5 Reasons You’re Struggling to Outsource in Your Online Business 

You’re at a rock and a hard place. 

You’re overwhelmed with your task list. You want to spend time focusing on what’s going to move the needle forward, and you know to get there, you need to hire help. 

The only problem? You’ve tried, and it didn’t work out the way you’d hoped.

I get it! Finding people you trust with your business can be tough. But if you’re consistently finding it difficult to outsource in your online business…it may not be the folks you’re hiring. 

Instead, it may be one of these five reasons holding you back.

Reason #1: You’re not providing SOPs

Contrary to what you may think, people can’t actually read your mind. Shocking, I know! So, if you’ve been expecting them to do it in the past, then, ding ding! That’s probably why you’re not finding the right folks to work with. 

If you’re not showing people how to do what you’re asking of them, then you can’t really afford to get mad when they don’t do it correctly (or the way you want it done). 

But creating an SOP (standard operating procedure) can help you avoid all of that! You can clearly outline what to do and when, so there’s no guessing games, and your contractors or employees can do their best work — the work you hired them for!

Reason #2: You’re micro-managing

Remember when your mom (or other parental figure) took you for driving lessons with your permit? They probably held onto the panic bar for dear life, making an “AHH” noise or offering up an “Oooh don’t do that” with every movement of the vehicle. 

You probably got way too nervous to keep going, so you pulled over in a Sheetz parking lot and switched drivers. And because it was like this every single time you drove together, it took you AGES to finish your drive time hours. 

That’s what micromanaging does for your business. How can anyone do their best work when someone is constantly telling them what to do and when?

If it’s been hard to find the right contractors or employees, it may be time to reflect internally. Ask yourself, “How’s my communication? Am I giving people the instructions and information they need?” And be honest! 

Without clear answers, you can’t ever truly let go. 

Reason #3: You’re not using a project management platform

Setting expectations with your clients is a lot like setting expectations with your team. If they don’t have a clear list of what’s on their plate, and when it’s due, there will always be misalignment. Period. 

When you give them the details they need, and put them somewhere they can access that information (like a project management platform!), you cut out all the unnecessary drama! 

Your team can keep track of what they’re working on, prioritize their tasks based on deadlines, and you can check in on workflow without pestering them. A win-win for everyone!

Reason #4: You’re trying to hire a unicorn

Unicorns, though cute, don’t exist. Stop searching the four corners of LinkedIn for one, and instead try to find the best possible match for where you’re at in business right now. 

No one is perfect. Yes, you want this new hire to be skilled and highly qualified for the role you’re bringing them in for, but you can’t expect them to know everything. Be patient and be willing to teach them. 

Eventually, they’ll get the hang of how you do things in your biz, and you’ll start seeing the benefits of outsourcing. You have to give it time!

Reason #5: You won’t let go

One of the biggest pain points of employees or contractors is being hired by someone who won’t let them do their job. It falls in line with micromanagement, but it can also manifest when you simply won’t pass off anything on your plate. 

You hired someone to reduce your workload. Why throw money away by holding on too tightly to that task list? Or by not trusting the expertise you’re paying them for?

You have to truly be ready to trust someone to outsource help. Like I said above, no one is perfect, and getting comfortable with who you hire takes time. But that isn’t an excuse not to try.

You don’t have to relinquish total control yet, but loosen the grip a little, okay?

Get the ops support you need to feel confident about hiring help

A lot of the bottleneck in the hiring process comes from an operational standpoint. Creating SOPs, creating systems, managing deadlines, tasks, and expectations…it all has to come together to create a positive environment to help your new hires thrive!

But if you feel like that’s not something you can add to your plate right now, why not outsource it to someone who can? *wink wink* 

Let’s get everything set up so you can find the right folks — and then support them as they support you! Follow me here to learn more about working together!