Written by: Jordan Schanda King, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Are you running your business, or is your business running you? I had to answer this question once and for all as a CEO. And not that long ago, I didn’t like the answer. I was doing all the “right” things to get visible, and I was bringing on high-paying clients, but I was totally burnt out and exhausted.
So, I sat down and went through an entire process of modeling my production and analyzing my own schedule so I could create a business that I would actually enjoy and that fit into my life. And I was shocked by what I found! My offers weren’t priced right—one offer was effectively losing money. And I wasn’t spending time on the right things in my business—the things only I could do—the things that brought on new clients and turned current clients into raving fans.
One key thing that changed that day is that I permitted myself to outsource the things that other people could do more effectively. A surefire way to burn out in your business is to neglect your CEO role and spend too much time on the day-to-day tasks of running things. This is what people are talking about when they say they’re spending too much time working in their business instead of on their business.
By bringing on experts to help you, you can free yourself up to work on higher-level strategy and in your unique zone of genius. But, outsourcing can be tough. Finding people who vibe with your work style and add the value you desperately need is truly an art form. Here are 5 common mistakes I’ve seen CEOs (including myself) make when hiring support. If you can identify these, you can avoid them from the get-go.
1. You outsource the wrong things
Sure, it may look super sexy to onboard an executive assistant or do a professional rebrand immediately, but those may not be your immediate needs. Consider what needs to happen to optimize your time, increase your revenue, scale your business, or hit a specific goal. Outsourcing should allow you to do something else (that only you can do) and greatly increase your productivity, not be something you do for the sake of doing.
2. You don't know what you need
You find the world’s best virtual assistant, and you’re super psyched to hire him or her, then – you realize you have no idea what they’re going to do. Clarity is everything when it comes to outsourcing. You have to know what jobs you’re going to hire out and which type of freelancer you’re going to use to fill the position before you even start searching.
If you don’t, you risk having a sub-par relationship with your team. It’s not that you’re a bad leader or they’re bad teammates, there just isn’t enough clarity to inspire productivity.
3. You hire and don’t fully utilize them
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. If you’re not truly taking the time to understand your team’s strengths, you’re underutilizing them. An easy way to fix this is to ask them what their strengths are or have them fill out a form when they start working for you. This way, you can not only literally use all of their retainer hours but you can also ensure they’re staying in their zone of genius.
4. You don’t use your time wisely
The whole point of bringing someone on board is to prioritize your time for the things that matter most. If you have a new social media manager or virtual assistant, yet you’re doing way more weekly team check-ins, you’re not using your newly freed-up time effectively. By outsourcing, you should gain more time to do high-value activities. This looks different for everyone, but they can include strategy mindmaps, discovery calls, interviews, or growing your network. Outsourcing can 100% free up your time, but it’s only worth it if you use it wisely.
5. You don’t hire help at all
The worst mistake you can make is continuing to hustle until the point of burnout. Outsourcing is a must when your business hits a certain level, because you shouldn’t be working yourself to the bone. I know it can be scary to give up control, but trust me, it’s pivotal to the long-term success of your business. So take the plunge, and find some people who make your life and business feel easier
My business (and my life) changed forever the day I took a hard look at how it was running and started making concrete changes in how I spent my time. It sounds a little dramatic, I know, but it’s true! And now I run a business instead of it running me.
Jordan Schanda King, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jordan Schanda King is a serial entrepreneur and expert at business optimization. Since starting her first business in 2013, she has published a book, founded and co-founded multiple businesses, developed and led group programs in three industries, filed copyrights on multiple products, and successfully sold a business. Now Jordan runs a Contract COO agency, Easy Scaling, specializing in full business management for women who are scaling their service-based businesses. With an all-female team of VAs, OBMs, Copywriters, Marketers, Social Media Managers, and Tech Gurus, they help female founders scale without burning out so that they can build a sustainable business that they love.
