Delegating Tasks and Improving Work/Life Balance by Colleen Rogenmuser

“Creativity is a natural extension of our enthusiasm.” - Earl Nightingale

It can often seem appealing, and almost a necessity when running a small business, to handle all of the things ourselves.  When I opened my doors last year, I quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to handle all of the tasks required to run a smooth business.  Could I possibly find the hours in a day to create and update my website, respond to scheduling requests, manage my bookkeeping, and create successful social media content?  All the while, keeping up with the latest in permanent makeup education and seeing my clients! The answer is that yes, I likely could find these hours.  However, my time at home and spent outside of my cozy studio space is precious to me.

I made a decision early on to delegate as many tasks as I could, especially ones that I knew were not my specialty. Besides, is time spent doing all of these other business tasks even saving the small business owner money?  The reality is that, by taking on the extra work, a small business owner is much more likely to experience burnout sooner than one would by having fewer tasks on a daily to-do list.  This burnout ultimately leads to hardship in your business. Not only can clients sense our stress, but our creativity is surely halted.  

Let’s flip this discussion now to look at the positives of delegating one or more of these time-consuming tasks.  When I give myself an extra 2, 4, or even 6 hours a week to focus on the growth of Color Theory Cosmetic Tattoo, my mind can flourish with creativity.  I can practice my permanent makeup skills, follow up with my clients to establish that relationship of trust and care, and network with people in my business community.  All of these are simple ways that I am growing my business in an organic, yet steady manner. I have found a local accountant at New Way Accounting who specializes in women-owned small businesses.  She has truly put my mind at ease when it comes to my numbers, my taxes, and all of my bookkeeping. Another wonderful business tool that has saved me hours and hours of scheduling headaches is the Vagaro booking system.  Not only do I use them for booking, but also form intakes, credit card processing, and my absolute favorite...capturing online deposits!  

Delegating tasks and letting professionals do what they do best, will allow us all to do our best work.  Not only will we feel good about having some extra free time to grow our business in creative ways, but we can also feel great about supporting other small businesses along the way. 

Follow Colleen @colortheoryct and see work by MEI-CHA artists @meicha_official!