No Time for Marketing? Think Again.

You know that revamping your information newsletter and exhibiting at conferences will kick your business into the fast lane. But with all you have to do, where will you find the time?

No time for marketing? Think again.

How many hours a week do you spend filing, sorting, collating, stuffing, stapling, making deliveries and straightening your office? These are minimum-wage tasks at most.

How much time do you spend searching the Internet for resources when someone else could find what you need faster, easier and cheaper?

How much more could you accomplish if, instead of stuffing envelopes or surfing the Web, you were brainstorming ideas for your exhibit display, revamping your information newsletter or making follow-up calls to potential clients?

Put your time and expertise where the money is and hire small where the money isn't to kick your business into the fast lane. Let's say you spend six to eight hours a week on routine tasks that even a 12-year-old could manage. If you pay the 12-year-old $5 an hour, you've only spent $35-$45 – an amount you can make in 15 minutes doing what you do best. And you've freed up an entire day to use for engaging big cases with plenty of time left over for marketing.

Hire your kids. If you have kids or grandkids, put them to work. Make a professional contract, paying $5 for each hour of photocopying and filing. Not only will their jobs keep them too busy to knock on your office door every five minutes, but they'll feel a sense of importance in being a part of your business. If you don't have children, hire your nieces, nephews or the neighbor's kids.

Hire a teenager to do Internet research. Teens love surfing the Web. All you have to do is point them in the right direction. This alone can save you hours at the computer.

Hire your mom. On the flip side of that youthful energy, your business might benefit from the steady maturity of a senior citizen. Hire a parent, a neighbor, an aunt, an uncle, your grandmother – or someone else's grandmother. Seniors often have time to spare and might welcome a chance to use that time scoring a few extra dollars while keeping you organized.

Outsource to administrative professionals. We fool ourselves into thinking that sending out 20 letters will be a snap, and then we'll easily have time to write the report that's due. Before we know it, the heart of our day is gone, and we've billed only a few hours. A secretarial service can type your letters and stuff, stamp and mail them. You might find a stay-at-home mom in your neighborhood who would welcome a change in her routine and appreciate earning some extra cash.

Outsource to your kids, local teens, your mom or a secretarial service. It's practical, affordable and professional. Outsourcing snaps you out of the slow lane and frees your time for the marketing necessary to move your business to a higher level. Developing resources to speed up those mundane office chores can make the difference between creating a successful business and building a hugely successful business.