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Ask HN: How to deploy money effectively to save time and build a business?

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Re: Ask HN: How to deploy money effectively to save time and build a business?

#11

Post by 1oooqooq »

iancmceachern wrote: post #5

Community. You need to build community. Many of the things you list, I've found through making friends in my community. I really really trust my dentist, my mechanic, my doctor, my dog watcher, my vet, my barista, my local small business owners. I know them personally, they trust me and I trust them. It takes time, but if you out effort in, you get 10x out.

this is the difference between a rich serial entrepreneur and an office drone moving to self employment.

you will not have the time while working 16h day to build that.

Re: Ask HN: How to deploy money effectively to save time and build a business?

#12

Post by iancmceachern »

1oooqooq wrote: post #11
iancmceachern wrote: post #5

Community. You need to build community. Many of the things you list, I've found through making friends in my community. I really really trust my dentist, my mechanic, my doctor, my dog watcher, my vet, my barista, my local small business owners. I know them personally, they trust me and I trust them. It takes time, but if you out effort in, you get 10x out.

this is the difference between a rich serial entrepreneur and an office drone moving to self employment. you will not have the time while working 16h day to build that.

I'm the latter...

Re: Ask HN: How to deploy money effectively to save time and build a business?

#14

Post by citizenpaul »

dfex wrote: post #8

Background: I'm a solo operator with a consulting business > * What types of activities, both business and personal, have you found to be effective to pay others to do? When I started out, I undertook all tasks myself. Not just because I was being frugal (which I was), not just because I wanted control over every aspect of the business (I did) but also I was actually interested in getting exposure to areas that were…

>As it turns out, I haven't had a single customer come to me via my website, have still not printed a single business card and have more work than I can handle.

Any chance you could expand a bit on where/how you get work? Is it small jobs from multiple clients? very large jobs from few clients?

Re: Ask HN: How to deploy money effectively to save time and build a business?

#16

Post by iseletsk »

I look at this as optimizing money, time, quality & enjoyment. The "enjoyment" part is an important component.

I hate doing some tasks, and even if they cost more/save me little time, I would still outsource them. For example, I don't like cleaning the house or doing laundry. Making slides look good - I cannot do well or I don't enjoy it, so that would be in the quality/enjoyment category of outsourcing. Some tasks that I enjoy doing or I don't mind doing - and it provides me with a switch in my "work activity" - I would do. Like, I don't mind washing dishes or doing minor home repairs. So, I would do those things and use them as 'rest' from other activities that require thinking, coding, etc.

Re: Ask HN: How to deploy money effectively to save time and build a business?

#17

Post by dfex »

citizenpaul wrote: post #14
dfex wrote: post #8

Background: I'm a solo operator with a consulting business > * What types of activities, both business and personal, have you found to be effective to pay others to do? When I started out, I undertook all tasks myself. Not just because I was being frugal (which I was), not just because I wanted control over every aspect of the business (I did) but also I was actually interested in getting exposure to areas that were…

>As it turns out, I haven't had a single customer come to me via my website, have still not printed a single business card and have more work than I can handle. Any chance you could expand a bit on where/how you get work? Is it small jobs from multiple clients? very large jobs from few clients?

I have a very large project from one client, with another to follow when it is complete, but I also take on smaller jobs from a few clients in parallel. I find bouncing between these a good way to keep motivated and diversify my week.

All of these projects have come from referrals from clients, people I've worked with in the past or friends in the industry.

Re: Ask HN: How to deploy money effectively to save time and build a business?

#18

Post by DANmode »

DANmode wrote: post #10

1. Does this actually need to be done right now? If yes, 2. Is it in my core competencies? If no, 3. Do I have access to someone whose core competency it is , do I trust them with this task enough to not postpone? (Sometimes this takes us back to #1.)

and if I do postpone tasks,

ranked in a hierarchal to-do list app,

synced to myself and my partners in vital categories of my life.

What does, and doesn't make it onto today's list, or is Snoozed/set to appear as a task later, these are wildly important.

If you can't put it on "paper", it's not straight in your head, clear to you.

If these don't seem vital yet, you're either lucky your business is simple, you've already delegated it all - or you're not seeing the whole picture.

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