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What Work Should I Outsource in My Small Business?
- Jun 11
- 7 min read
Small business owners and entrepreneurs know what it’s like to wear a lot of hats. Depending on the size of your team, you may be wearing every single hat. It could work for a while, but eventually you’ll run into issues that stall your business’s growth. You may end up spending so much time running your business, you don’t have time to do the actual work in your business that you enjoy. Or, your business may be falling behind because you lack the expertise in a particular area in order to do it well.
Either way, something needs to change. This is when it may be time to outsource work in your business. Outsourcing work does not mean you have to give up control over your small business. Outsourcing creates freedom and flexibility in your schedule and prevents burnout by allowing you to focus on your strengths and grow your business.
Signs That It’s Time to Outsource Work in Your Small Business
Outsourcing isn’t the answer for everyone, but if you’re experiencing any of these issues, it may be a solution for you.
Administrative Tasks Take Up the Majority of Your Time
This is for the business owners who are drowning in their inbox, spreadsheets, and files. You have so much administrative work to do, you are turning down opportunities to take on more clients or create more products because there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done.
When you’re overwhelmed with admin tasks, there are two solutions that could make a big difference in your efficiency and use of time. The first thing you can do is develop new systems and processes to streamline your workflows, increase accuracy and repeatability, and save time. This may involve utilizing new tools to automate processes and store data in a way that makes the most sense for your unique business needs. Implementing more efficient systems and processes could significantly decrease the time you spend on administrative tasks, giving you more time to invest in activities that generate revenue for your business.
For some business owners, updating systems is still not enough. When administrative work continues to take up a majority of your time, it’s probably time to bring in outside help to free up your schedule and get your time back. With the right person or team handling your administrative work, you can properly invest your time in growing your business.
You Avoid Tasks Because You Lack Expertise
We all know the feeling — filling up your day with so many other tasks, yet never getting around to the work that will actually move your business forward. You’re not lazy, you just aren’t sure the best way to accomplish what needs to be done. Or maybe you do know how, it just takes time that you don’t have because you are busy handling the other areas of your business.
Most businesses require expertise in areas such as marketing, website management, accounting, graphic design, and technology. If you don't have experience in these areas, spending hours trying to learn them can quickly become overwhelming and drain valuable time and energy. While resources like YouTube, Google, and ChatGPT can help you learn new skills, an experienced professional can often complete the work in a fraction of the time while bringing industry knowledge and strategic insight tailored to your specific business. That's something online tutorials and AI tools simply can't fully replace.
When you find yourself avoiding certain tasks because they don’t match your skillset and prior experience, it’s probably time to do yourself and your business a favor and start outsourcing that work.
Revenue-generating Work is Taking a Back Seat
As a busy entrepreneur, time is certainly your most valuable resource. Your time is finite. As administrative and marketing work begins to pile up on your desk, you may find that revenue-generating work is taking a back seat. Client work is delayed. Sales opportunities are missed. Growth initiatives stay on the back burner because you’re stuck in maintenance mode, always moving but never taking steps ahead.
For example, imagine you own a lawn care business. Your expertise lies in maintaining properties, building relationships with customers, and growing your client base. But instead of spending your day meeting with potential customers, completing estimates, or servicing lawns, you're spending hours answering emails, scheduling appointments, creating social media posts, and sending invoices. While those tasks are important, they aren't directly generating revenue. Every hour spent behind a computer is an hour you're not spending on the work that drives your business forward.
This can turn into a real problem that gridlocks your business. Tony Robbins popularized the philosophy “if you’re not growing, you’re dying.” Without investing the time and energy into the real work that generates revenue for your business, you are missing out on opportunities for healthy growth and success.
You’re Burnt Out
Most entrepreneurs know the feeling. You’re working long hours. Not just long hours, but hours deep into the night or early in the morning. You wake up at 3:00 AM with work on your mind, thinking of an email you never sent or a marketing idea that needs to be brought to life. Even when you plan time to step away and rest, something always comes up and you’re never fully able to recharge. You constantly feel behind. The phrase “work-life balance” feels more like a punchline than a guiding principle.
