DIY (Do It Yourself) or Delegate? THAT Is The Question

It's hard to be objective when you're so close to your business. To save money, as entrepreneurs we often consider doing many things ourselves. There are smart reasons, though, to give this approach careful consideration before proceeding.

Economics are very real, but so are your efforts. To waste them wastes time that can be better spent focusing on doing what you do best to grow your business.

How do you determine whether the task in front of you is something you should do yourself or delegate to a pro?

Remember: There are no right or wrong choices when it comes to either option. There are simply decisions that must be made. With mindful consideration you'll know exactly which option is best in each situation.

1. Ask yourself these simple Do-It-Yourself questions:

• Do I possess innate talent for this task? When we perform based on our natural gifts, the results are highly productive and soul-fulfilling. It doesn't cost us much in time or effort to perform these tasks.
• Have I done it before? If you already perform the task and enjoy it, the best choice may be to DIY. If it's something that truly interests you, and you've never done it before, it may be a worthwhile task to perform to build your skill set.
• Do I have experience performing this task at/near expert level? Do you have a burning desire to learn accounting or set up a shopping cart? If you do, that's probably your business. If you don't, it may take more time becoming proficient enough to make it worth your time. Look at the long-term investment of the learning curve. If you invest the time now, will you want to continue this task when your business is in full bloom?
• Do I enjoy this task? When we love what we do, things just flow. They don't feel like work. Time passes quickly and we are done before we know it. With few exceptions, that's how the DIY approach should feel. If you dread the task in front of you, you gain nothing by doing it yourself. Delegate NOW!
• Can I complete this task without other projects falling behind? You might think you have more time than money, but what is your time worth? If you have one project that can be completed and turned into cash and it's something only you can do, that must be your priority! Doing everything yourself is impossible. If your to-do list is wildly out-of-control already, how can you feel good about doing yet another thing that can be delegated? There's enough to do.
• Can I complete this task in a reasonable amount of time? If it takes an expert two hours for a logo design and you pay her $295, and it takes you 10 hours because you have to learn a new program and create the design, have you saved anything? When you learn the program is your innate talent design composition? That 10 hours might be much better invested in development of an e-book, formulating a new product or ANYTHING that can generate many more times the cost of the logo.
• How will I feel about the time and energy invested if I do this myself? The feeling of wasting time or energy weighs heavy. How often have you completed something only to wish you could start all over and delegate it because the project became a monster? What about the results? Did they exceed your expectations? Maybe, maybe not. If you don't have full confidence in doing it yourself, delegate. The pro you hire must deliver goods that at least meet your expectations. If not, they have to do it again. This requires no further investment of time or money on your part because the liability is 100% with the expert you hired.

2. Ask yourself these simple Delegation-related questions:

• What is my budget for this project? Be specific and realistic. How much are you investing and what is the ROI (Return On Investment)?
• What do I get in addition to what I'm paying for? When you hire a pro, you're getting so much more than what you hired them for. You are buying time. As an example: 2 hours to learn more about search engine optimization, R&D on a new product, launch a new Blog, time to schedule a much-needed coaching session, hire a marketing business consultant, develop a plan for 2009, etc. By delegating, you give yourself a structured time slot that would have been spent performing the task, but instead you can use for something else that must be done... maybe something only you can do.
• If I delegate this, how will I use the time instead? Map it out and be specific. Set a goal for yourself. That way it feels like two things are being accomplished at the same time, which they are!
• Does this use of time make more sense than doing this myself? If you quietly ask yourself this question and listen, the answer will surface. It's your internal guidance system helping you make wise decisions based on much more than the logical considerations in front of you.

Based on the answers to these questions, you now have a clear sense of whether you should DIY or delegate.

Another Option

Instead of the common polar approach which is: "This or that; black or white, full or empty," think of ways you can maximize the services of a pro with each of you doing a portion. This gives you the benefits of both experiences; DIY and delegating.

As an example, one of my clients writes all her copy. She emails it to me for a complete edit. This saves her considerable money because she's completed the bulk of the work. On the average, this saves clients 3/5 of the cost of a full copywriting job because it doesn't involve the extensive background research required for me to deliver rich content. She saves money, but benefits from a second set of expert eyes on her marketing materials.

Now, that's a win-win situation!