Learn How to Delegate Better

By Lesley Spencer Pyle of Entrepreneur.com

It's the end of the month and your business is crying out for attention. You have invoices to send, sales calls to make, a blog to update, and you haven't had time to chase down a lower-cost supplier for one of your products. How can one person possibly do it all? The short answer is that you can't. Not well, anyway.

Owning a small business has always been hard work, which you don't mind. You started your company because you have strengths in multiple areas, and you don't mind rolling up your sleeves and getting dirty. But even if you're an extraordinary accountant, that doesn't mean you know beans about marketing. And just because you can sell anything to anybody doesn't mean you know your way around a Web page template. To compete, you'll probably need outside help.

Assess Your Strengths. Freelancers are available in lots of different areas, from software development and blog writing to public relations and tax planning. The type of assistance you need depends on your abilities, your weaknesses and areas you want to strengthen in your business. Freelancers let you focus on what you do best, whether it's selling widgets or writing grants.

Determine Your Needs. What's holding your business back? What are the areas desperate for attention? Is it marketing, accounting or computer glitches? If you have a mentor, ask him to help you either grow in those areas or identify the best places to find freelancers. If you don't have a seasoned businessperson helping you, find one. One resource is SCORE, a nonprofit organization that provides counseling for small businesses.