Top Time-Consuming Tasks Small Business Owners Should Outsource

Running a business means wearing a dozen hats, but not every task needs to be done by you, or even someone in-house.

If your days are eaten up by repetitive, tedious, or low-leverage work, it’s time to outsource. Not only can this free up hours each week, but it also allows you to focus on work that actually moves the business forward.

This post walks through the top time-consuming tasks you can outsource today, and what kind of remote support you need to handle them.

Key Takeaways

• Small business owners waste hours weekly on tasks that can be outsourced easily
• The most time-consuming work is usually low-leverage and repeatable
• Remote freelancers, assistants, and specialists can take this work off your plate
• You don’t need a full-time employee—just the right person for the job

What Is Outsourcing in a Small Business?

Outsourcing is when you hire someone outside your company, often remotely, to handle tasks that don’t require your direct involvement. This could be a freelancer, remote assistant, or specialized contractor.

It’s a smart way to save time, avoid burnout, and skip over-hiring.

A Gallup study found that CEOs with strong delegation skills generate 33 percent more revenue than those who don’t.

Delegating offloadable tasks isn’t optional, it’s essential for building a resilient, scalable business.

What Makes a Task Worth Outsourcing?

If it checks one or more of these boxes, you probably shouldn’t be doing it yourself:

• Takes hours per week
• Requires no strategic input from you
• Can be trained or templatized
• Isn’t a core strength

Think of outsourcing not as a cost, but as buying back your time. These tasks can be outsourced to an employee or a more cost-effective, virtual assistant.

What Are the Most Time-Consuming Tasks Small Business Owners Should Outsource?

1. Calendar and Inbox Management

Reading, sorting, and replying to emails. Booking calls. Managing reminders. These can easily chew up hours.

Who to hire: Remote admin assistant or executive assistant

2. Content Formatting and Uploading

Writing is one thing. Formatting, uploading, and adding images to blog posts is another.

Who to hire: Content VA or freelance blog assistant

3. Social Media Scheduling

You’ve already created the content. Why are you still manually scheduling it?

Who to hire: Social media assistant

4. Customer Support

Answering basic questions, resetting passwords, and managing returns or booking issues shouldn’t be on your plate.

Who to hire: Remote support assistant or customer service VA

5. Data Entry and CRM Updates

CRM cleanup, spreadsheet formatting, and data validation are necessary, but don’t require your time.

Who to hire: Data entry VA or CRM admin

6. Bookkeeping

You should review your financials, not spend hours categorizing expenses or reconciling invoices.

Who to hire: Remote bookkeeper or accounting assistant

7. Video Editing and Repurposing

If content is your growth channel, video editing can suck up time fast. But it’s easy to outsource.

Who to hire: Video editing VA or freelance video editor

Common Tasks to Outsource and Who to Hire

Real Life Example: How Outsourcing Saves Hours Each Week

Let’s say you publish one blog post per week. If you handle everything yourself:

• 30 minutes writing
• 45 minutes formatting and uploading
• 20 minutes finding and resizing images
• 15 minutes scheduling on social platforms

That’s over 1.5 hours per post, not including idea generation or SEO.

Outsource the formatting, uploading, and scheduling, and you instantly save 60+ minutes per week. That’s 4–5 hours a month back to work on higher-impact projects.

Where Can You Outsource These Tasks?

You’ve seen the time drains, now let’s fix them.

Instead of spending weeks hunting on freelance platforms or vetting random applicants, we’ll match you with a trusted, vetted remote professional based on your exact needs.

Whether you need help with admin work, creative production, or systems setup, our done-for-you service connects you with the right assistant.

Best Place to Find & Hire Virtual Assistants

HireTalent.ph

• Hire only pre-screened Filipino professionals with verified skills and backgrounds
• Assign trial tasks to evaluate real work before committing
• Transparent, one-time or subscription pricing with no hidden fees

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know when it’s time to outsource a task?

If a task is recurring, time-consuming, and doesn’t require your expertise, it’s probably a great candidate.

Do I need to hire someone full-time?

Not at all. Most small business owners start with part-time or project-based freelancers or assistants.

Is outsourcing expensive?

It’s usually much cheaper than hiring locally, especially with offshore talent. You’ll often pay $5–$15/hour for highly capable remote help.

Where do I find someone I can trust?

You can search platforms yourself or use a service that matches you with vetted, reliable remote assistants.

What if I’m not sure what to outsource first?

Track your time for one week. Highlight low-leverage tasks. Then delegate just one to test the waters.