I’ve always been a do-it-yourselfer. I’ve taught myself a great many things by taking this attitude.
When I bought my first house, I completely gutted it - down to the timbers in most rooms. In other places, we removed and moved walls. For instance, I created a large, walk-in closet in our huge bedroom where there was once a little coat room.
When it came to moving plumbing, rerouting and adding electrical, drywall, replacing subfloor, moving my toilets and bathtub drains - I basically did it all. And in most cases, I took to each project never having done it before.
But at some point, you have to live in your house. And that means it has to get done - as my wife might say, “be livable.”
For us that time came as we neared the birth of our first child. As the first trimester of my wife’s pregnancy led to the second, we had to make some choices. We’d remodel the kitchen later, for instance.
Well, two kids and four years later, the kitchen hadn’t been finished. Yet we wanted to redo the kitchen. It had been one of the main reasons we moved in the house - a huge dinning room adjacent to a tiny kitchen. The remodel was a no-brainer. So, as my wife was pregnant with our third, we made a strict timeline and went ahead with the remodel.
This time, the do-it-yourself Dawud gave way to the asking for help. I called in favors when it came to moving the plumbing and installing the cabinets and countertops. And I hired a contractor to do the electrical and new lighting. The demo (remove a wall, tear out old kitchen), drywall, flooring and painting I’d do myself. And in less than 8 weeks, we completed our kitchen - for the most part (there’s some odds and ends left to do).
What I learned in the process was something that I’ve seen many small business owners struggle with in their business - they don’t ask for help. They don’t seek people to help them with tasks in their business. Rather, they try to do everything themselves. This usually means one of a number of things happens: They either don’t grow very fast because they can only do so much work or their business goes backward because - well - they can’t do so much work.
But when you outsource tasks in your business, it supports your business in a number of ways. One, it frees up some of your time so that you can focus on the tasks in your business that need your specific attention - such as referral marketing or creating new products and services to sell. Two, it creates space for you to take on new projects because you have more time on your hands. Three, it allows you time to clean up the things that have gotten neglected in your business. Four, it starts the process of handing off even more tasks because once you can trust one person with managing a part of your business, you can trust others. And five, outsourcing lets you share your success with another person - helping them become more successful.
If you’re stuggling with the idea, or if it seems that it’ll cost too much, don’t let that stop you. You can manage how someone else completes tasks in your business. And managing takes far less time than doing. And consider the costs not on what you’re paying out versus your revenues. Rather, consider the costs in relation to how much more productive you can be in creating more revenues streams in your business. Paying someone $20 an hour to manage your email, for instance, is nothing when you can generate $50 or $80, $350 or more with that same hour.
Outsourcing is one of the keys to growing your business. So allow yourself a chance to ask for help. There are plenty of virtual assistants out there, for instance, that do all sorts of things - from general office work to executive resources to web and graphic design to marketing. Just find the one that best fits your needs.
And be sure you know when to ask for help.
As a small business owner, are you outsourcing in your business? If so, how’s it working out. And if not, why not…what stops you from asking for help?
Let’s talk about it.
(note: image from jen_maiser on Flickr, 
some rights reserved)
My name is Dawud Miracle and I'm a
35 responses so far ↓
Nope. I really haven’t figured this one out yet but I need to.
Great post Dawud. I find myself going back and forth on this. I get busy and outsource to freelancers, then I will take everything back on when things are not so busy. All the while there are aspects of business that do get put off. Thanks for the reminder on the impact it can make.
if you have a problem.. any problem. you should ask for help to people close to you. don’t push yourself too hard
Well, I think we’re sharing the same similarity here, Dawud. I’m also learned to deal with all the household things, since I live by myself…
I’ll only get some helps from others, when I was really sick…
I think this is some sound advice - your own persoanl learning can also greatly be increased by getting someone who is an expert in teh field to show you how they do it.
“jack of all trades, master of none” is a term that springs to mind. Asking for help can accelerate the whole process and better yourself in the long run.
Great article! Thought I’d let you know you’re part of a near epidemic in our country - the inability to ask for help or delegate cause no one else can do it as well.
I’ve written a book on the subject of what I call The Self-Sufficiency Syndrome and its entitled Help Is Not a Four-Letter Word: Why Doing It All Is Doing You In published by McGraw Hill.
You’re right, the rubber meets the road when the small business owner needs to ask for help. After all - it directly affects the bottom line to do things that take valuable time and could be done by someone else!
