that you, uniquely, are qualified to do. They may include project management, new business development, speaking engagements, developing content for seminars, cultivating your referral program, forging cooperative marketing relationships and strategic partnerships, and strategic planning. These are the high-level items that drive your business and its growth.

Once you’ve tracked your time and tasks, what comes next?
Estimate how many hours per week in total you are working. Then add up the time you are spending in each category. The big picture should start to become clear. If you were to shift your time spent on “MUST delegate” tasks to “WON’T delegate” tasks, how would it impact your business? Would it change your work-life balance? Would it increase your revenue? Begin to think about what it could mean to you in hard dollars and lifestyle improvements. The bottom line is that unless you let go of tasks in that first category, you are going to continue to be dragged along without any control over the pace of your commitments.


How do I put in place a team that can help?
Once you have acknowledged the need to change the way you are doing things, it is important to find the right talent to assist you. This may come in the form of employees, outside vendors or virtual assistants. It is vitally important that you take your time in hiring the right team members. It also is necessary to document procedures carefully in order to delegate them effectively. These steps require an investment of time and money. However, they are well worth it when you see your small business or sole practice evolving into an organization. As your business develops, you will be well positioned to achieve the goals that motivated you to become an entrepreneur in the first place.