There are many time management issues for a small business owner to consider. This article concentrates on the choice between two ways in which additional time management skills and assistance can be secured for a growing business.

In a small business all tasks must be undertaken by a small number of people – often that might be just one person. For example if the one-man business is a small shop selling and repairing electrical goods, the owner would undertake all of the following: serving in the shop, making electrical repairs, stock control and buying items for re-sale, marketing and advertising, bookkeeping, cleaning, record keeping etc etc.

Seldom does the owner have all the skill sets to be comfortable with having to perform all these roles and often not enough time to become fully proficient at everything.

The period of establishing and growing a small business is very demanding and good time management is critical. As the business flourishes, the owner is faced with an ever more difficult problem of time management with growing demands on his time. With little likelihood of becoming excellent in every discipline the small business owner will face the choice of whether to hire staff or outside contractors to do specific jobs.

Hiring staff requires a continuing commitment to training, supervision – and ensuring that the employees make best use of their time; that they develop good time management skills. Hiring staff can provide greater flexibility across various disciplines, but more management involvement. However this improved flexibility can produce synergies and time savings simply not possible without support. Hiring staff also requires the employer to become conversant with a myriad of obligations imposed by employment legislation.

Hiring contractors can be arranged in a number of different ways – with the services bought and the costs stipulated in detail within an agreed contract, subject to agreed intervals of review and further renegotiation or cancellation. A distinct advantage of contracting out services is that - subject to making the correct choice of provider - the contractor is very likely to be much more knowledgeable and skilled than the business owner. A costs saving can often be achieved because the contractor will complete tasks is less time. Furthermore, costs can be fixed or better controlled according to the basis upon which the contract is agreed.

Hiring outside contractors requires a continuing commitment to monitoring standards of delivery. However there is a difference here, with the business owner able to concentrate upon “outputs”, the owner is primarily concerned with results, not the process. One of the problems of time management – how to keep all the balls in the air at the same time – is made much easier to resolve. Greater focus is a great catalyst for accelerated progress. This allows a shift in focus to enable the business owner to concentrate on fewer areas – those of critical importance.

A mix of solutions is often the best way forward. Core tasks are often retained in-house. In our example the business is founded upon selling and repairing electrical goods – and tasks that are directly related to that can be regarded as core. The business owner may want to keep a particularly close eye on these in a way that requires a “hands-on” management style.

Other tasks, such as cleaning, bookkeeping and record keeping are not core, and can be contracted out. In this way staff that are hired to undertake core tasks are not distracted from what they were originally hired to do.

So what is the best choice?

This depends very much upon business profitability and how the owner answers this question - what is the best use of my time? The small business owner should contrast the cost of the services bought in with the potential for increased revenue from freeing time to concentrate on revenue creating activities. Time management is greatly enhanced by maintaining focus on key activities and this should be a major influence in any decision.

Brian Hazell.