You shouldn’t have to stay in startup mode forever. It’s not sustainable! Once the groundwork for your business has been laid, it’s time to delegate, outsource, and focus on the work that makes you excited to get up and go to work in the morning. There is absolutely still a place for hard work and long hours in your business, but spending those hours doing the right things makes all the difference.
What Tasks Should You Outsource?
You know it’s time to start outsourcing work, but you aren’t sure what kind of work should be outsourced. There’s no one-size-fits-all rulebook to outsourcing tasks in your small business. Each business has unique needs, and every business owner brings their own skillset to the table.
Here are some of the common types of work you can outsource, and things you should consider when deciding if it’s right for you.
Administrative Support
Calendar management
Inbox management
Scheduling
Customer communication
Document organization
If you’re organized, professional, prompt, and have the right systems and tools in place, administrative work is not difficult to complete on your own. It does, however, take the most time. Like we said earlier, your time is finite! Take a look at your schedule. If you rarely fall behind on administrative tasks and have a fair amount of margin in your day-to-day schedule for new clients and projects, you’re probably okay to continue handling the admin work on your own.
If you’re spending a lot of time handling administrative tasks when you could be taking on more clients or projects and investing in higher-value activities, consider outsourcing your administrative work so your schedule can favor revenue-generating projects.
Bookkeeping and Financial Tasks
Expense tracking
Invoicing
Payroll support
Financial reporting
Bookkeeping and financial tasks are similar to administrative tasks in terms of organization and systems. They do, however, require hard skills in math and accounting that may not come naturally to every business owner. While you can stay at the financial helm of your business with big-picture strategy and decisions, having additional support for the background work can free up your mental energy and keep things moving accurately and efficiently.
If you’re struggling with the operational side of your business’s finances, things can go south quickly. Outsourcing bookkeeping and financial tasks allows you to focus on the bigger picture and make critical decisions for the direction of your business without falling behind.
Marketing and Content Creation
Social media management
Blog writing
Email marketing
Graphic design
For some businesses, it's okay for marketing to be an afterthought. Networking and relationship-building may be all that's needed to generate sales and secure loyal customers. But for many businesses, a carefully curated online presence, cohesive branding, and strategic investment in advertising are essential for reaching new customers. Marketing is often the first step in getting potential clients through the door. Without marketing, there are no leads, and without leads, there are no sales. Without sales, there's no business.
If your business is struggling to gain customers, this is a great sign that you should be outsourcing your marketing efforts.
Many business owners assume that because they are experts in their field, they can market their business effectively as well. While you may know your industry better than anyone, marketing requires a different skill set. Communicating your value, creating professional designs, writing compelling content, and reaching the right audience takes both strategy and experience.
You may provide an exceptional product or service, but if your marketing doesn't communicate that effectively, potential customers may never see the value you offer. The right marketing support can help ensure your expertise is presented professionally and reaches the audience you want to serve.
Growing Your Team Internally vs Outsourcing
At some point, many business owners face an important question: Should I hire an employee or outsource the work?
Outsourcing is often the best solution when you need specialized expertise, occasional support, or help with tasks that don't require someone to be involved in your day-to-day operations. Marketing, bookkeeping, website management, project-based work, and administrative support are all common areas where outsourcing can provide professional results without the commitment of hiring a full-time employee.
For many small businesses, outsourcing can also serve as a stepping stone before hiring. It allows you to access professional support, improve efficiency, and better understand your staffing needs before making the financial commitment of adding a new employee.
There is no universal right answer. The goal is to find the solution that gives your business the support it needs while allowing you to focus on the work that drives growth.
Need Support Growing Your Business?
Bristol Consulting provides professional small business support services designed to help entrepreneurs and business owners streamline operations, improve efficiency, and focus on growth. From administrative support and project management to business operations consulting, marketing support, process development, and training materials, we help businesses build the systems and structure they need to succeed.
Ready to reclaim your time and focus on growing your business?
Contact us today to learn how our small business consulting and support services can help you work smarter, operate more efficiently, and achieve sustainable growth.
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