When Should I Start Outsourcing? | A Guide For Photographers

Business Tips

May 20, 2021

I talk about outsourcing a lot. I’m a HUGE believer in the power of outsourcing because I’ve seen the incredible impact it’s had on my own business! (If you think you can’t afford to outsource, KEEP READING.)

When I start a conversation about outsourcing, a question I always get is, “When should I start outsourcing?” Totally valid question!! Once someone realizes the power of outsourcing, the thing that stops them is not knowing when to take that leap. I wanted to share a few hints that show you may be ready to outsource.

You’re at full capacity.

This was my first clue that it was time for me to outsource. If you find yourself completely full to the point where you can’t physically take on any more clients, it’s probably time to outsource something! A lot of times we are our own lids. (Meaning we’re the reason we can’t grow anymore.) If you have the desire to grow your business beyond what it currently is at, adding to your team is the answer!

Things are falling through the cracks.

Yikes. This one was also a big thing for me. I reached a point where I had so many clients, but they weren’t being served well. I’d forget to send a reminder email, didn’t follow up to make sure retainers were paid, things like that. It wasn’t because those things weren’t important, I just physically didn’t have enough time in the day to do all the things. If you have things consistently falling through the cracks, it may help to get some extra hands in there to help you!

You have a lot of things on the “Someday” list.

Where are all my fellow Visionaries at?? If you have a bunch of things you’d like to do but just don’t have the time to do it, it may be time to outsource some things! Without help, you won’t be able to do everything yourself. As an Enneagram 3, a core desire of mine is to get things done. So when I saw a massive list of things I knew I didn’t have time for, I decided to make a change so I WOULD have time for them! Hiring a team member was a GAME-CHANGER for me and my Visionary heart!

BONUS: But what if I can’t afford to hire??

Friend, odds are you actually can afford it! Let’s start with an easy one. Let’s say you’re hiring an editor (which is A LOT cheaper than you probably think). All you have to do is raise your price by $20-30 and they’ll be covered!!

Let’s take it a step further. If you could hire a virtual assistant to help you for 10 hours a month (for $30/hr, $300/month in this example), what would you do with those extra 10 hours? The answer: get more bookings!!

Think you could book an extra session to cover that $300 fee with the extra 10 hours you now have? I bet you can!!

My first hire aside from my editor was an assistant to help me with my inbox and delivering galleries. With her hands now on those projects, I was free to spend more time marketing. And guess what? Our profit INCREASED by having her on the team!!

I’m telling you, outsourcing will be a GAME-CHANGER in your business. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop!

Have any questions? I’m an open book! DM me on Instagram @rebeccaricephotography and I’d love to chat about what outsourcing could look like for you!