Feeling overwhelmed?  Too much to do and not enough time to get it all done?  There is an answer!

It’s not uncommon to see large companies moving many jobs overseas in an effort to save money. They call it outsourcing. As a solopreneur who works from home, you can outsource, too!

As your business grows, you might very well find that you need help. Even when you are highly organized, there seems to be more and more work to get done. Instead of encroaching on family time, find a way to get all of your tasks handled without boarding the train to Looneyville.

Just like a large corporation find the tasks that can be done in another location and send them out, you can do it, too!

To get started, grab a piece of paper and make a list of *everything* (yes, everything!) you do in a typical day.  Then add any weekly or monthly tasks you’re responsible for.

Now, go through and mark the things that only you can do.  You’ll find most things can be easily done by someone else, with a little guidance.

Make it a goal to outsource or assign a new task from that list to someone else each week (or faster).

Here are some suggestions to help you figure out who to outsource what to:

1. Hire a virtual assistant. Administrative work can be such a chore and take up more and more time as your business grows. Hiring a virtual assistant can alleviate much of this burden. They are also entrepreneurs who use their industry skills to help your business grow. It is easy to find a list to begin by typing “virtual assistant” into any search engine.  VAs can setup your website, update it, register domain names, setup blogs, post content to your blog, setup/maintain your newsletter, and so much more.
2. Hire a part-time cleaning service. The housework is always staring you in the face when you work at home. Instead of worrying about it or compromising business hours, hire a professional to take care of the upkeep. Once you clean your home thoroughly, having a service to come in weekly will keep everything managed.
3. Hire freelance help. Freelance employees pay their own taxes and overhead. Sometimes you need the help of other professionals. For example, Internet marketing can take a large chunk of your time. Finding someone well versed in the matter to run that side of the business lets you concentrate on actually meeting deadlines or finding new places to market your business.  You can hire a professional for just one or two specific tasks.
4. Put your family on the payroll. You run a business, but it is all in the family. Enlist the aid of your kids, husband and other family members so you can get more done. Ask your husband to take over dinner duty a few days a week. Set up a reward system (such as shiny stars) for your kids when they help mommy by picking up their toys and keeping their rooms clean.

Growth is great but it can decrease your productivity if you continue to try and do everything yourself. It’s time to get help. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to handle everything. Find ways to outsource tasks…to everyone.

For more creative ways to outsource inexpensively, check out this post:
Ways to Get Support and Stay Sane