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Business success is dependent on a solid financial foundation & success looks different to everyone & there is a lack of equity of access to resources and information for small business owners and independent contractors & there is a societal narrative making us believe “balance” is our ultimate goal & … There are so many “&”s that impact being your own boss. Let’s have some frank discussions on the basics of business with a holistic focus on everything that helps business owners define and find success.
Molly Beyer: [00:00:08] Welcome to The Ambiguous &: Business Basics and Beyond, the podcast where we have frank discussions on the basics of business with a holistic focus on everything that helps business owners define and find success. Each episode is a reminder that success isn't one thing, it's a whole lot of ambiguous ands. Like, subscribe, or follow, and let's explore these ambiguous ands.
[00:00:34] Hello, and welcome to The Ambiguous &: Business Basics and Beyond. I'm your host, Molly Beyer, and I'm here to lead you through frank and holistic conversations on the basics of business. Today I want to talk about outsourcing, but not just about outsourcing, bookkeeping. I really want to talk about what happens when we don't outsource the things that are outside of our zone of genius. And I want to talk about this a little differently than I probably would have about a year ago, because this is something I'm currently learning the hard way, actually, learning might be too generous. I do kind of feel like this particular lesson has been hitting me over the head repeatedly lately, and I have finally started to realize that maybe the hammer is trying to tell me something. So I know I've talked a lot recently about sort of these invisible limits, about the constraints on us as business owners that aren't always obvious. And one of my invisible limits has been how much I still try carrying things in my own head.
Molly Beyer: [00:01:30] It's not necessarily how much I'm doing physically, it's how much I'm holding. And that really is a big difference between those, because so many business owners are carrying things that they really were never meant to carry, and we know that when you start your business, especially in those early stages, you really do everything. You become the CEO, the marketer, the administrative assistant, customer service rep, bookkeeper, I.T. department, social media manager and janitor all at the same time. And at first, that feels responsible. It feels scrappy. It feels like you're really being a good steward of your money. And sometimes it is. But then there are the things that you simply just have to do yourself when you're starting out. But eventually doing everything stops being a strength and really starts becoming a bottleneck. And one of the biggest mindset shifts in business is realizing that just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should. So we've talked in the Systems that Save Sanity series about how systems are really meant to reduce friction, they're supposed to create consistency, and they're really supposed to protect your energy. So outsourcing really is an extension of this conversation because sometimes the system that saves your sanity is realizing that somebody else should own that task altogether.
Molly Beyer: [00:02:51] I do think there's another piece to this that I hadn't fully appreciated previously. Sometimes the thing exhausting you really isn't the work, it's just remembering all of the work that you haven't done yet. We've talked in the Systems That Save Sanity series about how systems are meant to reduce friction, create consistency, and protect your energy. Outsourcing really is an extension of those conversations, because sometimes the systems that save your sanity is realizing that somebody else should own that task altogether. So I think there's a piece to this that I hadn't fully appreciated. Sometimes the thing that really is exhausting you isn't the work itself, it's remembering all the work that you haven't done yet. So I've recently had a conversation with my assistant that really brought this home for me. We started going through all of the things that I had on my plate, and honestly, seeing the list was both helpful and horrifying because when something is floating around in your head, it's easy to underestimate how much you're actually carrying. Then you put it all on paper, and suddenly you're staring at this enormous pile of things that really need your attention. And so the problem isn't just that there's a lot of tasks, it's that each one is really an open loop. It's 'I need to follow up on that thing with that person. I need to remember to do this thing. I need to figure out how we're going to handle that. I need to train somebody to do this. I need to document that. I need to check in on this. I need to make that decision.'.