Peggy Collins
Speaker, Trainer, Author
http://www.helpisnotafourletterword.com
I outsource quite a bit of work. Takes a little while to get used to it and discover who is good and who lets you down. The price I pay is very low compared to giving the work out to a UK firm.
Douglas,
Ever consider starting with something small?
Bert,
I do a similar thing. Sometimes I still believe I can do it all alone. Odd thing, something all of us solopreneurs have to get over I guess…
Amaterashu,
I agree, and don’t you feel that sometimes it’s necessary - and perhaps more effective - to hire a professional to help in your business?
wilson,
What stops you from getting help when all the time?
JBO,
Sure. Learning is fine. And sometimes I’ve found it’s important to just give the work to someone else so I can focus on what I’m great at.
Thoughts?
Peggy,
Oh, I don’t have a problem asking for help at all. Rather, I enjoy learning so much that I often like to do things myself just for the experience of it.
But as a business owner, I’m well aware of the necessity to outsource anything that doesn’t meet the value of my time. So I outsource a lot in my business. And I focus my time specifically on taking care of my clients and growing my business.
What do you outsource in your business?
alan,
Exactly! I say outsource anything that you don’t ‘have’ to be doing (and that’s often most stuff, if your honest with yourself) and anything that doesn’t directly pay you for your efforts.
How have you found the ‘right’ people to work with?
Dawud, I have got butter fingers! If I tried to do anything around the house, I will end up either hurting myself or causing a great deal of damage. I therefore hire professionals to do whatever needs to be done.
I have also been a great getting doner rather than a doer. That really translates to taking help from others. I have not had any problems so far!
I however know of a number of cases where people find it extremely hard to delegate and end up harming themselves and their businesses. Sad, but a fairly common occurrence in SMEs.
Dawud,
I just started working for a new company that doesn’t have an office and always has its meeting in Coffee shops. I think its a little crazy. Have you seen models where a business could get going like this?
thanks for advice
In my business, men always have a hard time asking for ‘help’. Just comes with the territory i suppose.
For those who are hands on type, i believe they like to do thing by themselves, money is a secondary factor to them even though they could outsource it.
But it is always good to get external help if time is a crucial factor in getting thing up and running, that is what i believe.
Dawud, as a professional speaker and trainer, I utilize the “experts” for my website and updates, a virtual assistant for many of my email marketing campaigns, sending packets etc..
I also have quite a support team of other small business owners (a mastermind group) that I call on when I need to get an opinion on a new idea or to brainstorm new marketing approaches. Of course, I reciprocate.
Peggy
Outsourcing work is not a bad idea but you must also choose the right company or person for otherwise you will loose both money and time. Moreover at times by taking help from other people you tend to learn about new things and methods about which you were not aware before.
Know it all
Yes, I have the opposite. Asking a lot of questions, scared to take risks.
Thanks, Dawud. A nice article. I need to be encouraged to continue asking questions, until I become more confident.
rummuser,
It is. Any advise on how people might get over their concerns around asking for help?
search channel,
Absolutely. If the team is focused and goals are being set and met, than why would you need a boardroom?
HIFU,
Why do you think that is?
Yee Wee,
There is. How do you get help in accomplishing the tasks of your business?
Peggy,
Sounds excellent. How’s masterminding worked for you?
kotak,
I agree. I always suggest taking it slow - remembering that outsourcing can become a long-term relationship. No need to rush, then, don’t you think?
Kristina,
Never stop asking questions. I ask questions all the time. In asking - you find out what you don’t know. Why would you feel that’s not a good thing?
Dawud, I am not an expert but I would expect such behavior to be due to be basic insecurity. An unwillingness to trust others. I can point this out to my clients and friends when I see this happening but, to get over it, I believe that they need psychiatric help. I would not dare suggest this to my clients. Would you?
Dawud, we’ve got quite a discussion going here.
Before I answer your question, I’d like to comment on rummser’s last post.
Many of us have been raised with the belief that it’s a weakness to ask for help and if we do ask - we feel we’ve failed. Others of us DO have trust issues cause maybe we didn’t learn to trust.
As for masterminding - I’ve found it incredibly valuable! If you’re reciprocating, you don’t feel like it’s asking for help, many heads are better than one and I feel like I’ve got consultants at my finger tips any time.
