Should You Outsource for Your Virtual Summit? with Tianna Tye
If you're not already outsourcing, you'll likely begin to consider it when it comes time to put on your summit.
After all, there are all kinds of easy, repeatable tasks, which are perfect for your first outsourcing experience!
To help get you started, I've brought in Tianna Tye to chat about how to know if it's time to outsource, what to get ready on the backend before you start, and how to be a leader versus being a boss.
Deciding if you’re ready to outsource
9 times out of 10 we wait until it’s a little bit too late to decide to outsource. We wait until the world is on fire and we are pulling our hair out.
When you have tasks that you are doing on a recurring basis, or at least they’re somewhat time-consuming, you are probably ready to outsource.
A lot of people go for a virtual assistant the first time, and I always advocate to not just assume you need a virtual assistant. It depends on how many tasks you have that you can picture yourself handing off to someone, trusting them with, and then reentering back into your zone of genius.
Outsourcing looks different for everybody.
For many people, their first hire is 5 hours a week. It’s a very modest investment and still can free up so much valuable time for you. It’s so easy to hand off the recurring tasks. We know the process, and we can give it to someone else. It doesn't have to be this huge hire.
Outsourcing is perfect when talking about summits, too, because there are so many recurring tasks with the summit. If you have 20 speakers, you have to create 20 presentation pages, send 20 wrap-up emails - do many tasks 20 times. It’s so easy to make the process and hand it off.
A lot of times we encounter people that we would love to work with, love to have them on our team, but they have very set, rigid packages. I’m not saying we always need to honor their boundaries, but it is within your power as a business owner to fully think through and flesh out what it is that you need and present that option, whether or not they accept it, whether or not you end up bringing someone else on, is totally fine.
We feel like if we don't see the specific tasks we need help with on their website then they can't help us, so we move on.
The reality is some things are worth the conversation.
3 Things to Prepare for your Hire
The Daily Work Log
It’s kind of a brain dump of all the tasks that you’re doing on a recurring basis. Beyond that, I start to dig deeper and ask questions around which of these can be automated with systems. Never hire somebody if a system or automation can do it. Knowing what to outsource can save time.
An example is client onboarding process. If you send the same 3-4 emails in a series, every single time, the same contract, the same proposal, maybe a system is going to take all of that work off of your back. After that, we go back through and say, “Which of these can we delegate?”
Automating Systems
Sometimes we are tight on cash, so if some of the tasks are revenue-generating, make sure you bring someone in who can do that. Doing this will bring in more profit, which is going to enable you to double down and maybe expand their responsibilities or hire someone else in the future. It's important to know where to save and where to splurge.
If you aren’t sure if you’re ready, doing this daily work log will give you that answer. Looking at the things you are doing daily, weekly, monthly can give you ideas of what to outsource.
Get the SOP Ready
If you have an idea of the tasks, and if they are recurring and you already have a process (you’re doing it the same way every time), go ahead and turn on one of those free apps like Loom and record yourself doing it. Copy that over, transcribe it into a written word document, and save it. You are going to be so grateful to yourself in the future.
Record videos now, even if you aren’t going to outsource it yet. Have a training library set up so you’re not scrambling right when you are hiring and doing all of that work. Set it up with categories such as graphic creation, podcast management - all the categories you do in your business.
Being a Boss vs Being a Leader
They might not sound different, but they're so different.
When we're talking about being a boss versus being a leader, a lot of times we're talking about this idea of management versus leadership. Not the same at all.
We've all had a manager. It’s their literal job to manage the people, making sure everybody’s on task and getting things done. It is very tactical but very practical. It’s very important work.
When we step into leadership, that is a whole other game. Give a little bit of permission, especially when you’re new and when you’ve just made your first couple of hires, you will probably spend most of your time in that management camp. You are going to be spending a lot of time setting up SOPs. You are going to spend a lot of time in that wheelhouse, and it’s not a bad place to be, but start thinking about who you are as a leader.
Who are you uniquely? How do you show up to inspire and uplift those that are working for you? I’m a firm believer, whether they work for you 5 hours a month or they are on payroll, do you deserve the title of being their leader? Would they even refer to you as a leader? That all comes down to how you’re showing up, how you’re encouraging them on a day-to-day basis, how you’re feeding into their own professional goals.
Those are the little things about leadership, that next level leadership, that sets you apart and makes you more than just a boss.
As an employee or contractor, it makes you want to try harder. It gives you that motivation. Do you want them to treat your company as just another gig or do you want them to feel like they’re a member of your team? If you don’t refer to them as team members, if you’re not talking to them in that way, working with you is probably just a gig.
It makes them care more when you show them that they are a part of all of this.
Action Steps
The daily work log is a beautiful place to start, and beyond that, I’m old school so create a job description. Write down exactly what it is that you want, who it is that you’re looking for. What values does your company hold that this person should have?
All of that matters, even if they're only coming in for a specific season. Imagine the difference between working with a contractor who understands your audience, understands how you want your team to show up in business, and one who doesn't.
It's going to be a different vibe, different energy, a different feeling.
About Tianna Tye
Tianna Tye is an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and Teaming Specialist from Atlanta, GA. She has dedicated her career to helping online business owners build and lead a dream team that can help their business scale and thrive!
Tianna’s expertise in hiring, leadership, and virtual teams makes her a CEO’s secret weapon for managing all things on the “people” side of the business. When she’s not creating content via her podcast TyePod or hosting team retreats, you can find her cuddling her two dogs and her firefighter husband with a nice glass of Cabernet.
