As a busy entrepreneur do you ever wish you had more time to grow your business?
Sadly, we all only have 24 hours a day – but it’s how you use those hours which marks you apart from the person standing next to you. So, lean in and I will share a secret….
The key to finding hours of extra time to grow your business is to Outsource at home. Yep. You do it at work, so why not at home? And let’s face it, your house hasn’t been cleaned properly for a long time; the fridge is empty; you just can’t face another night of take-away; the garden is thick with weeds; and… the list goes on.
You need help. Because frankly, when you do get some spare time, you want to spend that time on things and people you love, not on managing the household chores!
If you have made the decision to hire someone to help you around the home, here are 4 things to keep in mind:
- Time vs Priorities
You might think that you are too busy to do everything. I disagree. You are not too busy to do everything, you are just too busy to do everything WELL.
It’s time to prioritise what is most important to you – if something has a high value to you then you will make time for it (such as picking up your kids from school one day a week). If something has a low value to you it won’t get done, or it will get done but begrudgingly (such as dusting).
Work out what you want to do and do it. Park the rest – we will get to that.
- Lose your Guilt (I am talking to you, ladies)
You were not put on this earth to be everything for everyone. You are not a Super Hero. You need to let go of the guilt. I am pretty sure that when Super Man was out saving the world he had someone at home to wash his onesie.
If you simply can’t let the guilt go, look back at Step 1 and recalibrate your priorities. Ask yourself what is MOST important to you – landing the next deal; spending time with your family; planning a holiday; or dusting your house? If it’s the dusting, then that’s ok – just stop feeling guilty about it!
- Opportunity Cost
But can I afford to hire help, you ask?
This is a legitimate question. However, an equally legitimate question is Can you afford not to?
Think about it this way. What is your time worth? Sit down and figure out your hourly rate. If it costs $20 an hour to hire a cleaner and your personal hourly rate is $100 an hour, you are well ahead. If the cleaner takes 4 hours a week to clean your house, the cost to you is less than one hour of your time.
Now, factor in what you can now do with those 4 hours you just got back – 4 hours with your friends; 4 hours extra sleep; 4 hours extra of exercise spread out across the week; 4 hours to spend with your kids. Or, if you use those 4 hours to land a new client worth a small fortune, then that $80 spend is starting to look like the smartest thing you ever did.
- Thinking Smart
Having decided to make the investment to hire a Domestic God, make sure you hire smart. If you need a nanny for your kids, think about hiring a Mother’s Helper who will also help with the washing, tidying, shopping and cooking. If you need a cleaner, think about hiring a housekeeper who is happy to pick up your ‘stuff’ as well as clean around it. If you need someone to help with the garden, think about having them clean out the drains at the same time.
Time Stylers works with professional women who are very clever when it comes to managing their business or career, but who aren’t using their smarts on the home front. Time Stylers has a reputation for helping our clients to find 30 guilt-free hours a month. What would you do with an extra 30 hours?
Time Stylers: www.timestylers.com.au
BaM: www.babysittersandmore.com.au
