What do you farm out?

[Novascotia33]

Hello ladies in business, things are progressing at a real clip for me, and with a 4 year old and a 2 year old, I'm now at the stage where I either put a cap on how much work I do per month, or put my children in childcare more - which I'm very hesitant to do. Part of the joy or working for myself form home was the flexibility of having time for my children who are still very small. Currently I have them in childcare 3 days a week from 9 till 3. I also work some evenings (when they're in bed) and my Mum has them once a week, or more if I've got a rush on.

I'd like to take on more work, but I'm worried about spinning too many plates.

So my question is this, for all of you who have been doing this a lot longer than me, how do you cut time down on your chores, I was thinking about farming out all the washing and ironing, and getting a cleaner, as that is time I could be spending with my kids, any other ideas?

Thanks so much, love this forum

Sounds like a really good plan. I'm not quite at that stage yet but first to arrive will be cleaner and ironing person.

You could also think about using a service like cook who can send ready made but home cooked meals by delivery, so you don't have to cook every night but don't resort to expensive and high fat take outs.

Are you at a stage where you can hire an assistant?

Hi. Having a cleaner really helps. Internet food shopping? Or using a virtual assistant to help with some admin?

I'm not sure what type of business you run but if you have a lot of admin work you could farm that out. I am a virtual personal assistant so if I could help you at all just send me a message and I could see what I could do for you. Most clients use me for their most hated bits of work so they no longer have to do the bits they dread themselves!

Thanks for all your responces everyone, I'm a designer/maker so admin not to much of a worry. I do find emails to customers are mounting up, but as it's usually about commissions it's quite personal and not something I could outsource.

I did try a laundry service today though - and it may very well change my life!! Next step to find a cleaner. I should try online food shopping, but does that mean you have to plan your meals for the week, I might be a bit rubbish at that. I never know what I'm going to fancy.

Hi Novascotia33

It's a shame that it's not easy for you to delegate your actual work, work. Some of the designers that I work with (as I have an online boutique) have either makers that work for them (I assume on self-employed basis) or they have certain collections either manufactured / part-manufactured (I.e. Components manufactured which are then hand finished onto piece). When you're so hands-on, it can be hard to grow sales without all other work (and time-sucking problems) growing at the same pace!

I started a cleaner a few weeks back and they're FAB. I have long given up ironing (fold after tumble dry, DH does his own). I don't do Internet shopping for same reason as you but think I might give this a go, as think I should be more planned as weaning DD.

On the work front, I try and delegate as much as possible really. Fortunately, my work does mean I can have an assistant (I'm not so hands on). As and when, I also outsource work (photography, accounts, some marketing, etc.).

It's not easy! I posted on this forum when I was pregnant and kind of found my way to what we're doing at the moment. Still haven't started my DD in formal childcare - she is 7 months - but think I do need to rethink it all soon. It can only get harder as she gets older.

Can only really echo what everyone else has said here, really. My mum has been known to help out with my washing (which helps SO MUCH) and DH is great at cooking and food shopping, so I'm relatively set there. Getting a cleaner is probably the best thing, just once a week to do the hoovering and dusting makes such a difference!

If you need any assistance with graphic design or web stuff, let me know, I'd be happy to look at what you might need.

As well as outsourcing your cleaning/ironing and so forth, you might also think about the ways in which you could grow your business without having to work longer hours ? by this I mean, find a way of being paid that doesn?t involve you exchanging time for money. Could you sell your knowledge and experience as a designer in the form of information products or training videos or something similar (just off the top of my head)?

Otherwise you are always going to be limited in what you can earn by the amount of hours you work.

My DCs were both in private nursery and are now at school. I've been self employed since before they were born.

I have a cleaner 3 hours a week who also comes in for an extra hour when i need ironing doing (thinking about making this permanent). Unfortunately she's not here on Sunday evenings when school uniform need doing.

ALL my shopping is done online. Food from Tesco (always go for the 8-10pm delivery slots), bulk buying presents for the parties DCs go to from Amazon or similar and just about everything else from Ebay.

All personal banking/utilities is done online too. I only have to do the business banking at the branch which is 5 mins drive away.

We use a bookeeper for the business expenditure. He comes for one morning every 3 weeks and saves me cocking up completely making a mess of things!