June 17, 2022

3 Misconceptions About Outsourcing DEBUNKED

At some point in business you’ve probably thought, “man, if I just had two of me, I could get so much more done!”
Overwhelm can often go hand in hand with running a business because we feel that we have to do everything— and do it all ourselves.
A big growth spurt/“aha moment” in my business was realizing that I needed to outsource some of my regular business tasks… or better yet, that I COULD start outsourcing, like literally that day!
My mindset had a lot of roadblocks before outsourcing though. I told myself I couldn’t hire help until I was a bigger business… I believed I couldn’t train someone to do what I did exactly how I did it… I worried that by asking for help that I was a fraud.
Today I want to debunk ALL of those thoughts and get real about the common misconceptions about outsourcing. I’m going to tackle the three biggest ones I’ve heard time and time again (and said myself, too!)

Misconception #1:

No one can do what I do in my business.

While it’s true that the way you do things are unique and that there are *some* things only you can do in your business, there are plenty of tasks that you can train someone else to do!
The key word here: *train.*
You might not be able to hire someone on the spot who instantly knows how to do tasks in your business such as editing or social media management exactly how you want it done… but, you CAN train them to know how!
Good outsourcing and great results come from properly training any team member you work with. This takes time and communication, but once you’ve made the investment of training who you are working with, you will gain that time back in how much they are helping you!
This idea can be applied to training a private editor to match your editing style, training a virtual assistant to answer your emails, or training a social media manager on what kind of images you like to use for posts on Instagram. No matter what you outsource, you will want to train your new team member so that you yield great results!
But the idea that you need to do everything yourself because no one else can do it like you? NOT TRUE!

Misconception #2:

It’s silly to pay someone to do what I can do.
This was the biggest misconception I struggled with. I still at times feel guilty for paying someone to do something I know I can do!
However, consider this: when you pay someone to take a few hours off of your plate, you are actually giving yourself the opportunity to make even *more* money because you can use those hours for needle moving work in your business.
The ROI of outsourcing all depends on how you use the time that you’re gaining back!
For example, I outsource all of the photo editing for our weddings. By doing this, I save 15-25 hours per wedding because someone else is culling, editing, cropping, and straightening my clients photos.
Even though I’m paying someone an investment to do this, with those 15-25 hours, I am able to talk on the phone with new and exciting clients, market myself to prospective clients, and take on 1:1 sessions with other photographers, which allows me to potentially make up 3-5x as much as I’m paying someone to do my editing during those hours!
So… I’m not losing money by outsourcing, I’m actually making more!
If this misconception is hard for you, consider what parts of your business really move the needle and what ones don’t. Keep the needle moving tasks (like getting new clients) on your plate, but look into outsourcing once’s that don’t or could be done by someone else (making graphics, social media, book keeping, etc.)

Misconception #3:

I’m not a big enough business/I don’t make enough money to outsource.
If I could go back years ago l, this is one of the things I would tell myself!
You don’t need to wait until you’re making tons of money or backed up with lots of clients to outsource anything in your business.
The only pre-requisites that are required are that you want to, you’re prepared to, and you have the cost covered in what you’re being paid.
Having a team behind you to support you is the best feeling when running a business, and can really alleviate overwhelm when it comes to busy seasons! You don’t need to be making millions or have thousands of followers— you can start small! No need to hire an employee if you’re not ready yet. Start by outsourcing some editing or hiring a friend to do some contracted work, like sorting your inbox. Maybe you could even try outsourcing something in your home/personal life like grocery delivery or house cleaning.
But I guarantee you, once you realize the power of outsourcing, you’ll be looking for all the ways you can outsource all the things in your business!
Want to know the first steps to outsourcing something in your photo business but don’t know where to begin? Check out my IG Live interview series in doing through June and July this summer! I’ll be chatting with private editors, blog writers, social media managers and more, answering all your questions on how to outsource simply and effectively! Click here to watch interview #1 on photo editing outsourcing! 

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