You’ve started a business and it’s going well but you’re finding it difficult to get everything done.  You’re a jack of all trades and you’re feeling the pinch.  Things are slipping through the cracks because you don’t have time to manage them.

Congratulations.  Those are all the signs of a successful business.

So what do you do?  You outsource some of the work that you don’t have time to do.

When you are well into business, it doesn’t make any sense to use up your valuable time doing jobs that can be done by someone else.  Rather, it could well pay to employ someone on a temporary basis, usually online or remotely, to do the work for you.

So how do you know who to choose?

First of all, think about the work you will be asking them to do.  Is it bookkeeping or general assistance?  The task will determine the skills you need to look for in your helper.

When you know the type of person you need, ask around within your network.  Some of its members will have been in the same position and should be able to recommend people to you.  Word of mouth recommendations are worth their weight in gold.  You’ve got a reliable testimonial about the person right there for you.

Feel free to ask for references or even samples of their work.  Most people will expect that.

Before you make any commitment confirm the rate of pay and the timetable you expect them to work to.  When you are both clear on the conditions it can solve a lot of problems down the track.

Remember that you will both have to get used to each other’s communication styles and way of working and that might take a couple of weeks to fall into place.  It is worth putting time and effort into your relationship because a smooth relationship can reach great goals.

Outsourcing some of your work is a sensible business decision.  Get the right person for the job and your business will go from strength to strength.

If you talk to a business person about sales, many of them will tell you that it’s nothing to do with them but in fact, we are all sales people in one way or another.

Whenever you talk about your business, you are selling.  Whenever you tell people what you do, you are selling. Sales isn't always about picking up the phone and making calls.  Your very image is selling you when you haven’t spoken a word.

In the workplace though, it pays to be more strategic when you think about sales.  After all, the same skills that make a successful person also make a successful communicator. How good are you at communicating?

Self-evaluation is a good way to see which aspects of our skills need polishing up a little so that we become even more successful at what we do.

• The first thing to look at is the way you speak.  Are you able to put across your point effectively and succinctly so that the other person understands?  Are you confident when you speak or do you sound unsure of yourself?
• Listening to your client is just as important as speaking.  That is how you find out what your client really needs.  Do you listen properly?  Do you let them peak without interruption?
• Do you choose your questions wisely? If you’ve paid attention to what your client has been saying, a well-chosen question will give you the information you need and can also give the client an ‘aha’ moment.

If you are in business you are a salesperson whether you like it or not.  Make sure your sales skills are up to scratch.

The wonderful world wide web is a fluid cyberspace, constantly evolving, developing and basically changing.

As a result that gorgeous website you were so excited about and couldn’t wait to share with the world may no longer be relevant.  This, obviously, can lead to a reduction in customers and clients as those around you are keeping their sites current.

What exactly do we mean by current?

It does, to a degree, refer to the overall “look” of the site:  fonts, graphics and the image portrayed.  For example, take a look at magazine adverts or billboards from the 1980s.  You know they are now 30 years old and the first impression of the business or product is “outdated”.

Is your website starting to look a bit shabby around the edges?

What features are now available for websites that you could implement?  There are now so many new options available for your potential customers to contact you, sign up to your newsletter (you do have one don’t you?) and work their way around your site that it is, more than ever, essential for business that you have them.

If your site visitors don’t get what they’re looking for in less than seven seconds, they will leave and not come back; are you giving them what they want?  They need to know what you’re about, what you do and how they can access it in that time; is this possible on your current site?

Finally, with social media on the rise as it currently is, it is essential that you are a part of it.  Not only do you need to be utilising these mediums, but the links to these “latest hangouts” need to be an essential part of your website.

Have a bit of a look at your site, ask some others you can trust for their opinion.  Is your website current, or is it in need of a makeover - big or small?

Change can be good and a website upgrade may even create a new level of excitement in regard to your business which was otherwise missing.