I get it. You are a smart business woman. You’re proud of the fact that you’ve worked your butt off to build your business from the ground up, tackling every task that comes your way solely by yourself. You built your website, dove in and learned how to edit and upload videos to YouTube, figured out how and what to blog about, and even created your own community on Facebook.

But that feeling of pride that comes from doing the work yourself comes with a price. Too many mom entrepreneurs are working too many hours, suffering from burnout and frustration—not because they’re not good at what they do, but simply because they’re unwilling to truly invest in their business.

They’re letting a scarcity mindset prevent them from taking the steps—and making the smart business investments—that will have a massive impact on their business. And maybe you are, too. There are 3 smart business investments in particular where you can really save a lot of time, and gain huge headway in your business.

1. Outsourcing for Smart Business

By far the biggest objection to outsourcing you’ll hear is “I can’t afford it.” Perhaps you’ve heard—or even said it. But the fact is, if you’re a serious smart business owner, you can’t afford not to outsource.

The time you free up by not doing those mundane, everyday tasks is time you’ll spend more profitably, by:

• Creating new coaching programs.
• Upping your content marketing game.
• Recording video and audio content.
• Connecting with your audience through email and blogging.
• Working with clients either one on one or in a group setting.
• Or just enjoying your life!

Outsourcing should never be looked at as an expense. In fact, if you’re not getting a return on your outsourcing investment, take a hard look at what you’re outsourcing and to whom, because there is likely plenty of room for improvement. You can start by asking around to other mom entrepreneurs for recommendations for virtual assistants. There is a website upwork.com to look for VA’s that offer many different tasks. You can also look on Fiver.com for just particular tasks that you need done like creating templates to use in your coaching program.

2. Automation for Smart Business

Most online business owners start out using low-cost tools with limited features. For example, you might be using a spreadsheet or pen and paper to keep track of your conversations with prospects. I know I started this way myself and especially drove myself crazy!!

You may be using PayPal exclusively for product sales, and manually adding buyers to your mailing list each time you receive a payment. While that’s an acceptable solution when time is easier to come by but, you’ll quickly outgrow it. The problem is, too many mom entrepreneurs fail to recognize the benefits of true automation.

Not only is trying to “make do” with a pieced-together system costing you sales, but it costs actual dollars, too. You will spend extra time simply getting it all to work, rather than letting the tools do the heavy lifting.

I use an Awesome system to not only keep track of my conversations, but also for email marketing. It is called Convert Ninja. You put in your contacts, and it reminds you when to follow up with them. It also keeps all contact information and notes you add in for each contact. Convert Ninja also can be set to send email series to your current clients or to prospects that have filled out a form on your website. It is pretty amazing! You can check it out here and get a Free 30 day trial: Convert Ninja

Recognize when it’s time to uplevel your marketing tools to include true funnel automation, and watch your income increase dramatically!

3. Coaching for Smart Business

It is possible to build your business solely on your own. You can pay attention to what others are doing and reverse engineer their systems. You can read books and blogs and maybe invest in a few carefully chosen training programs.

But there will come a time when your growth will flat line, and you’ll struggle to reach that next level. That’s when it’s time to invest in a business coach. And yes, even coaches have (and need) coaches. A coach can help you see past your own blind spots, work through the blocks that are holding you back, and build a business you love—on your own terms. I’ve had a couple of amazing business coaches.  I really feel I would not be where I am today without them. There are a ton of business coaches out there so again ask around for referrals. Some business coaches even offer their services as part of joining their team. I personally provide the courses I create to my own team. I also have a great Facebook community you are more than welcome to join for tips, strategies, support, and collaboration. Join here: Moms Mastering Business Community

Don’t be afraid to invest in your business. Smart business investments such as coaching, automation, and outsourcing will pay for themselves many times over. Which one will you start with this week?