This past month I came to a breaking point.

My to-do list kept expanding, my work kept stretching and my time off was dwindling.

Goodness knows if I needed help - and needed it fast. So off I went, in search of support with our day-to-day marketing.

If you’re anything like me, when it comes to tackling big projects and expanding your team as an entrepreneur or solopreneur - delegation can feel intimidating and downright overwhelming. I mean, how do you even know where to begin!?

That's why I'm excited today to talk about the ins and outs of delegating and outsourcing help.

Let's dive right in and figure out the best way for us all to get the most out of our teams without sacrificing our health or sanity.

In summary

• Use job descriptions and micro-tasks to test potential hires.
• Encourage a "Guide to Work With Me" for new team members.
• SOPs and video instructions help streamline processes.
• When giving feedback, focus on both positives and negatives.

From my Notion Dashboard

You can create yours here!

• Trends publicly released their huge guide to growing a newsletters and there is plenty of gold in there!
• As a creative person this debate about the role of AI in a creative world resonates with me in so many levels. ”Creativity is suppressed if we drink from the same altar. Outputs become homogenous and we end up creating the same thing as everyone else.” Boom.
• Ask my buddy Kevon says, as you grow a creator business, you can’t just create content and products, you need to put them in the hands of other people. Successful creators look for opportunities to collaborate with others, and they network and build relationships.

Identify tasks you can delegate to others

Delegate or not to delegate? That is the question.

Let's be real, we all have tasks that we despise doing. Mine? Folding laundry. So, I delegate that to my husband who enjoys the process (weird, I know).

But it got me thinking, what other tasks can we delegate to others? Administrative tasks are always a great starting point - scheduling appointments, making reservations, and sending emails can all be easily passed off.

A simple exercise to help you identify your blind spots:

• What are 3 activities in your day-to-day that are giving you energy?
• What are 3 activities in your day-to-day that are draining you of your energy?
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You can now start identifying areas that need more of your attention, at 1/3 areas you can start outsourcing.

Know your resources and where can you find help

Alright, let's have a little chat about resources. No, not just any resources. You're not going to find buried treasure here (well, maybe in some cases).

We're talking about the resources you can turn to when you need help. Whether it's financial, emotional, or logistical, there are plenty of options out there. But where do you start? Well, you can always turn to Mr. Google and hope for the best.

But let's be real, sometimes that's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. So, what other options do you have?

• Look for directories and job boards that fit within the type of support you need (paid intern, VA or freelancer).
• Once you found the best place, it's time to create a clear description of the project/ job you are looking for support with. Make it as clear as possible.
• As well as creating a clear job description, I love creating simple application forms that ask the right questions and include one or two micro tasks to test the people I am shortlisting on specific skills I need for the role.

For example, we asked our junior marketer candidates to come up with 3 quick post ideas for the school, based on the context we gave them.

Encourage your team to create a "guide to work with me"

This week on the pod, I talked to the wonderful Vanessa Sanyauke who shared with us one of her favourite team-onboarding exercises, a work-with-me guide.

This guide allows each new person joining you to share how they prefer working and collaborating with others.

It’s like having an instruction manual for everyone, so no one has any excuses for not getting along! Plus, it makes onboarding new members much easier and faster since everyone knows what is expected of them from day one.

Create SOPs and video instructions for your team when assigning new tasks

When it comes to assigning new tasks to your team, one of the best ways to make sure everyone is on the same page is by creating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and video instructions.

Not only does this help streamline processes, but it also ensures that your team has a unified direction in tackling a task.

Creating SOPs means breaking things down taking them straight from your wonderful brain and putting them into a place for them to access (I LOVE creating those with the new Notion Wiki feature!)

As simple as that.

A simple SOP should include

1. a step-by-step breakdown (use videos for repeatable tasks)
2. tools needed
3. checklist for important reminders
4. quick links or resources for reference

Give feedback as work progresses

When giving feedback, try to focus on the positives just as much as the areas that need improvement. And don't forget to be specific - vague feedback like "good job" doesn't really give the person any direction.

Instead, try something like "I loved how you went above and beyond on that project, but it may be helpful to work on the pacing next time." Remember, our goal is to help each other grow and improve, so let's give feedback that does just that.

Appreciation corner

Appreciation goes to the fantastic Emma York, who we had on the podcast last week. We had SO MUCH fun chatting all things social together and have a good ol' rant about Twitter!

Emma💙 The Social Skipper @FreshApproachPR I got very animated and emotional talking about this week's latest social media news with @fabgiovanetti 😤😉 twitter.com/altmarkschool/… Alt Marketing School 🤘 @altmarkschool We have a good one for you tomorrow - @fabgiovanetti has invited to her virtual couch the wonderful @FreshApproachPR to talk all things social! Don't forget to subscribe to hear our latest marketing news: open.spotify.com/show/5tmL8UhuW… pic.twitter.com/E0LsfFL7mn April 27th 2023 0 Retweets 1 Likes

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Fab-ulous weekly highlights

1. Last interview of the season has come hot with our partner, alumni and overall SUPERHUMAN Vanessa Sanyauke. It was so inspiring to hear all about how she scaled and grew Girls Talk to become a global community in over 37 countries. Catch up with the episode here.
2. New event alert. I brought together 3 incredible teachers to share powerful ways to future proof your online brand. Sprint workshops and panel are free for our library members, or you can grab your tickets here (and check the full running order!)
3. We updated our website with a brand new section, spotlighting top marketers who want to make a positive impact in the world. We are excited to see this new directory grow with more and more amazing people!

It may take some practice to get the delegation process right but that’s just part of growth in any biz.

With the right resources and mindset, delegating tasks doesn’t have to be daunting. Don’t be afraid to delegate - it might just be the key to turning your side project into a full-time success!

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P.S. if you are looking for more support, these are 3 ways I can help…

1. Learn how to market with purpose and access weekly tactics here.
2. Book a power hour session and get unstuck here.
3. Reclaim time to focus your energy where it matters here.

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