Breaking Up with Busywork: How to Know When It’s Time to Delegate (Calculate what your time is worth)

One of the hardest lessons for entrepreneurs to learn is when to let go.

At first, you probably should do most of the things yourself—because you’re learning how your business works and keeping costs lean. But there comes a point where “doing it all” stops being scrappy and starts being a roadblock.

Here’s how you know it’s time to delegate:

• You’re spending hours on tasks that don’t directly generate revenue.

• You’re constantly behind on the things only you can do—like serving clients or creating offers.

• You’ve missed opportunities because you were too busy fixing a tech issue, editing graphics, or managing admin.

👉 That’s when delegation isn’t just an option—it’s essential.

Step 1: Know What Your Time Is Worth

Before you can decide what to hand off, you need to put a dollar figure on your hours. Take five minutes with this calculator: What Is My Time Worth? .

When you see in black and white that your time is worth, say, $75/hour (or more!), spending half a day tweaking a landing page suddenly doesn’t make sense. That’s a $300 task. Wouldn’t it be smarter to hire someone to do it for $50?

Step 2: Start Small With Delegation

Not ready to commit to a team member yet? Try FancyHands.com . They’re a great way to dip your toe into delegation without a big investment. They charge by 20 min increments (each tasks = 20 min of work) with plans starting as low as 5 tasks a month. You can send them small tasks like research, scheduling, or simple follow-ups—and immediately feel the relief of not doing everything yourself.

This is especially helpful if you’re on a budget but know you need to get some of your time back.

Step 3: Invest in Consistent Support

Once you’re ready for a set amount of reliable help each month, you’ll want to work with a dedicated VA service. One I personally recommend (and use) is 8.8 VA Services  (affiliate link). They provide ongoing support with a set number of hours per month, so you can finally stop drowning in admin and start focusing on growth.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you choose to sign up through them—at no additional cost to you. I only share tools and services I personally use and recommend.

Step 4: Know What to Keep

Delegation doesn’t mean giving away everything. The key is to focus on the tasks that only you can do:

• Coaching clients

• Recording your podcast or video content

• Designing your programs or offers

• Building key relationships

Everything else? If someone else can do it at 80% (or better), it’s time to hand it off.

✨ The bottom line: Don’t wait until you’re burned out to delegate. Start by knowing your worth, then take small steps to free your time. The sooner you do, the faster your business will grow.

Want to know exactly what to focus on once you’ve delegated? Grab my free 90-Day Planning Workbook and create a simple, focused plan for your next 90 days