Many business owners are apprehensive about outsourcing.
I’ve heard this countless times: “I can do the work better and faster than anyone else. Why would I hire someone to do something I’m more capable of doing?” It’s common for business owners to feel like they’re the only ones who can get things done the right way.
But this mindset limits your business’s growth. Why? Because growth brings more work. And no matter how productive you are, there’s only so much you can do on your own.
Change your mindset
Believing you’re the only person who can handle your business creates a bottleneck in growth. If you want to be in control and work on your business rather than in it, you need to change your mindset.
Outsourcing to the Philippines allows you to focus on more important tasks and accelerates business growth.
Filipinos are highly skilled, hardworking, and dedicated. With the right training and guidance, they can become invaluable assets to your business.
Let me share my own story.
Before I started outsourcing to the Philippines, I was running myself ragged trying to do everything in my business. I was overwhelmed. Then, I had a conversation with another business owner that changed my life—it changed my mindset.
He suggested I outsource my business tasks to the Philippines.
At first, I was hesitant. I worried I wouldn’t have enough work for a full-time employee. I was concerned about finding the right person. And, honestly, I feared they wouldn’t do a good job.
I struggled with the decision, but eventually, I took a leap of faith—and it paid off.
I hired my first Online Filipino Specialist (OFS) and have since hired several more. Outsourcing to the Philippines has been the most liberating experience of my life. My OFS took over day-to-day tasks, saving me hours every day.
Most employers hire people to do tasks they (the employers) don’t know how to do. I do the opposite: I hire people to do what I already know how to do. This allows me to teach them my process. Once they master it, I’m free to focus on more impactful activities, like making sales and growing my business.
This approach lets me truly be the CEO while my OFS handles the operational details—the things I don’t want to do.
One of the main reasons I took that leap was hope. I had tried outsourcing to India before and hoped the Philippines would be different. I hoped for better results.
Many people who hire Filipinos aren’t new to outsourcing. Some have been burned before and approach the Philippines expecting the same outcome. But the Philippines is different. Its unique culture makes for a completely different outsourcing experience.
It worked for me, and it can work for you. All it takes is a change in mindset.
Why not hire freelancers or contractors?
Once you change your mindset and realize you need help in your business, it might seem easier to just hire a freelancer or contractor on Upwork.
But the simple answer is no.
Freelancers and contractors can be useful for short-term projects. However, if you want to become the CEO of your business, you need someone who’s in it for the long haul—someone full-time and committed.
The problem with freelancers and contractors is that they provide temporary solutions. They take on a project or two and then move on to the next opportunity. Most of them are looking to make extra cash or maximize their workload to earn more. They’re not invested in your business.
Because of this, you can’t fully automate your systems. You can’t delegate your entire process because freelancers aren’t sticking around.
This leads to a cycle of constantly training new workers every few weeks or months—a massive drain on your time and effort. It’s far more efficient to invest time in thoroughly training a full-time, permanent worker who’s dedicated to helping your business grow.
When you outsource to the Philippines, you’re not hiring someone who’s just looking to finish a project and move on. You’re hiring someone who genuinely cares about your business and its success.
Implement everything but don’t do the work
One major benefit of hiring an OFS is that you can implement every aspect of your business without doing the work yourself—that’s what your OFS is for.
Over time, you can teach your OFS to handle virtually everything in your business (or even hire multiple specialists). This gives you the freedom to do whatever you want. Want to make more money? Spend more time with family? Pursue passion projects? You now have the time to do it all.
Early in my business, I faced a process that frustrated me. I was doing page testing and tracking for one of my websites, but the coding and technical details were stressing me out. Then, I realized I had an easy solution: I emailed my OFS.
I asked him to learn how to use Google Website Optimizer, run the tests, and track the results. I provided clear instructions on what to test and how often. I also explained how these tests would improve the site.
Sending that email took me about 10 minutes. In return, it saved me countless hours and headaches. It allowed me to focus on being the CEO instead of getting bogged down by tedious tasks.
Another time, I launched a new product and asked my OFS to create a marketing plan and a traffic strategy for the website. He responded with detailed, comprehensive outlines, complete with diagrams. He knew exactly what to do because I had trained him. I barely had to review his work because I trusted his ideas would be spot-on.
Can you see how valuable an OFS can be in helping you truly become the CEO of your business? You don’t need to handle every detail yourself. You can achieve more by trusting your Filipino worker to execute your vision.
These days, most of my work involves following up with my VAs, checking in on projects, and sending a few emails. It takes me, at most, 2 hours a day. Notice that I’m not bogged down by tedious tasks—I have other people to handle those for me.
How to make the best use of your time
As the business owner, there are tasks you should focus on, and there are tasks you should definitely delegate to your OFS. Don’t waste time doing things your OFS can handle. Focus your energy on activities that grow your business and increase profitability.
What should you delegate to your OFS? Here are some tasks your OFS can handle:
- Building your website
- Marketing
- Driving traffic
- Writing content
- Managing social media
- Customer service
You can even have your OFS create products. But if you’re the expert and you enjoy doing it, feel free to handle that part yourself.
Remember, as the CEO of your business, your primary responsibility is to grow the business and make it more profitable. If you’re spending time on tasks you could delegate instead of focusing on growth, you’re not using your time wisely.
To make the most of your time, focus on these high-level business aspects:
- Define your business plan
- Identify your target market
- Understand your business model
- Strategize how to reach your audience
- Design and implement the sales process
- Prioritize making sales
- Know why you’re doing each process in your business
- Provide training, clear instructions, and feedback
- Make decisions for your worker (This is your most important role as CEO)
Work On Your Business, Not In Your Business
“If I want things done right in my business, I have to do it myself.”
That thinking makes sense—after all, you’re the expert in your own business. You know exactly what you want and how to get it done.
But as the CEO, your focus should be on reaching your target market and driving sales. The other aspects of your business, while important, can be effectively managed by your Online Filipino Specialist.
Change the way you look at your business. Hire and train Filipino workers. Empower them to handle the support functions of your growing business, so you can focus on leading it.
About John Jonas
John Jonas is a long-time outsourcing expert and the creator of OnlineJobs.ph.
Since 2005, John has taught hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs how to profitably delegate to VAs in the Philippines (and get their lives back in the process).
With help from his own VAs based in the Philippines, John has created an outsourcing empire that allows him to work 17 hours/week and to spend most of his time with his wife and 5 kids.
Find John at JohnJonas.com and Facebook.
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