Molly Beyer: [00:04:17] So none of these things probably take an hour. Some maybe do, but some of them might just take five minutes or less. But the point is your brain is still holding them, and that takes a lot of energy. So one of the things I'm having to learn is that getting something out of my head is not the same as getting it off of my plate. So a task list can tell me what exists, but it doesn't necessarily tell me who owns it. And that's where delegation gets really interesting. So one of the things that we're starting to do with my own task list is to sort things into categories. So there, what is a Molly only task? What can my assistant take? What can my manager handle? What can my bookkeepers handle? What needs to be documented? What needs training? What is a simple follow up? And so I've started using for myself a four question filter to really dive into what is a Molly only task? Does it make money, does it build a relationship, does it require my expertise, and is it a key decision? And if the answer is no to all four of those, then I need to ask myself a harder question. Why am I still doing this?
Molly Beyer: [00:05:32] And that question can be surprisingly uncomfortable. It certainly is for me, because sometimes the answer is because I've always done it that way, or because I know how, or because it's going to take me longer to teach someone else to do it, or because I don't want to bother anyone else with it, or if I'm being really honest, because I'm not entirely sure I trust someone else would do it the way I would. And there really is the crux of the issue for me, and that is control. But here's something I think that we don't talk about enough: delegation itself does have a start up cost, because if you've been doing something for years, you probably have a process in your head that feels incredibly simple to you. You don't even think about all of the little decisions that you're making. Someone else can't see those decisions, though. So if you want someone else to take it over, you have to teach it. You have to explain it. You may have to document it. There will certainly be questions, and they may do it differently than you, and they may make some mistakes. And you may have to review their work and there will absolutely be moments when you are thinking, I could have done this myself by now.
Molly Beyer: [00:06:41] Yes, you probably could have. But that's comparing the cost of teaching something once with the cost of doing it once. The real question is do I want this once or do I want to keep doing it forever? Because if I teach someone else how to do something and they can eventually own it, I have brought back all of the future time that I would have spent doing it, and that is the investment. And I think that it's one of the reasons why business owners wait so long to outsource. They look at those first few hours of training and they think they're losing time. They don't recognize that they're building capacity. And this isn't another thing that I have been learning, is that you can have help without actually having capacity. So you can hire a VA and still be the person who remembers every task, assigns every task, answers every question, checks every deadline, makes every decision, reviews every result, follows up when it isn't done. In that situation, you have added a person, but you haven't necessarily removed responsibility. You've outsourced some of the doing, you haven't outsourced the ownership. And those things are very different. And again, something that has been really hitting me over the head because the goal really isn't just who can help me with this, the better question is, who can own this so that it doesn't have to live in my head anymore.
Molly Beyer: [00:08:03] And that is a much bigger shift. And this is where I think successful business owners can get themselves into trouble, because the things that made you successful can eventually become the things that limit you. You know how to do things. You care about quality. You remember the details. People trust you. You're probably good at solving problems. You may even be the person everyone comes to when something goes wrong. And those are strengths. But eventually those strengths can become the infrastructure of the business. And if everything has to pass through you, you become the bottleneck. Repeat after me, Molly is the bottleneck. Except insert your name there. I know I had to. And that's not because you're doing a bad job, though. It's because the business has grown beyond the structure that worked when it was smaller. And that really is an important distinction. Sometimes the business doesn't need the owner to work harder. It needs the business to be redesigned around the owner no longer having to touch everything. And this is the distinction that, again, I've been thinking about a lot. There is a big difference between being indispensable and being essential. If I'm indispensable, things stop when I stop. If I'm essential, my expertise, judgment, relationships, leadership, and vision matter tremendously. But the business itself can still function when I'm not personally doing every task.
Molly Beyer: [00:09:30] And honestly, I think a lot of entrepreneurs accidentally build businesses where their value is measured by how many things can't happen without them, but that's not really success. If I disappeared for two weeks, what would stop? And maybe more importantly, what shouldn't stop? That's a pretty powerful business question. And this is where outsourcing gets much more personal than I expected it to be. Because sometimes delegation isn't really about trusting someone else, sometimes it's about letting go of the identity of being the person who can do everything. There is a certain satisfaction in being the capable one, that person who knows how to fix it, the person who knows where everything is, the person who can step in and just make it happen. And when you have built your business around being that person, moving toward a CEO role can feel surprisingly uncomfortable. Instead of, I'm valuable because I can do all of these things, you are moving toward, I'm valuable because I can decide what needs to happen, build the environment for it to happen, and make sure the right people can make it happen. And that is a very different job. And honestly, I am still learning how to do it, like literally at this very moment.
