What’s the most valuable resource your business has?

Everyone knows the phrase “time is money,” but savvy business owners take that to another level.

Not everyone’s time has the same value. That’s why delegation is one of the most important lessons any leader learns – the earlier, the better. To unlock the full potential of your business though, dive deeper into that idea. As the leader of your business, your time should be the most valuable of all.

No matter how big or small your team, savvy leaders gravitate toward the highest-leverage uses of their time – and leave everything else behind. As a founder, CEO, or both, you’re naturally in a position to make the biggest decisions. The rest of your team facilitates or implements those decisions.

That means every hour of your time not only should be, but must be worth more than that of your consultants, front-line employees, or technical experts – no exceptions.

This can be a tough pill to swallow, even for founders who’ve had tremendous success in the organic growth phase of their business. Business owners, founders especially, are used to embracing the ethos of “wearing many hats.” It can be tough to gauge when that idea goes from a practical necessity to a roadblock.

Marketing is where you should draw the red line.

DIY Marketing Is the Biggest Waste of the Most Valuable Time in Your Enterprise

In the early stages, the founder is the best face for the business.

And your leadership team is the strongest marketing asset you have.

It’s crucial to recognize that phase won’t last forever. Eventually, you reach the limits of organic growth – when it’s time to stop managing relationships personally and shift to a marketing-led approach. And sometimes, you benefit from embracing marketing-led growth even sooner, when your organic trajectory is still strong.

That’s because sooner or later, you’ll face the temptation to do your own marketing.

And DIY marketing is the biggest waste of time in modern business. Full stop.

To do your own marketing, you need to either build your own in-house marketing function or cultivate a team of freelancers you can trust not to drop the ball. It takes months to do the initial hiring for an in-house team – and years for that team to get up to speed. As for freelancers, you might never have a settled roster.

All that micro-managing often leads to a poor product – or no product at all. You miss chances to produce real results for your business while cheapening your time. When we walk them through a breakdown of the hours they spent on DIY marketing, many owners realize they’re losing money in that time, not making it.

That’s a shock, but it can also be a breath of fresh air.

You can have the best of both worlds: Focusing your time on what you do best while marketing brilliantly.

There Is One Alternative to DIY Marketing That Truly Respects Your Precious Time

Sooner or later, you’ll need a cohesive, professionalized marketing function.

The best way to do that and value your time? Hire a marketing agency.

Owners shouldn’t be in the weeds wondering about the latest social media platform, let alone trying to figure out the “right” dimensions for images on all their posts. Step up to a directorial role. A full-service marketing agency delivers strategy and execution under one roof.

All you need is a vision – and your marketing agency partner can help with that, too.

“Done-for-You” Marketing by a Marketing Agency Respects (and Protects) Your Time

When it comes to valuing your time, “done-for-you” marketing is better than DIY:

• You save months or years of opportunity costs associated with an in-house marketing function.
• You eliminate all the setbacks that come with using freelancers, including daily micromanaging.
• You cut out overhead like software, training, hiring, salaries, health insurance, and all the rest.
• You get real results from marketing as soon as the same quarter – not “next year” or “never.”

When a marketing agency advises, facilitates, and executes your marketing plan, you reap the benefits. In the long run, this will always cost your company less than if you’re doing it yourself or babysitting providers whose piecemeal delivery leads to inconsistent results. Just as importantly, you’ll put a premium on your time.

Optimizing the way you allocate your time pays dividends. In the long run, you can save weeks, months, and even years. New York Ave is the marketing agency to get you there. Contact us to find out more or get started today.