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The struggle to delegate and why you are not alone in finding it hard to let go
You already know the logical reasons to delegate:
It saves you time.
You can make more money focusing on your area expertise while paying someone else to focus on theirs.
It frees up headspace and boosts productivity by focusing on what you do best.
But something is holding you back, and when it’s not your head , it’s probably your heart.
Why you might finding it hard to delegate
Your Business Is Your Baby.
You’re deeply invested in your business. Like letting a child go to school for the first time, handing over parts of your business can feel like handing over control to someone who isn't as invested or a skilled as you.
But if your head is telling you it’s time, that’s a sign your business has grown. It’s no longer fully dependent on you, and by delegating you’re helping it thrive with new input.
Remember, when it comes to your business you're still the most important piece of the puzzle—you’re just bringing in the support to elevate it's future prospects
The Corporate Escape
By leaving the security of employment, you've proved that you are not afraid of hard work and that you are someone who can get great things done. But those strengths can sometimes blind you to the reality that you don't need to do all the hard work on your own.
For your business to thrive, it's needs you to focus on steering the ship and on going deeper into what it is that you do best. You can't focus on strategy and going deeper into your area of expertise if all the aspects of freelancing are on your to do list too
Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Maybe you’ve tried delegating before, and it turned into more work: training, checking in, managing poor performance, and cleaning up the mess if it didn’t work out. I get it.
Don’t let one bad hire sour you on a process that can ultimately lead to a more fulfilling, fun, and balanced business life. Take a breath, learn the lessons of what went wrong, you'll get it right next time.
Loving Every Bit of It
Many freelancers love every part of their business—the finances, tech, marketing, sales, and customer care. If this sounds like you, be assured that delegating doesn’t mean you’re walking away from the parts you enjoy. You’re still involved—just in a more strategic, impactful way.
Much like raising kids, your role evolves. And when you trust others to take over certain areas, your business can grow in ways that it couldn't if it only had you to turn to.
Ready to Get Your Heart On Board? Here’s How:
10 Steps to Delegate Effectively
Map Out Your Tasks: Organise tasks into four categories: Things you enjoy, things you dislike, tasks you struggle with, and tasks you excel at. This gives you a clear view of what to delegate first.
See what you can Ditch: Before you start the delegation process, assure yourself that everything you are doing needs doing. Any tasks, products or services not worth the overhead? Ask yourself if you can ditch them.
Prioritise Delegation: Focus on the tasks that drain your energy or that you’re not as skilled at—those are prime for delegation. And the tasks that fall into both ‘not skilled/energy draining: they can be the first to outsource.
Identify Task Themes: Group similar tasks—like admin, operations, tech, or marketing. This will help guide you in finding the right professionals.
Research Specialists: Compare potential hires based on skills, experience, and pricing. Know what fits your budget and your specific needs. Search on freelancer websites, linkedin, google and your personal networks to get a feel of who is out there, what they charge and how they can help.
Start Recruiting: Reach out to potential hires with a straightforward approach—keep the process simple but thorough. Be creative too: just because they made a (very laborious) meal out of recruitment in corporate, it doesn’t mean you need to do the same now you work for yourself.
Set a Trial Period or stop/start points: Allow you and your contractor to test the water with a short-term commitment to ensure they’re the right fit before diving in long-term.
Create Contracts: Establish clear agreements that outline roles, payment terms, and expectations.
Onboard Efficiently: Skip the formalities—get them involved in real tasks right away to get them up to speed.
Check-In Regularly: Schedule regular check-ins at first, and adjust as things start to run smoothly.
Got the itch to delegate, but not sure how to start? Let's chat. I'll help you do it in a way that’s effective—and fun.