Are you a Jack-of-All-Trades Solopreneur?

What was your reason for starting your business? Financial freedom? No bosses? No office politics? A desire to help people?

These reasons (and any others that are floating in your head) are valid and should inspire you to reach for your goals, but the only way to reach those goals is to stay focused on your main mission (client work) and not on back-end operations or admin tasks that aren’t your specialty.

Jack-of-all-Trades are those business owners – most likely solopreneurs, working on their own – who feel the need to do everything themselves. They schedule their own client appointments, answer emails, handle customer service issues, and do their own monthly bookkeeping. If you asked them, you might find they also handle the myriad marketing tasks that are necessary to attract customers and grow their customer base (when they can find the time to market, that is). Sound familiar?

If you’re so focused on ALL of these admin and marketing tasks, how much time are you really dedicating to your clients? The money is with your paying clients, yet all the other admin and marketing tasks are certainly necessary. How do you split your time?

If your business is growing, it’s likely time to delegate your admin tasks to an assistant. You can hire a virtual assistant, who works remotely from their own home office, or a local admin assistant who lives nearby and comes into your office to work along side you in person (or run errands, etc.). Either of these assistants can answer the office phone, schedule appointments, answer questions about your products and services and, if they have the marketing chops, keep your social media profiles updated.

For something as specialized as your finances, hiring a CPA or a certified bookkeeper is important. Not only are they bound by confidentiality and a code of ethics, but they know how to keep accurate records and how to organize everything for a smooth tax season.

In general, hiring people who are experts in their field is a wise business investment, even when it comes to hiring admin and virtual assistants. Those with solid job experience can finish tasks much more quickly and efficiently (and with fewer mistakes) than someone with less experience, or even you! Remember the last time you tried learning new software? There’s a learning curve to everything; why put yourself through that, wasting time and money, when there are experts who can implement that software in half the time?

A word of caution when hiring: Be very clear on the tasks you need completed and what skills you want in an assistant. Absolutely anyone can say they are an admin assistant or a VA, even if they have limited experience. Go through an interview process and work on a small project before making any big commitments. Your business is important so you want to hire a qualified applicant.

Need Help Relinquishing Control of Your Tasks? Watch this…

I recently hosted a webinar all about releasing the stressors of your business. It’s beneficial for all solopreneur business owners who find themselves doing everything for everyone. During “5 Steps to Less Business Stress” I talk about how to delegate, automate, and eliminate tasks so you feel happier about your business and can focus more on helping those clients who inspire you. Grab the webinar now.