When you’re starting a business, you need to be the kind of person who knows you can do it all. If you want to grow the business without killing yourself or the business, it becomes necessary to delegate some of the tasks. It’s hard to do when you’ve been doing it all yourself. It’s hard to do if your mindset is if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself. Here are three ways for you to decide what tasks to delegate whether you outsource or hire people to do them.

1. Delegate the tasks you are not as good at. There are professionals in other areas all around you. Why would you want to struggle with contracts, taxes, or payroll when someone else has spent the time to know how to do it for you? Your time in managing your operation is far too valuable to be spending any of it on tasks that other experts can do for you. No one else can lead your team and get the results you want but you. If you’re busy with things other people can do, your team and your business could be going in a wrong direction.

2. Delegate the tasks you hate to do. Think about the tasks that just irritate you, the ones you try to put off, can’t face without a groan. Why are you doing them at all? Why would you struggle with accounts receivable, making phone calls to collect late payments? When you delegate the work that makes you miserable, your stress will diminish and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do this sooner. You’ll find that you have more time for the networking and contact management that will build the relationships your business needs.

3. Delegate the tasks that don’t require your strengths. Why would you be the one answering your phone and sorting through your emails? Dropping what you’re doing to see where a shipment of needed materials is or answering technical support questions from your customers leaves you with little time to address the changes that will reduce those calls. Let someone else do the "grunt work" and provide you with a summary of the problems, preferably complete with suggested solutions. You be the one who makes the high level decisions that will make your business match your vision for your business, not the person who’s drowning in details.

Conclusion: Relevant, clear, concise communication is the first step toward a smooth operation. When you identify something you can outsource or hand off to an employee, make sure it’s clearly defined and let it go. Your company and you will both be stronger and far better off.