4 Signs You Need to Delegate More Work to Your Employees

One thing that small business owners tend to have in common is wanting to do it all and having trouble asking for help. And that's understandable. After all, it's your business at stake. So it makes sense you'd want to be the one to manage the books, pay the credit card bill each month, handle benefits and payroll, and keep tabs on inventory and marketing.

But to be a successful small business owner, you actually need to learn how to get comfortable with the idea of delegating work to others. Here are a few signs that you need to hand out more responsibilities.

1. You're working longer hours than ever

If you're a small business owner, you're probably no stranger to hard work. An early 2023 survey from Patriot Accounting found that 33% of small business owners work at least 50 hours a week, while 25% work more than 60 hours a week. And 70% of small business owners work at least one weekend on a regular basis.

But while it's one thing to work longer hours than the typical employee, it's another thing to find that your hours are increasing over time. If that's the case, perhaps you're not having enough of your employees pitch in and share the load.

2. Your employees have too much downtime

If you have full-time employees on staff, they should really be busy every hour they're on the clock. If your employees have their fair share of downtime, it's a sign you need to give them more things to do. And ideally, that will take some of the stress off of your plate.

3. You're tackling tasks you don't really have the skills for

You may have certain skills you want to utilize. But if you're currently handling tasks you aren't really equipped to manage, then it may be time to turn to those employees who do have the right skills. If you hired a bookkeeper with experience, for example, to oversee your accounts payable and receivables, perhaps that person should be the one keeping tabs on your daily banking and financial activity -- not you.

4. You're so burned out you're ready to quit

It's one thing to have occasional weeks when you're mentally exhausted from all the work you're doing. But it's another thing to feel that way all the time. If you're increasingly falling victim to burnout, to the point where you're contemplating shutting your business down, then it's a sign you're probably doing too much. So before you call it quits, see if spreading out your workload helps.

As a small business owner, it's natural to want to take on a lot of work. But if these signs apply to you, it may be time to start delegating. Remember, the whole reason you hired employees was to get help and not have to do everything yourself. Keep that in mind if you have too much on your plate and need a serious dose of relief.