When I started my sleep consulting business back in 2019, I never thought I’d get to a point where I needed help. This was just going to be my thing that I did all on my own.
But, after a while, I realized that if I wanted to grow my business even more, it wasn’t going to be a one-woman job.
At first, I thought it would be easiest to offload blogging, email marketing, and potentially my social media. I interviewed about 10 women - a few VAs, some content marketers, and even two of my past clients.
There was one that had potential, but it didn’t end up working out.
I kept praying for a solution and for the perfect addition to my team to cross paths with me.
Then, one day, I had a realization that the woman I needed to hire was me. A sleep consultant. A business owner. Someone who gets it and cares as much about this profession as I do.
I LOVE writing - it’s always been a strength, and, with as much humility as I can bring to this conversation, it’s something I know I can help others with too! I knew this wasn’t what I needed to start offloading for my sleep consulting business. I hit pause on that.
Out of this realization though, Market St. Creative was born…where I now help other sleep consultants with this kind of work!
And as for Lake Country Sleep (my sleep consulting business), I’ve now outsourced in other ways that make sense for my business, based on my strengths and weaknesses and what I actually need the most help with.
Throughout this process, I want to share what I’ve learned, so you can make the best decision for your business too!
Here are four things you need to consider if you’re thinking about outsourcing.
What do *think* you need help with?
First, identify a list of potential items someone else could potentially help you with. These items can be business-related or home-related, because, let’s be honest, you’re probably a wife, mom, and homemaker too. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Customer service
Managing your inbox
Some training on your to-do list that you keep putting off? Hire someone to take the training and implement that “thing” for you - podcasting, Pinterest strategy, advertising, etc.
Blogging
Social media
Email marketing
Setting up a CRM
Writing sleep plans (I have a reference for you if you need help with this, email me!)
Designing your website
Graphic design
Youtube channel
Podcasting
Help with clients
Accounting
Childcare
Cleaning
Food prepping/meal service
What are your strengths and weaknesses, and what do you enjoy most about your business?
Now, taking all of the above into consideration, what do you actually enjoy most about your business? Those are the items I don’t want you to give up.
I went about it the wrong way the first time around. I thought blogging and email marketing would be the easiest things to outsource so that’s why I started out looking for help in those areas. When I realized those were some of my favorite things to do in my business I quickly realized I was focusing on the wrong thing.
I then started getting very busy with sleep clients and decided I should bring another sleep consultant onto my team to help with that workload. This was definitely the right decision, but it took some time to learn!
And that, my friend, is why I’m writing this post…so that we can streamline this process for you!
Maybe you recognize that writing isn’t a strength of yours. You don’t enjoy it. And because of that, you don’t blog or write emails, etc. If you find yourself in this position, hire someone to help you with it.
Maybe you want to start a podcast, but don’t know where to start, and it’s not something you want to learn. There are plenty of people out there who will take your audio and work their magic with it. Heck, I have my sister help with mine. She’s pretty techy and I can pay her at a cheaper rate than I would an actual podcast editor. Be creative!
Maybe you have been DIYing your website and you’ve decided it’s time to level up - this is the perfect time to hire a designer to help you!
Do you see what I’m getting at here? Get rid of the things you don’t enjoy, don’t want to do, are ready to hire a professional to take over.
Will hiring someone to do XYZ for me relieve my stress, give me time to focus on other things in my business, and/or make my job easier?
There are definitely some emotional or unexpected benefits to outsourcing. As a woman business owner, it’s definitely nice to have someone on my team who gets it. Simply having someone to bounce ideas off of or chat through a situation with a client has lifted a weight from my shoulders.
Other things to consider…will outsourcing give you more time to focus on other projects you’ve been wanting to work on? Will outsourcing make your job easier or will it make more work for you?
But what about the return on investment?
I want you to think about this one for a minute…
Who are you considering hiring or working with? Are they an expert in whatever it is you are looking to outsource?
Will you see a direct monetary increase as a result of this outsourcing, or are there other kinds of benefits that are also (possibly more) valuable?
mental clarity
time to focus on other projects that can move your business forward
A weight lifted, something taken from your plate
My hope is that you’d see a direct return on your investment, but it’s also wise to consider the effect that opening up your time will have on your business as the CEO. If letting someone else handle your social media is the way to go, and they don’t do it any better than you but now you have hours back to focus on other revenue-generating activities, wouldn’t it be worth it??
You’re in the driver’s seat of your business, and you simply can’t do it all and expect to grow without getting help. You are the visionary. The leader. That’s the role you should embrace regardless of what you decide to outsource.
How will this person work to capture my brand identity?
One final thing to consider is - depending on what you want to outsource - how will your brand be reflected by letting someone else have control in this area of your business?
I would definitely make sure the person you’re considering hiring or contracting with has a plan to capture your brand identity and voice as if they were you.
You’ve worked hard to build your sleep consulting business to this point…and if you feel at all like I do about mine - after all, my business is practically my “other” baby - you wouldn’t trust it with just anybody.
Trust your gut when you’re interviewing potential employees or contractors. If something feels off, it’s probably not the route you want to take.
If you’re a newer sleep consultant, bookmark this post for later. And if you, or one of your “sleep sisters” is considering starting to outsource, make sure you send this to her! We’re happy to make referrals for outsourcing or help you out in any way we can - building your business is hard work and you don’t have to do it alone!