Originally published on Advisor Perspectives, December 13, 2017

Sometimes I am a one-man band. I run a busy coaching practice. I travel all over the world giving talks based on the research set forth in The Smartest Sales Book You’ll Ever Read. I write weekly for The Huffington Post and Advisor Perspectives.

Yet, I have plenty of time in my schedule, which permits me to take on new business, expand my writing and engage in other work-related activities.

I can also achieve a reasonable work/life balance. My wife and I travel extensively and have ample opportunity for leisure activities.

Outsourcing

Here’s my secret, which I’m happy to share.

I learned how to outsource.

In my younger days, when we had two small children, I remember someone telling me. “It’s just not true that only Mommy can make a peanut butter sandwich.” Those words have stuck with me.

About a year ago, when my practice was expanding, I was overwhelmed. I was doing everything myself, including invoicing and making travel plans. These tasks can easily be done online. But, in the aggregate, they were a time drain. Before I realized it, I was spending a couple of hours a day on administrative work.

Then I had an epiphany. I wondered what would happen if I delegated everything that could be done by others? I didn’t make a judgment call about whether it was cost-effective to do so. Either it fit into this category or it didn’t.

Implementing the plan

Implementing this plan required hiring an IT person to take over management of my website and a virtual assistant (VA) to deal with everything else.

I thought carefully about the personality types with whom I work best. I made a list of positive traits and used them in my screening process.

I’m an introvert. I don’t like talking on the telephone. I also don’t like meetings, whether they are conference calls or in-person. I find they are often a waste of time.

I don’t like “experts” who feel a need to “educate” me (sound familiar?). As I told the wonderful IT person I hired, “Don’t explain to me what you did or how you did it. I don’t want to learn how to code. You have forgotten more than I will ever know. Just show me your work product.”

Hiring a virtual assistant was more challenging. I eliminated all non-English speakers, those lacking a proper work permit and anyone who wasn’t in my time zone. A primary requirement was high intelligence, rather than expertise in any particular field or hourly cost. I wasn’t looking for a bargain. Consequently, I didn’t consider anyone without an undergraduate degree.

In the interviewing process, I emphasized my affinity for “low-maintenance” people. I wanted someone whose focus was only on the solution.

The result

My VA does everything for me, ranging from the typical to the atypical (setting up a video conferencing room by contacting and scheduling vendors, communicating directly with sponsors of my talks to ensure arrangements are in place, recommending new systems for keeping track of time, doing a marketing plan for our new business, working with my IT person, posting on social media, coordinating with my video producer, etc.).

She has put systems in place that I didn’t know existed, and taught me (very patiently!) how to use them.

We communicate mainly via text. She responds at all hours. She has skills that far outpace mine.

My new staffing has had collateral, unexpected benefits. My team has extensive experience in all aspects of digital marketing for evidence-based advisors. We will be rolling out a new company and offering those expanded services to others early next year.

Revenues and profits are up, but the amount of time I spend on my business has decreased.

You are going to continue to be under fee pressure. You may need to reorganize so you can market and handle more business. Ask yourself if you can benefit from my experience.