Molly Beyer: [00:10:35] Another thing I've realized is that your to-do list can tell you a lot about your business. If your to-do list is just full of follow-ups and tiny administrative tasks, the things you need to remember are the things you need to figure out, the things you've been meaning to document. Maybe your problem isn't that you're bad at managing your time. Maybe your list is showing you where your business is a structural problem. That's where we're really starting to do with me. We are going line by line and asking, is this Molly's job? Is it someone else's job? Does this need a system? Does this need training? Does this need a decision? Does this even need to happen? And that last one is really important because sometimes we don't need to delegate a task. Sometimes we just need to eliminate it. So this brings us back to that original question. Your zone of genius is the work that energizes you, where your strengths naturally shine and where you create the highest value. For some people, that strategy, for others, it's relationship building or creativity, leadership, problem solving, sales. For me, a lot of my higher value work is the work that requires my expertise and my ability to see the big picture, but that doesn't mean everything I currently do belongs there. So a good place to start with the tasks that leave you feeling depleted, frustrated, or stuck. Look at those and ask, am I actually the best person to continue doing this? And sometimes the answer is going to be yes, because sometimes you truly are the best fit.
Molly Beyer: [00:12:01] But sometimes, probably most of the time the answer is going to be no and you are holding on to the task because of fear or control or guilt or habit, or sometimes just that belief that you need to earn the right to have support. And that's another mindset shift that I want to emphasize is you don't have to earn support by becoming overwhelmed enough to deserve it. Support isn't just a reward for growth. It really is what creates the capacity for growth. It also doesn't have to mean hiring a full time employee. Maybe it's just having a virtual assistant a few hours a week, or outsourcing your book, or bookkeeping or payroll. Maybe it's using a cleaning service at home to free up some personal bandwidth, or hiring someone to manage social media scheduling, maybe bringing a website specialist in instead of troubleshooting those technology issues with yours for six hours by yourself. It's using automation for those repetitive administrative tasks. Or maybe it's working with a consultant for something outside of your expertise. The goal in your business, though, isn't to outsource everything. The goal really is to stop spending your limited capacity on things that someone else can do better, faster, or more sustainably. So once you decide you need help, you have another problem: who do you trust? And honestly, one of the best places to start is with your own relationships.
Molly Beyer: [00:13:22] So talk to the other business owners that you trust. Ask who they're using, what they appreciate them about them, what frustrates them, and what was surprising to them about the relationship. A referral really can tell you things that a polished website is never going to tell you. And remember that outsourcing relationships are still relationships. You are trusting someone with a part of your business, your systems, your clients, your finances, or your reputation. So technical skills matter, but so do communication, reliability, responsiveness, organization, boundaries, and alignment. I would pay attention to how clearly they communicate. Do they explain things in a way you understand? Are they responsive? Do they set realistic expectations? Do they have systems of their own? Can they clearly define the scope, and do their values align with yours? One of my biggest red flags is someone who over promises everything immediately. Healthy professionals have boundaries. They have processes, they have timelines, and they have expectations. And honestly, I would much rather work with someone who communicates proactively and consistently than someone who is incredibly talented but impossible to reach.
