The Art of Successfully Juggling All of Your Business Projects (WITHOUT Dropping the Ball)

As an online entrepreneur, you probably have quite a few projects (or balls) in the air. It’s really important to get your ideas out of your head and organized into doable projects. However, once you’ve organized them and they’re ready to implement, does that mean you have to do all of it yourself?

Because entrepreneurs have such a do-it-yourself spirit, you might be trying to do just that. And in the process, are you finding that the “overwhelm” of tracking everything is raining down on your head?

To help you keep all of your projects in the air, I want to share with you some tools that will help you stay on track and moving forward. The first tool is…

Outsourcing to Virtual Assistants

Because being an online entrepreneur calls for such a wide variety of skills, it doesn’t make sense that one person should tackle them all alone. I know it can be scary to outsource to others – it can feel like you’re losing control of the project. However, what it truly means is that you’ve found someone who can assist you in the tasks that aren’t your area of expertise.

To hand over the chosen tasks, it’s important that you’ve documented your systems, or your way of doing things. That will ensure that you’re outsourcing effectively and not wasting time or money. And then to make sure everyone is on the same page and that nothing is falling through the cracks, I recommend using online management tools…

Management Tools for Online Entrepreneurs

The key is to find a program that fits your budget, your requirements, and your future growth. There are dozens of project management programs available at every price point. Here are two examples to get you started:

A Free Option is Google Docs.

This is part of Google's suite of business management tools. While it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles as far as communication, it provides a basic level of collaboration services, including document sharing, like spreadsheets, text-based documents, drawings, shared folders and so on. It also has the ability to chat when your team is logged in at the same time.

As manager, you can create documents for each project and share with your team of virtual assistants. Google Docs is a great, entry-level solution for small teams that mostly need file sharing and joint access to documents, and don't need a high level of interactivity or flow-chart planning.

A Paid Option I use is Basecamp.

This is the gold standard for online project management. There are a variety of membership levels, so everyone can find something that works. Basecamp provides whiteboards for shared brainstorming, messaging, milestones, and to-do lists for multiple users.

I love Basecamp because it allows me to communicate effectively with my team (and they with each other), and really keep track of all the projects going on within my business. It allows me to create systems and processes one time that can be repeated as necessary.

If you're hesitant to invest in a paid option at first, you might want to start with a free or low-cost option so you can see what features you’ll really use. You can always upgrade later. Remember, you're investing in solutions that help you save time and energy and that means, in the long run, you’re saving money. So any investment you make now will pay off.

To help you get started implementing these new strategies, check out my free report - Outsourcing Effectively So You Can Get More Done. You’ll find great tips that help online entrepreneurs optimize time and money.