O.P.T.
February 14, 2026
O.P.T. – Other People’s Time
We’ve all had countless conversations about OPM- Other People’s Money. When we want to buy a property or a business and we don’t have all the money to cover the asking price what do we do? We get a loan from a bank, or we partner with someone who has money, or we find investors to put up the cash. Other people’s money is leverage. We use it all the time. Sometimes we use it more than we should for the wrong things.
When we need money and don’t have it we always find a way to get it. The money supply is infinite (a topic for another article). But there is one resource we all use that is very finite. It’s limited. That resource is time. We cannot make more time. We can rearrange it. We can save time by being more efficient. But we can’t create more of it. But we can use OPT – Other People’s Time. Leverage is leverage. And that includes time.
We Have Alternatives
It’s not at all surprising that 68% of small business owners are experiencing some level of burnout. But what can you do about it? What if you don’t have a group of employees to delegate to? Maybe you can’t afford to hire expensive employees to take over the work. Do you just suck it up and keep grinding? Maybe you can be creative about how you delegate. Here are 3 things to consider when trying to offload some work and get your time back: What work can I offload, who can I give that work to, and how can I pay for it?
1. What work can I offload – start with the things you hate, the things you aren’t good at, and the things that take up the most time with the least amount of return. Are you the one who cleans the office or shop? Are you the one that orders inventory? It doesn’t even have to be tasks in your business. Think about who is mowing your yard and who is cleaning your house. If it’s you I’ve got 2 words for you. Stop it! I pay someone $50 to do our lawn. He comes out with a helper (he’s using that guy’s time) they mow, do the weed eater, and blow the grass away all in 15 minutes. If I did that it would take me more than an hour. And I hate it! Same with house cleaning. Who says you have to be the one to clean your house? Another 1 to 2 hours a week right there. There’s 3 hours a week you could spend being strategic in your business. I bet you could more than pay for those services in 3 hours. And you’re not being lazy. You’re being smart.
2. Who can I give that work to - Virtual assistants. Real assistants. Got kids? Pay them to clean the office or do the yard. You can also delegate to AI for a lot of things. You don’t always have to have an employee. Contract labor is always an option and can also be cheaper. But if you do have employees don’t be afraid to use them.
3. How can I pay for it – the time you get back is now available to use for doing those strategic tasks to grow your business that you never seem to have time for. These are the money making tasks. That time will have a positive effect on your revenue. You can easily free up 5 to 10 hours per week. What would that do for your business? These ideas work even if you’re a solopreneur.
This is nothing new. It’s just that we often don’t consider taking that step. We are afraid of spending the money or of letting go of the task. But it's such a good feeling when you do it!
Remember
Everything we do can be taught to someone else. Everything.
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