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UOPX Career Advisor Sheri Bardot recalls her days as an entrepreneur and reflects on why delegation can be the hardest part of the business.

When I look back on my early days as the owner of a fitness and spa service management company, delegation wasn’t part of the plan. I remember proudly saying, “I started this company with $350.” Why was that the thing I wanted people to know? Maybe I wanted to inspire them or show them that starting something from almost nothing was possible. Or maybe I was just trying to prove to myself that being scrappy meant I was doing something right.

Either way, the unspoken part of that statement was: And I did it all myself.

In the beginning, doing everything on my own wasn’t just a point of pride. It was necessary. Every dollar I earned went back into the business. Supplies, equipment, basic marketing. Hiring help wasn’t on my radar. I couldn’t justify it or imagine it. Delegation was not an option.

Throughout my career, my ability to balance all these responsibilities became the thread that supported my successes. With each success the threads were intertwined and strengthened. When a new contract was signed, or when positive feedback was received from a customer, I never thought, “If I want more of these things (contracts and clients) then I need to hire support staff.”

No, I thought, “How can I jam even more appointments, meetings or trainings into my schedule?” The successes acted as validation to my less-is-more approach. They represented my ability to manage everything myself. They said to the world that I was capable and crafty enough to manage my financial resources successfully. 

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that a lot of entrepreneurs resist change when things are working well. If your business is growing, and you’re technically managing it all, it’s easy to tell yourself that nothing needs to change.

You start off full of energy, wearing every hat, answering every call, handling every email. For a while, it works. It even feels rewarding. But as your business grows, so do the responsibilities, and eventually something starts to shift.

For me, that shift came slowly. It started with small things. I began dragging my feet when it was time to do payroll for my contractors, putting off tasks like categorizing receipts or sending invoices. I was avoiding those tasks. Still do. I knew I should be out building relationships, meeting with city partners and attending business events, but I was trying to keep it all together.

Even though I was making money, I had no real system for managing it. QuickBooks^®? Yes, but I couldn’t tell you my exact profit margins or forecast cash flow with any certainty. And that nagging sense of disorder? It started to weigh on me.

So, I asked myself a hard question: Is this the best use of my time? 

At first, I thought I needed someone who could do exactly what I did. I quickly realized that wasn’t helpful. My clients wanted to talk to me. The relationships I’d built were still central to the business. That’s where I made the biggest impact.

The better path was hiring someone who could handle the things that ate away at my time but were necessary for the business’s viability. 

I made a list of the necessary tasks for delegation that took most of my time but got pushed to the bottom of my to-do list: booking appointments, doing payroll, staff scheduling and managing supplies.

One of my first hires managed client appointments and staff scheduling. It sounds small, but it gave me back hours each week and, more importantly, the flexibility I needed to focus on growth and partnerships. I also outsourced payroll services, accounting and web design. Eventually, I had someone help with PR. One task at a time, I started scaling through delegation.

Recognizing you need help, and in the right areas, is the first step, but don’t be surprised if during the recruiting and hiring phase you experience missteps.

You might hire the wrong person, find it awkward to explain what you need or lack the ability to give clear, actionable feedback. You might even catch yourself redoing work you asked someone else to do because it wasn’t exactly how you wanted it.

That’s normal. Annoying, but normal. The key is to not let a few bumps in the road stop you from effective hiring and delegation.  

Finding the right fit starts with getting clear on what you want someone to do. Then, write down:

• Every task best suited to delegation
• How much time each task takes
• What skills and experiences are essential for the role
• What success looks like three or six months down the line

Then, when you interview, don’t focus only on technical skills. Soft skills should be front and center as well. Communication, flexibility and emotional intelligence are important in a small business where roles often overlap and a can-do attitude is necessary.

Taking the time to really get to know candidates, involving others in the process if possible, and using structured interviews and assessments can make a huge difference. And trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is.

The subject of entrepreneurship often is glamorized with images or videos that showcase an entrepreneur’s life as completely under control as the powerful person in charge gets to work when they want and how they want.

In reality, the practical stuff must get done.

Deciding if you will offer benefits is not chic, but it is something that every entrepreneur who has an employee will have to consider. If you have fewer than 50 full-time employees, you’re generally not required to provide health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. However, you are required to offer certain benefits, like workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and, in some states, disability insurance. Requirements can vary, so check your state’s laws.

Offering benefits, even basic ones, can be expensive, sometimes adding 30% to 40% to an employee’s base pay. If you’re not ready to offer full benefits, consider starting small and expanding as your business grows.

Tax-wise, hiring employees means dealing with payroll taxes and more administrative work. I hired a service that managed the reporting and payroll taxes. It was worth the peace of mind knowing that I was compliant, and my staff was paid correctly.

Contractors, on the other hand, are simpler from a tax and benefits perspective, but there may be limitations as to what you are and not responsible for. Some states like California have strict rules about who can be considered an independent contractor and who is an employee. 

Letting go is hard. You’ve built this thing. You’ve sacrificed. You’ve stayed up late, worked weekends, made it yours.

Handing off even a piece of it can feel like giving away part of your identity. In my experience, the opposite is often true. By freeing yourself from the tasks that drain you, you can focus on developing your leadership skills and create more opportunities for success.

If you’re already starting to feel stretched thin, don’t wait for burnout. Offload one task by outsourcing. Build one efficiency system. Look into AI to manage repetitive administrative tasks. Have one honest conversation about needing support.

Growth doesn’t come from doing everything. It comes from building something bigger than what you can make alone.

Not sure which task to offload first? Start with a delegation plan.

1. List every task you do in a week.
2. Ask yourself:
   • Which tasks absolutely require me?
   • Which ones could someone else do with some training?
   • Which tasks take me away from my natural strengths?

The goal isn’t to give everything away. You need to stay in the areas in which you have the most impact. The places where your voice, your vision and your relationships make the biggest difference. Everything else? Delegate when you can.

If you’re ready to learn more about what it takes to run a small business, explore Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Certificate at ������ý.

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