Absolutely great article. In my business, I have few workers with me. I need help because I can’t do everything. When customers started to come, I can’t assist them all anymore. So, help is needed. If I don’t, these customers will leave and no ideas if they will ever come back.
As a home biz, I will try to learn from others and do research online, while under employed previously, used to ask and get help from colleagues, if situation permit.
Help is tough to ask for. I am usually stubborn though.
Do You Know When To Ask For Help?
when i cant solve any problems in my life, thats when i need to ask for any help..:)
rummuser,
Not sure about the psychiatric help - though could be helpful. I simply think people need to not take their business so personal - especially in the beginning stages.
Peggy,
My masterminding experience have always taught me something valuable about myself and my business. Wouldn’t trade them - and the relationships I’ve built - for anything.
And I say to heck with issues. Sure, some of us get stuck there from time to time. But don’t focus on the issues - focus on what you want from your business and create that.
Investment,
Absolutely. You want to do what you’re best at in your business. That means to grow you have to do more of it - and less of everything else. That’s why we all need to ask for help - that is, if we really want to grow.
Yee,
Nice. Get the help where you can, that’s what I say. Just be sure it’s serving your overall and forward-thinking needs.
Outsourcing has helped out my small business so much it is crazy. Before I would have to write articles about random things that I have on my sites, it took so much time, thinking, and effort I didn’t even have time to post it or do anything else. Now I have a girl from china paying her a really really cheap price and she gets it done much faster and it is good money for her. If you can spend a little money to make a whole lot more money and save time why not do it? Good luck to all you other small business out there!
Thank you Dawud for the reply, maybe have a feeling that questions will sound irrelevat but I get to learn that there are no stupid questions at all, if I want to expand my knowledge about a particular subject.
Great article Dawud! There are often hidden pitfalls to any do-it-yourself endeavor that an amateur might not be aware of. In fact, since you used your home-remodeling story; I’ll mention that my father, an electrical engineer but not a licensed electrician, replaced the electrical panel in a home I was updating. A few years later, the sale of the house was put in jeopardy because the home inspector refused to pass electrical work that had not been done by a licensed electrician.
Hi Dawud, thanks for posting about this. I was thinking about this tonight.
I agree with Rummuser on it- it comes from a sense of insecurity- which sprouts from yet another- pride. Seems to me that pride prevents us from reaching a lot of our goals… it keeps us from asking other people who may know more about a certain thing we’re struggling with- for help.
Anyhow, for how I am going with my small business- my first reaction is that, “Oh of course I can do it on my own. I’ve gotten through so many other things..” etc etc. But then later on I really have to ditch this attitude… yeah so it’s basically that sense of pride that “I can do it on my own, I don’t need help.” That has held me back and prevented me from asking help and getting my business going real well and steady.
This is specially true at this time and age… As a small or starting business owner, you have little resources… Hiring yourself a staff will kill your finances but outsourcing is entirely different. There are numerous outsourcing companies out there,not including those who do freelance work. They charge really cheap, just for all to afford. Most are from Asian countries that’s why they charge cheaper…I totally agree that outsourcing will help small businesses thrive…
uhhhhh- I hate asking for help!LOL maybe its because my moon sign is LEO or something, but anyway,
you are right. I spent three years of college not asking for help from free tutors and had a hard time keeping up with my grades. It is important to not let your ego get the best of you in Business. Besides, having a business mentor can save a you a lot of time, stress and money.
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IDK its very hard for me to ask for help honestly, but I do at times.
for me its really hard to ask for help.
I may struggle and struggle but something in my EGO dont let me to give up nor to ask someone whos better than I am in something.
I understant thats pretty stupid behavior and by asking I may save lots of time and energy finding out and solving things but its my way and somehow I menaged it to work for me.
Great post again
It’s really quite amazing timing that I came across this blog post today.
Just yesterday, my wife and I were walking around the track at our local rec center talking about how I now need help with my business. I run my own business, and I too like to think that I can do everything myself - but this week it came to a head, and my plate overflowed. It is affecting my productivity and my mood. I decided to get help with some of the more menial, but important aspects of my business to free myself up with the larger picture.
Our conversation also was about things at home - instead of fixing the broken toilet myself, which might take 4 hours, we hire a plumber to do it in 1 hour.
My mood is already improving!
The ego makes it hard to ‘let go’ and let someone else take the wheel, at least for a bit.