It’s been a very long year for me actually but with a nice positive ending! So i can relax knowing that leading into 2009 is looking good!
This year has been full of ups and downs for me, and while i have learned quite a bit this year, i have learned one very big lesson throughout the course of this year as I’ve found myself engulfed and feeling forced to sacrifice any social time i may otherwise have.
Let me first share what i am talking about more in detail:
I am involved in a partnership with a friend and we run a membership site. Basically we offer paying customers the ability to build back links to their sites and pages from a network of sites we own.
We’ve done this to open the doors to better link building opportunities for ourselves first and foremost due to the model we’ve lined up, however the problem thus far has been handling a network that was continuing to grow each and every month.
What this means is that we built more sites every month.
While that task is really no problem at all, the problem lays in any change that needs to be made to sites within the network we own and there has been many throughout the course of the year.
What has to be done to one site in turn needs to be done to hundreds of others as well. For the most part I’ve spent the entire year maintaining the sites inside the network and it’s totally overwhelmed me and cut into any social time i used to have.
Could i have outsourced these tasks?
Ideally, yes. But my problem is trusting another person(s) enough to do these things for me and properly to boot. This is what i hope to change in the upcoming year though.
But back to the lesson I’ve learned here this year…
It’s better to ask for help and spend time working on things that will make money, rather than on tasks that run your business.
Does this make sense?
For example, look at it this way.
Working IN your business would include duties employees would otherwise do for you.
Working ON your business would include management, overseeing operations and just finding ways to grow your business.
After all, the whole reason why we do these things online is to open the doors to opportunity, not give us more work and responsibility right?
I hope that lesson can be a little time saver for those of you whom maybe have just started to get your feet wet.
Work ON your business… NOT IN your business!
Finally, to the real point of this small update.
I want to wish you all a happy and safe new year. With so much ahead of us, enjoy yourselves.
Prosperous times ahead for us all in 2009!
Colin
5 comments ↓
Hi Colin,
Wholeheartedly agree: work on your business, not in it – when you are able to. I am just starting out so I’m working on it, in it, by it, through it, everywhichway it. Things will clear during 2009, as they are doing for you now.
Really popped by with the following:
It’s taking me for ever to get round everyone just to say hi, so I don’t want you to think I am being rude, but I’m turbo hopping to get round as many of the F500 that I can. If I wait for you to come to me, it might never happen. Thanks to all who have already visited Planet Valz.
This means I have a standard message for everyone, and I’m leaving it as a comment to the latest post. I hope this does not offend you as communication and generosity is what is driving this.
Firstly, my wishes to you for a Happy, Healthy and very Prosperous Year 2009.
Secondly, I want to give you a New Year present, but you need to go to http://daybydaymarketing.com/2008/12/choose-your-new-year-present/
I would appreciate being added to your blogroll if I am not already on it. I am happy to add you to mine when you come over.
Valerie
http://daybydaymarketing.com
Hello Valerie,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Personally at the moment i try to keep my focus towards immediate things i need to get done first and foremost and have not yet found the time to run around commenting on blogs as well, although i would like to sooner or later!
Your link has been added to my “friends” section for the record.
Colin
Hi Colin:
I agree with you 100%!!!! Working ON your business is the key and being able to outsources others to work IN your business is a very wise, but difficult task to achieve. I have the same problem you have — I need to let go so that I have more time to work ON my business too!! I just don’t feel like anyone can do things the way I really want them to do it. But, this is definitely something I need to work on changing.
Let me know how you are doing with this as you work through 2009 towards this goal. There is a post on my blog that may be helpful to you … have you read the book “Eat that frog”? Thats what my post addresses…
Robin
Hi Robin,
It’s not easy, that is for sure. I’ve done quite a bit of outsourcing on sites like Rentacoder and have certainly come across some pretty good writers, programmers and graphic designers, but for the most part most of the people are not creative and do a half ass job! Which doesn’t make this easier, however my immediate thought is to get some friends involved instead, but I’ve also just learned about a place where you can hire cheap workers who will work for you full time if you need. I have yet to try it out, but apparently it’s good. Will post my findings when i have tried the system out for awhile.
Will stop by your blog and give your post a read. Thanks for the recommendation.
Colin
Colin!
You hit the nail right on the head! Work on the work not in it. I’ve no wish to be penny wise and pound foolish.
Outsource the work that eat up a lot of time but only give a small percentage of productivity. Alex also emphasized this.
All the Best!
Regards,
Erwin Chua
Winning To Win With Erwin Chua!
http://winning2win.com
http://www.twitter.com/waywalker0101
Hey Colin!
You are exactly right when it comes to outsourcing. One of the main points of having your own business is to be able to free yourself from being tied down to your job all the time. I can understand that it would be hard to trust others to do the work for you though. I am sure there are some very qualified people that you know, or can find, that can do an excellent job for you. Just be bold, take that step, and then go have dinner with your friends.
I can’t wait until my internet business gets so big I have this problem. Lol.
See you in the webinar!
Beth
Hi Beth,
Trust me, it would be a task familiarizing some of my computer illiterate friends with what i am doing enough to trust them. Copy and paste is often a problem!
I will be trying though because enough is enough! I don’t wish this on you as time sacrifices more or less hurt after awhile, so i hope that when you are at this stage in your business, you are certainly making enough to outsource without the worry of losing your mind.
As for webinar. You won’t see me on any of them. It just so happens that every scheduled webinar that is held is on a work night for me. I miss everything and fall behind 1-2 days while i wait for the video to pop online.
PS: You really should update your permalink structure on your blog so your urls are more search engine friendly.
Colin
Hi Colin,
Unfortunately I have not yet reached the computer illiterate stage I am still crawling around the net in cloth (not disposable-you wouldn’t believe the number of nappy’s that are thrown into landfills each day) nappy’s!!
I read with interest your blog regarding not “being in your business” I am totally new to business, I am a Naturopath and Scientist and not business minded in the least. However circumstances have led me to this pathway and I now have to earn a living from the knowledge I have acquired over the years in the natural health field with science to back my claims. So I will keep popping back to your blog in the hope of acquiring knowledge from business minded people like yourself. Any health problems or questions you may have please do not hesitate to contact me and I will guide you down the Natural health path.
Vaya con Dios
Laura
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