I am a huge fan of Do-It-Yourself projects around the house – as a former engineer I love taking things apart and putting them back together – but when it comes to business is it really the best way to go? Let’s talk about some of the common myths and misconceptions about DIY in building your marketing systems.

Is it really cheaper?

In true dollars spent, maybe initially.  But, consider a few factors that may be more impactful than raw dollars spent.

Delay factor: We all know what happens when something becomes a DIY project.  It gets added to the ever-growing To-Do list and gets put off until tomorrow, next week, then next year.  How many potential sales will you lose in that time frame?

Learning Curve: Most entrepreneurs are experts at what they do, not necessarily experts in everything – so taking on DIY projects often includes a HIGH learning curve.  This requires a huge investment of time and energy on your part to be able to attempt the automation yourself.  Even after all of the time and energy spent, you’ll likely have sub-par results because you haven’t spent the 10,000 hours to master the subject.

DIY Actually Costs Money (really, I promise): The most obvious costs here are how much more will it cost to fix mistakes that you created when doing it yourself.  It often takes an expert longer to pick up the pieces and put them back together when they start from a half-baked project that needs to be re-done anyway. Additional expenses, lost sales, and lost profits should all be considered as part of the true DIY costs.

DIY Stress:  Do you really want to deal with the hassle of setting up a complicated pay-failure campaign?  Or a multiple branch marketing campaign with 10 emails per branch?  The hassle of learning how to do it (when you probably don’t have the time) can be huge and harmful to the rest of your business that’s being neglected during your new DIY project.

DIY Distractions: Will this DIY automation project become another distraction for your business?  Was it really the best use of your time or would you be better off delegating it to an expert so you can focus on what your business really needs?

DIY Danger: Are you opening yourself up to major problems by not properly setting up your automation?  By DIY, your automation can have potential minefields that you’ll have to patch up.  Some of these may not be apparent right away, but eventually, you’ll have to deal with them.

DIY Results: How many times have you heard entrepreneurs say, “I tried to do it myself and just ended up hiring an expert.  Only then, did I see any actual results from my X, Y, Z.”  It often takes a professional to get the results you’re shooting for and if you’re going to invest the time and money to automate, you want to be sure you’re getting something in return.

When you tally up the real costs of DIY automation projects, does it really seem worth it?

If you’re wondering how to automate your business, be sure to check out our new Insider’s Kit below!

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