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Top 5 Steps to Delegate and Automate Your Workload

  • Writer: Leafcutter NZ Team
    Leafcutter NZ Team
  • Sep 6
  • 3 min read

Two people high five at the work desk

Practical tips to free up your time and grow your business


At Leafcutter Business Support, we know many New Zealand business owners, not-for-profits, and social enterprises are doing more than ever - juggling operations, admin, team management, marketing, and compliance… often all at once.


But here’s the good news: you don’t have to do it all.


If you're looking to grow your business, save time, and focus on the work that matters most, these five steps will help you delegate and automate tasks efficiently, so you can get back in your zone of genius.


At Leafcutter, we’re big fans of practical tools that help our clients work smarter, not harder. A few of our favourite business reads include The One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard, The New One-Minute Manager, and The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. These books have inspired the way we think about systems, delegation, and time management, and the steps we share below build on those ideas, tailored for New Zealand businesses and not-for-profits.



1. Establish the Why

Focus on high-impact, high-flow work


Delegating starts with understanding the value of your time. When was the last time you lost track of time because you loved what you were doing? That’s your high-flow zone- often strategic planning, client engagement, or problem-solving.

🔎 Most people spend 80% of their time on tasks that only produce 20% of their results.

If you’re spending hours stuck in admin, emails, or repetitive tasks, it’s time to change that. Delegation frees up space for creativity, impact, and balance - whether that’s growing your income, taking time off, or simply getting through your day without burning out.



2. Spot the Time Wasters

Identify what you can delegate or automate


Try this for one week:

  • Set an hourly reminder and note what you just did

  • Ask: Was that a high-value task?

  • Flag repeat offenders tasks that drain your energy or aren’t worth your hourly rate

  • Ask: Can I delegate or automate this?


This small habit can expose a mountain of wasted time. And once you know what’s holding you back, you can start handing it off.


At Leafcutter, we help our clients regularly audit their workload to identify easy wins for automation and admin outsourcing, saving them hours every week.



3. Do the Math

Your time has real dollar value


Whether you’re a sole trader or managing a team, your time is worth something.

  • If you’re self-employed: Divide your income goal by 2,000 hours (a full-time year). That’s your hourly rate. If you’re earning $100k, your time is worth $50/hr. So if you can delegate something for $25/hr (like bookkeeping or calendar management), you should.

  • If you're growing a team: Train someone in-house or engage a virtual assistant in New Zealand to take over recurring tasks.

  • If you’re just starting out: Estimate your time’s future value and begin delegating accordingly. Start small.


Outsourcing admin, social media, invoicing, or email management can feel like a luxury, but it’s often the smartest investment you can make.



4. Create Repeatable Processes

Set your team up for success with clear instructions


Before you hand something over, record yourself doing the task. Use tools like Loom, Camtasia, or just your phone.

Then:

  • Upload it to a shared drive or platform like Google Workspace or Trello

  • Create a checklist or step-by-step procedure from the video

  • Build a simple library of repeatable systems


This is exactly how we work with clients at Leafcutter. We often help teams develop internal systems that anyone can follow - making onboarding, delegation, and scaling business operations easier and less stressful.



5. Shrink to Start

Perfection is the enemy of progress


You don’t need to hand over an entire SOP on Day 1.

Instead:

  • Ask a VA or contractor to complete the first 20% of a task (like a draft or outline)

  • Review it together

  • Build trust and gradually delegate more


We call this a “progress over perfection” mindset, and it works. Our team supports clients by gradually taking tasks off their plate, while ensuring everything still aligns with their tone, goals, and brand.



Ready to make the shift?


Delegation and automation aren’t just for big businesses, they’re essential for anyone looking to scale sustainably, avoid burnout, and focus on their strengths.


At Leafcutter Business Support, we specialise in helping New Zealand businesses and not-for-profits: outsource admin and HR tasks, automate manual processes, access reliable virtual assistant support, and build better systems to improve productivity.


We offer tailored business support services that help you focus on what you do best, whether you're based in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Rotorua or anywhere in between. From:


📩 Ready to delegate the overwhelm and take back your time?


Let’s chat about how we can support your business to work smarter.

 
 
 

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