Are you wasting time doing things yourself?

A friend just tweeted this statement, which I couldn’t agree with more: “People’s perception of “it costs a lot” cracks me up… I am willing to pay u to do it to save me the aggravation, so just do it.”

I think the same thing every time someone calls hiring a maid or some other domestic help as “frivolous.” Sure, I could do the work myself, but why would I waste my time when it’s so well-spent elsewhere? Is it really a good use of my time to mop the floors or mow the lawn? The only domestic work I still do myself is detailing my car, and it’s because I really truly cannot find anyone who can do it better or with as much attention to detail as myself.

As true as this issue is with domestic work, it’s even more so in business and particularly internet marketing.

Nowhere else but in internet marketing do I see more people wasting so much time on menial tasks. I’m guilty of this myself – every day I wind up doing something that someone else should be doing, and I’m always making mental notes to outsource that kind of work.

The answer is outsourcing. Outsourcing is a hot topic both in the marketing world and out. Successful entrepreneurs and internet marketers understand the value of time, and not wasting that time on non-productive tasks, whether that means mowing the lawn or building a web page.

Starting out, most new marketers don’t have any choice but to handle their own tasks. From responding to emails to handling support tickets to processing unsubscribe requests – not to mention fulfilling orders – there’s a lot to be done in any new online business, and without solid profits or a budget to work with, the new marketer generally has to do everything.

However, tasks should be outsourced as quickly as possible. When I started out, I had a fulfillment house producing and shipping my products within a few months of making my first sale. I contracted with a call center to handle the phones and support requests, and even hired an outside firm to run my PPC campaigns so I wouldn’t have to. I wanted my time to be free to create new products and work directly on marketing, and nothing else.

Take a look at your days and how you’re spending your time. Time is the only asset that cannot be replaced, and therefore it is the most valuable. Think about whether you’re using your time effectively, or wasting it. If you’re wasting it – and we all do to some extent – correct the situation by outsourcing as much as possible, both at home and at the office!