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Money is tight and you're desperate for an extra pair of hands,
but you don't have a budget. This is also known as, "I have no
one to delegate to, so now what?" Don't despair, there are
several no cost ways to increase your productivity and find ways
to delegate. Even if you do have a budget, these tips will
enhance your budget and help you get more out of your delegating
dollar.
Here are 8 ways to get low cost and free services. Tip #1: Tune
up your computer Is your computer in need of a tune up? Are you
constantly crashing? Are you rebooting? It's not only
frustrating, but it kills an enormous about of time. Not to
mention the information you lose. If your computer crashes and
you reboot each time, how long does it take for your computer to
reboot? I can guarantee if there is something wrong with your
computer that is causing it to crash, then it doesn't reboot
quickly. How frustrating is that for you and how much time is
that wasting? Get it fixed. Buy something new, but don't avoid
the problem. Time is money and that's money you could be
spending bringing in some help to do something else. If you have
a problem, talk to your computer's manufacturer. Some computer
companies like Compaq will even send you a loaner computer if
you need to send yours away to be fixed. This is specifically
for purchases on business computers, so if you bought your
laptop at Costco, you might not have this service. It's worth a
phone call to find out. To quote my Grandpa Lenny, "If you don't
ask, you don't get."
Ready to throw in the towel and buy something new, check out
www.techbargains.com.
Tip #2: Trade Services Is there something specific that you
need? Maybe there is a special skill you need like copywriting,
bookkeeping, internet help, etc. Find an expert who is in a
similar business position and see if you can trade services.
Tip #3: Who Do You Know that Will Work For Free? Do you have
friends and family that could help you out? Would your spouse,
partner, parents, kids, and/or friends be willing to give you an
hour, two or more to help you out? Think back to the days when
you had to move. All of your friends gathered around to help you
pack and lug boxes, all for the price of a couple of pizzas.
Just replace the packing and heavy lifting with business items
and tasks.
Tip #4: Ask for Volunteers In addition to friends and family, if
you have an event coming up or a big project that you need help
with, go to your mailing list and see if someone would
volunteer. I get requests all the time to volunteer at seminars,
trade shows and other events. People love to help out. You can
return the volunteer favor for them down the line.
Here are a few other things you could offer: Email your mailing
list about their services. Send some referral business without
taking a referral fee. Give them a free ticket or a copy of the
items they are working on for you.
Tip #5: Buddy Up You know what they say, two heads are better
than one. Find a friend or colleague who also needs some help
and create a buddy schedule. She works with you for a few hours
a week; you work with her for a few hours a week. This is
different from trading in that you are creating a long term
relationship and regular schedule as opposed to a one-off
project.
Tip #6: Use Delivery Services It's a web world that we live in.
Many business related companies are online and will ship to you.
Instead of having to run to: Office supply stores like Office
Depot or Staples; To a warehouse store like Costco or Sam's
Club; or To a printer like FedEx Kinko's, place your order
online and have it shipped to you. Many places won't even charge
you a shipping fee if you spend their minimum amount. How much
time in running around would that save? And you can do it on
your own schedule.
Tip #7: Use Personal Services Again, time is money. If you are
spending an entire day running to the cleaners, the market,
cleaning the house, doing the laundry, etc., then you are using
time that could be spent cultivating new clients, creating new
programs, going to networking meetings, etc. Look into using
services such as a house keeper, fluff and fold for your laundry
or calling in a meal delivery service. Yes, this will cost a few
dollars. Although, if you use that saved time to make follow-up
calls that result in a new client, wouldn't it be worth it? I'm
not saying go out and live beyond your means with all kinds of
fancy services. This only works if you take that saved time to
perform revenue earning tasks, so be sure to use your time
wisely.
Tip #8: Get an Intern Get yourself a free intern. There is an
entire group of people out there who are looking to get their
feet wet in order to find out what it's like to do what you do.
Write up a quick ad about what you are looking for, what your
company is all about and why it would be a great experience for
someone to work side-by- side with you for a couple hours a
week. This has to be a win/win for both you and the intern, so
spend some time thinking about what this person could learn from
you. There is a site called www.monstertrak.com. This is a site
where open positions are advertised to college students. There
is an entire section just for interns. Rates to post ads are
very reasonable. Check it out.
Exerted from "Easy Delegation for Entrepreneurs, You Have the
Power Are You Using It?" Want your own copy of this step-by-step
guide to building and managing a team? Visit
www.processprodigy.com/sponsorship.
C 2005 Beth Schneider. Want to reprint this article, feel free
as long as you include the following: Beth Schneider, Chief
Infopreneur of Process Prodigy, is a business process consultant
who helps solo-entrepreneurs, small business owners and network
marketers who want to systemize their business to increase
profits, increase productivity and grow their business without
having to give up the family oriented, flexible, balanced
lifestyle they desire. Beth works one-on-one with her clients,
offers home study courses, and teleclass boot camps. For more
information visit www.processprodigy.com and sign up for your
FR*EE 5-Step Process Starter Kit and FR*EE Process Tips.
About the author:
Beth Schneider, Chief Infopreneur, uses her natural ability to
create systems and motivate people, providing streamlined,
effective and consistent processes and procedures.
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