Adapted from content excerpted from the American Express® OPEN Small Business Network
Some small business owners are proud of the fact that they do everything for their businesses themselves. But it doesn’t always make business sense to be a one-person operation. In fact, you should delegate as much work as you possibly can if you want your business to thrive. If you don’t, chances are you’ll always be short on time, long on responsibilities, and standing still in business.
There are three key reasons why small business people say they can’t delegate. Some common excuses are listed below. Read on to find out why they don’t hold water. Then use a worksheet like the one described below to help you figure out what responsibilities you can delegate.
Money – “I can’t afford to pay someone to do this for me.”
Time – “It will take too much time to train someone. I can do it faster by myself.”
Quality – “No one can do this as well as I can.”
Delegating Worksheet
Use a worksheet to determine how you’re using your time. Use it over the course of a week or two to see how much time each task (whether important or menial) takes you. You might find out that you’re using a lot of time for certain jobs that can be easily delegated out.
Your worksheet should have three columns:
| Task / Activity | Time Spent | Delegation Plan |
|---|
Use the “Delegation Plan” column to record your ideas for steps necessary to farm out a task. Include a list of possible candidates.
Use it over the course of a week or two to see how much time each task (whether important or menial) takes you. You might find out that you’re using a lot of time for certain jobs that can be easily delegated out.
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