Molly Beyer: [00:14:32] And this is where the money conversation starts to come in. Because business owners often look at outsourcing as an expense. But I think the better question is what is the cost of continuing to do this myself? It could be lost revenue. It could delay client responses. It could be mis networking opportunities. A lot of times it's mistakes. It's projects that sit unfinished for months. It's mental exhaustion. It's strained relationships at home. It's that constant feeling that you're behind. And there's another cost, and that is the cost of staying the bottleneck, because every decision that has to come through you has a cost. Every task that you have to remember has a cost. Every hour you spend outside of your zone of genius has a cost. And sometimes the most expensive thing in the business isn't the person you hired, it's the owner who never stopped doing everything. So this is where I want to connect back to our Systems that Save Sanity. If your processes live entirely in your head, delegation is going to be frustrating for everyone. And this is another place that I'm having to practice what I preach. Sometimes the answer isn't immediately, here you do this. Sometimes the answer is, let me show you how I do this. And then it's, let's document it and then let's do it together and eventually, okay, you own this. That's a process and that's okay. You can use checklists. You can use templates, you can record walkthroughs. You can create voice notes. You can create defined workflows. You can have clear communication expectations. I've been using Otter to capture things that I would otherwise have to sit down and formally document.
Molly Beyer: [00:16:06] I put the app on my home screen and my phone so that I can easily record whatever I'm thinking no matter where I am, and just send it to my assistant. We're using Count Practice management as a workspace for our employees for tasks relating to client work, and we're using Go High level as our sales tool. Finally, as it was meant to be, instead of having it sort of be our makeshift practice management tool, we're using go high Level as the sales tool it was meant to be instead of as a makeshift practice management tool. But technology isn't the important part. The important part is getting the knowledge out of my head and into the business, because that's what makes delegation possible. And I think this is where I would have ended the episode a year ago, something like outsourcing the things you don't like doing, but I don't think that's quite enough anymore because support isn't just getting rid of annoying tasks. It really is about building a business that doesn't require the owner to personally carry its entire weight. It's about creating capacity. It's about resilience. It's about making sure the business can function when you are sick, when you're tired, when you're on vacation, when your family needs you, or when life simply just gets too complicated. And most importantly, it's about giving the owner enough mental space to actually lead.
Molly Beyer: [00:17:20] Because sometimes what you need isn't another hour in your day. You need fewer things competing for your attention. You need fewer open loops. You need fewer decisions. You need fewer things that only you know how to do, and you need support. And I think that's a lesson that I've really been having hit me over the head lately. I have spent a lot of time talking about systems and delegation and outsourcing, as though there are things that I can teach other business owners, and I absolutely can. But that doesn't mean I've mastered them. Sometimes being the person teaching the lesson means you get to discover just how much of it you still need to practice yourself. And I'm really realizing that I don't need to become better at carrying everything. I need to become better at deciding what is actually mine to carry. That really may be one of the biggest differences between being the person who runs the business and becoming the person who leads the business, because the goal isn't to become indispensable. The goal is to build something that doesn't require you to be indispensable. So if you're listening today and feeling overwhelmed, don't start by asking, how can I get more done? Try asking, what am I carrying that doesn't actually belong to me? What am I doing because I know how?
Molly Beyer: [00:18:33] What am I doing because I don't trust anyone else yet? What am I doing because I've never taken the time to teach it? What am I doing because I think I have to earn support? And what would happen if I stopped thinking of support as an expense and started thinking of it as infrastructure? Because sometimes the next level of growth isn't about doing more. It's about carrying less. Outsourcing isn't weakness, it isn't laziness, and it isn't failure. It's recognizing that sustainable growth requires support, systems, and alignment. Your business needs your vision. It needs your leadership, your relationships, your expertise, and it needs the things that only you can bring to it. It probably doesn't need you buried in every administrative detail. So focus on the work only you can do, build systems that protect your sanity, give other people the opportunity to own things, and create the support structures that allow both you and the business you build to truly thrive. Thanks so much for hanging out with us again today. We'd love to hear your feedback on today's episode, as well as any requests for future content. Drop a comment or suggestion and join us next time for more frank and holistic conversations on the basics of business. Please also like, subscribe, or follow so you never miss an episode. And until next time, I'm Molly Beyer and this has been The Ambiguous &: Business Basics and Beyond. Have a wonderful day.