Many people dream of becoming entrepreneurs, and often the biggest...
Letting technology do the heavy lifting for certain monotonous tasks...
As the world leans into the decentralized era,...
Managing payroll can be complicated in any...
October 15, 2018
Are you tempted to do everything yourself? If so, you’re not alone. It’s a common dilemma for startup founders and CEOs.
It’s easy to see why entrepreneurs would want to maintain total control of their products, their marketing, their sales, their finances, and their delivery systems, but it isn’t realistic.
The art of letting go and delegating can be a hard task to learn, yet it is vital to the success of your startup.
One of the most important and perhaps obvious reasons you should delegate is because it saves you time. This leaves you ample space to get your work done in a productive, efficient manner.
A smart CEO or founder knows that taking on every business task is a bad business plan, and this business owner hires the right people to help run the startup.
Delegation can happen downward, but it can also happen horizontally. For example, you might delegate to your to executives, or you might outsource tasks such as human resources and accounting.
Now let’s look at some tips for getting started.
Once you decide to delegate, you’ve got to tackle the hard part, and that is letting go.
This is easier if you hire a strong team and work with an experienced outsourcing company.
You can start with baby steps and delegate small tasks, working your way up to big ones as you develop trust.
When delegating, you need to prioritize your task list.
Separate the things that you’ll do from the items you’ll delegate. Divide the delegated items into categories based on the skill needed. For example, you might need to outsource accounting and HR which require different skill sets.
Do you know where your teams skills lie? Perhaps you have a team that’s strong in certain areas and not in others. This is where an outsource team would come in.
Assign tasks from your priority list according to relevant skill sets.
The task you delegate may make sense to you, but it might not to the person or team you’re delegating to.
Make sure you give specific instructions and include a timeline. This helps keep the line of communication open and makes your expectations clear.
If someone on your team wants to take on a task but isn’t quite up to speed on how to do it, you can always provide some additional training.
This may initially take you more time, but if you invest a bit of training in the beginning, you’ll be sure that the team member can complete the current task as well as any future tasks.
Consider this an investment in the future of your startup.
Feedback is an important part of delegation, and it’s multi-faceted as both parties need to provide feedback.
Consider an open door policy so your staff knows they can ask you questions about the task you assigned.
You also want to be sure to offer your thanks and praise, so your staff knows you appreciate them.
Ultimately, when founders and CEOs delegate, they save time and money.
Delegating helps you grow your startup because you have more time to focus on your company’s core processes and tasks.
It takes time in the beginning to hone your delegating skills, but once you do, you’ll be amazed at how well it works.
For many startups, delegating tasks is best done to an outsourced company. This is a win-win for many startups as this lets them efficiently tap into the skill-sets and expertise of seasoned professionals, while focusing on growth.
Since 2006, Escalon has helped thousands of startups streamline processes and grow faster with our back-office solutions for accounting, HR, payroll, insurance, and recruiting and taxes — and we can help yours too. Talk to an expert today.
Image: Mimi Thian on Unsplash
Our team is made up of seasoned professionals who bring years of industry experience to the table. You gain a trusted advisor who understands your business inside out.
Say goodbye to the hassles of hiring, training and managing in-house finance teams. You will never have to worry about unexpected leave of absence or retraining new employees.
Whether you’re a small business or a global powerhouse, our solutions scale with your needs. We eliminate inefficiencies, reduce costs and help you focus on growing your business.
As the world leans into the decentralized era, Web3 startups are at the forefront, exploring the possibilities of blockchain, cryptocurrencies,...
Managing payroll can be complicated in any industry, but it becomes especially challenging in the consumer goods sector, where...
Nonprofit organizations often rely on grant funding to carry out their missions, whether that involves community development, education, healthcare, or...
In today’s hyper-connected media landscape, safeguarding intellectual property (IP) and expertly managing contracts are indispensable for success. Media companies—from traditional...
Managing your business’s finances can often feel like juggling too many tasks at once, especially when you’re trying to keep...
One of the most valuable sources of talent for startups is the pool of passive candidates—individuals who aren’t actively...
Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business, and this holds especially true for Software as a Service (SaaS) companies....
Nonprofits play a vital role in addressing societal issues, but managing the intricacies of human resources (HR) within the constraints...
When you're leading a startup, your time is precious. Every decision, every action needs to be focused on growing your...