Top 3 tips to outsourcing on the home front

As a successful small business owner you know full well that time = money. And that means you want to spend your ‘working’ time where you can make the most money.  You don’t want to spend your working time doing chores - but then again, you don’t want to spend your ‘down’ time on chores either!

If, like many successful small business owners, you are comfortable outsourcing the business stuff you don’t want to do, have you ever thought about outsourcing the home stuff you don’t want to do?   

I have put together my top 3 Tips to help make the decision on whether outsourcing your domestic chores is the right decision for you.

1.  Time vs Priorities

Successful small business owners are constantly telling me that they are simply too busy to do everything.  I disagree.  You are not too busy to do everything - you are too busy to do everything WELL.

This is easy to resolve - you need 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 (such as mowing the lawn) it won’t get done, or it will get done but begrudgingly.

Work out what you want to do and do it.  Park the rest – we will get to that.

2.  Money Talks
Can you afford good home help?

Think about it this way.  What is your time worth?   Take a few minutes to calculate your own personal hourly rate.  If you charge out your time at $100 an hour, and it costs $20 an hour to hire a cleaner, you are well ahead.  If the cleaner takes 4 hours a week to clean your house then that will cost you the equivalent of less than one hour of your time.

Next, factor in what you can do with those 4 hours you just got back – 4 hours to spend with your kids; 4 hours with your friends; 4 hours extra sleep; 4 hours extra to land a new client.

Can you see the value is more than the $20 per hour you just spent?

3.  Be Smart about it
Having decided to outsource around the home you need to make sure you are smart about it.

If you need a cleaner, think smart and hire a housekeeper who is happy to tidy up as well as clean – that way you won’t spend an hour tidying the house up for the cleaner to clean. If you need a nanny, think smart and hire a Mother’s Helper who will also help with the washing, tidying, shopping and cooking.  If you need to hire someone to walk the dogs when you are away, think smart and have them put out the rubbish and bring in the mail too.

Happy outsourcing!