Tianna Tye on Instagram | Daily Work Log
Resources
- Episode 85: What To Outsource In Your Virtual Summit
- Episode 88: Where To Save And Splurge When Planning Your Virtual Summit
- Summit Host Hangout Facebook group
- The Daily Work Log by Tianna Tye
Pin it for later!
Deciding if you’re ready to outsource
9 times out of 10 we wait until it’s a little bit too late to decide to outsource. We wait until the world is on fire and we are pulling our hair out.
When you have tasks that you are doing on a recurring basis, or at least they’re somewhat time-consuming, you are probably ready to outsource.
A lot of people go for a virtual assistant the first time, and I always advocate to not just assume you need a virtual assistant. It depends on how many tasks you have that you can picture yourself handing off to someone, trusting them with, and then reentering back into your zone of genius.
Outsourcing looks different for everybody.
For many people, their first hire is 5 hours a week. It’s a very modest investment and still can free up so much valuable time for you. It’s so easy to hand off the recurring tasks. We know the process, and we can give it to someone else. It doesn't have to be this huge hire.
Outsourcing is perfect when talking about summits, too, because there are so many recurring tasks with the summit. If you have 20 speakers, you have to create 20 presentation pages, send 20 wrap-up emails - do many tasks 20 times. It’s so easy to make the process and hand it off.
A lot of times we encounter people that we would love to work with, love to have them on our team, but they have very set, rigid packages. I’m not saying we always need to honor their boundaries, but it is within your power as a business owner to fully think through and flesh out what it is that you need and present that option, whether or not they accept it, whether or not you end up bringing someone else on, is totally fine.
We feel like if we don't see the specific tasks we need help with on their website then they can't help us, so we move on.
The reality is some things are worth the conversation.
3 Things to Prepare for your Hire
The Daily Work Log
It’s kind of a brain dump of all the tasks that you’re doing on a recurring basis. Beyond that, I start to dig deeper and ask questions around which of these can be automated with systems. Never hire somebody if a system or automation can do it. Knowing what to outsource can save time.
An example is client onboarding process. If you send the same 3-4 emails in a series, every single time, the same contract, the same proposal, maybe a system is going to take all of that work off of your back. After that, we go back through and say, “Which of these can we delegate?”
Automating Systems
Sometimes we are tight on cash, so if some of the tasks are revenue-generating, make sure you bring someone in who can do that. Doing this will bring in more profit, which is going to enable you to double down and maybe expand their responsibilities or hire someone else in the future. It's important to know where to save and where to splurge.
If you aren’t sure if you’re ready, doing this daily work log will give you that answer. Looking at the things you are doing daily, weekly, monthly can give you ideas of what to outsource.
Get the SOP Ready
If you have an idea of the tasks, and if they are recurring and you already have a process (you’re doing it the same way every time), go ahead and turn on one of those free apps like Loom and record yourself doing it. Copy that over, transcribe it into a written word document, and save it. You are going to be so grateful to yourself in the future.
Record videos now, even if you aren’t going to outsource it yet. Have a training library set up so you’re not scrambling right when you are hiring and doing all of that work. Set it up with categories such as graphic creation, podcast management - all the categories you do in your business.
Being a Boss vs Being a Leader
They might not sound different, but they're so different.
When we're talking about being a boss versus being a leader, a lot of times we're talking about this idea of management versus leadership. Not the same at all.
We've all had a manager. It’s their literal job to manage the people, making sure everybody’s on task and getting things done. It is very tactical but very practical. It’s very important work.
When we step into leadership, that is a whole other game. Give a little bit of permission, especially when you’re new and when you’ve just made your first couple of hires, you will probably spend most of your time in that management camp. You are going to be spending a lot of time setting up SOPs. You are going to spend a lot of time in that wheelhouse, and it’s not a bad place to be, but start thinking about who you are as a leader.
Who are you uniquely? How do you show up to inspire and uplift those that are working for you? I’m a firm believer, whether they work for you 5 hours a month or they are on payroll, do you deserve the title of being their leader? Would they even refer to you as a leader? That all comes down to how you’re showing up, how you’re encouraging them on a day-to-day basis, how you’re feeding into their own professional goals.
Those are the little things about leadership, that next level leadership, that sets you apart and makes you more than just a boss.
As an employee or contractor, it makes you want to try harder. It gives you that motivation. Do you want them to treat your company as just another gig or do you want them to feel like they’re a member of your team? If you don’t refer to them as team members, if you’re not talking to them in that way, working with you is probably just a gig.
It makes them care more when you show them that they are a part of all of this.
Action Steps
The daily work log is a beautiful place to start, and beyond that, I’m old school so create a job description. Write down exactly what it is that you want, who it is that you’re looking for. What values does your company hold that this person should have?
All of that matters, even if they're only coming in for a specific season. Imagine the difference between working with a contractor who understands your audience, understands how you want your team to show up in business, and one who doesn't.
It's going to be a different vibe, different energy, a different feeling.
About Tianna Tye
Tianna Tye is an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and Teaming Specialist from Atlanta, GA. She has dedicated her career to helping online business owners build and lead a dream team that can help their business scale and thrive!
Tianna’s expertise in hiring, leadership, and virtual teams makes her a CEO’s secret weapon for managing all things on the “people” side of the business. When she’s not creating content via her podcast TyePod or hosting team retreats, you can find her cuddling her two dogs and her firefighter husband with a nice glass of Cabernet.
Tianna Tye on Instagram | Daily Work Log
Resources
- Episode 85: What To Outsource In Your Virtual Summit
- Episode 88: Where To Save And Splurge When Planning Your Virtual Summit
- Summit Host Hangout Facebook group
- The Daily Work Log by Tianna Tye
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