Outsourcing or delegating tasks in your business is a big decision. It can be that "one thing" you do that can really help your business grow and succeed. So what's stopping you from outsourcing?

If the name Henry Ford rings a bell, outsourcing is quite literally the reason why.

Ford knew he had a hit when he invented the Model T. But up until then, he had built every single vehicle he made by himself by hand! He knew he had to outsource to make sure his big chance to grow his business didn't pass him right by.

In those first days and months, this decision could have cost him his legacy. He made a leap of faith and the rest, as they say, is a profitable history!

Read on to learn about the most common obstacles and reasons why coaches balk at the idea of outsourcing.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Then learn about solutions to help you move your business ahead by being open to all outsourcing has to offer.

Problem: Not Enough Cash In Hand

This problem is perhaps the biggest stumbling block any aspiring coaches will ever face.

But the better question here is what the word "enough" means. How much cash is enough?

And the answer to that can only be found by putting a dollar value on your own time.

What is an hour of your time worth doing what you do best and what only you can do for your business success?

This is step one to solving this problem so you can get down to the business of outsourcing some of those hats.

For argument's sake, let's say one hour of your time is worth $150.

Step two is taking a look at an average day. How do you spend your time? What do you do, hour by hour, day after day?

Put a dollar value on each of those tasks. How much would someone be willing to pay you to, for example, make runs to the post office, type up letters, print mailing labels, stamp envelopes, buy office supplies, write social media posts, et al?

Let's say, on average, a professional doing these types of jobs would expect to hear $25 an hour.

What is $150 minus $25? You are costing your business $125 per hour for every hour you spend doing tasks your business needs that someone else could do.

Problem: Not Enough Time to Hire Someone

It takes time to find the right team. But you don't have time. You need to hit it out of the ballpark on your first swing.

How on earth are you going to do that?

You don't actually have to and you have the ever-expanding online marketplace to thank for that.

Virtual assistants, graphic designers, website designers, writers, editors, social media managers and even business managers - all of these professionals can readily be found online (and at Virtual A Team).

What does this mean for you, the busy business owner?

You don't have to have time to hire someone. You can actually outsource that function too and get back to doing what you do best....building your business.

Problem: Business Income Is Erratic

Boy can this feel like a tough one. Emotionally, you are all out there. You have put your heart and soul into your business. In good months, you feel like you have wings. In tough months, you feel like you are wearing concrete shoes.

But if there is one thing you can count on, it is this: your income will not become less erratic if you keep doing the same thing you are doing now.

The only way to stabilize and grow your income is by spending your time doing what only you can do. It truly is that simple.

Yet there is the fact that you may not have enough ready cash - yet - to outsource every single thing you don't like doing or aren't great at doing. So don't outsource it all right away. Pick one thing.

You can afford to outsource one thing. Even outsourcing one thing will free up some of your time to grow your business. In this way, the money you pay to outsource literally becomes your investment back into your business.

Using the example from an earlier section here, let's say you outsource the copy writing task to set up your email funnel. This costs you $25 per hour. So you are investing $25 per hour into your business. What do you get back? You get back that $125 value of your personal time.

This is absolutely going to make you money. It will make your business more profitable. Viewed this way, a $25 per hour investment is cheap if it immediately delivers a $125+ return.

Problem: I Need to Learn What I Want to Outsource

Are you sure about that?

Henry Ford didn't insist on learning how to do every single thing in his fledgling company. He outsourced like a champion.

Ford said many famous quotes. But perhaps his most famous quote is the quote about the "electric buttons." A famous newspaper called him "stupid."

His response was to say that he had a phone with many electric buttons. If he wanted to know something, he could pick up that phone, punch one of the buttons, and the person on the other end will tell him what he needed to know.

Consider this: you may indeed need to learn some or all of what you are asking others to do. But in outsourcing those tasks, you can learn from your team. This means you are getting twice the value for your money - you get a team member and a teacher too!

Problem: I Don't Have the Right Systems In Place to Delegate

Unless you are a systems expert, this is not the type of task you want to approach by learning on the job.

You also do not need to spend down your valuable time trying to reinvent the wheel.

There are so many great systems that have already been invented. They work on their own and they also work when used together with other systems.

This is exactly the type of task a Virtual Assistant (VA) or an Office Business Manager (OBM) can oversee for you.

This way, you don't have to rely on trial and error or "getting lucky" picking a new system by closing your eyes and pointing.

Your VA or OBM can choose the system that meets your needs and get it up and running for you while you are working to grow your business.

Problem: I Don't Know What I Need Help With

This is only a problem because all those hats balanced on top of your head are getting really heavy!

It is hard to focus on your own needs when you spend 24/7 tending to the needs of your needy growing business.

Your business needs everything from you and no one person can every provide everything.

Chances are good you actually do know what you need help with. That knowledge is deep in your gut. Right now, think of the one business task you hate doing the most or the one you feel you really are the worst at doing.

That is the one to start with. Start there. Outsource that one. Feel the tightness in your chest ease up a little. Start to breathe again. Enjoy the idea that you can cross that task off your to-do list.

Now, with the newfound free time you have just given yourself, make a list.

Write down all the things you do in a day. Star the ones you actually enjoy. Star the ones only you can do. The rest of the tasks on your list are all fair game for outsourcing.

Problem: I Can Do It Myself

Here again, just because you can do it yourself doesn't mean you should. You might not be good at it. Or you might hate it. You might even hate it so much you put it off and it gets done late, poorly or not at all.

Believe it or not, there are people in this world who like doing what you don't like doing. There are people who are good at doing the things you are not good at doing.

These are the people you want on your business team.

As a side perk, since these people like doing those tasks and are good at them, you don't have to worry about trying to train them. They are already trained.

So you can let them do their thing and you can take back your time and put it towards the unique talents you have that inspired you to start a business in the first place.

Are you doing things that are taking you away from growing your business? Virtual A Team can help. Contact us at virtualateam.com.