Six Hidden Costs of Avoiding Tedious Business Tasks

​Small business owners are no strangers to juggling a million things at once. When time and resources are stretched thin, decisions often come down to what feels most urgent at the moment. This scarcity of time and energy can lead to a mindset where owners feel they have to handle everything themselves or risk things slipping through the cracks. Unfortunately, this mentality can result in key tasks being delayed or avoided altogether—costing businesses money in the long run.

Operating with limited bandwidth, many business owners struggle to keep up with important but tedious tasks like website maintenance, invoicing, or customer follow-ups. The irony is, when these tasks are left undone, they often create bottlenecks that slow down growth and increase costs. That’s where getting the right help at the right time becomes a game-changer. By delegating essential but time-consuming responsibilities, business owners can free up their schedules to focus on higher-level strategies—allowing them to grow their businesses and avoid the hidden costs of neglect.

​Let’s explore some common areas where procrastination costs you money, and the actions you can take to stay ahead of these issues.

1. Keeping your Website up to Date

Your website is your storefront, and if it’s not optimized for search engines or isn’t regularly maintained, potential clients won’t be able to find you. It’s easy to let SEO and updates slip through the cracks, especially if you’re juggling multiple responsibilities.

How is this costing you money?
When your website is outdated or doesn’t rank well on search engines, you lose visibility. Fewer potential clients are finding your business, which means lost revenue opportunities. Additionally, a poorly maintained website can create a negative first impression, driving customers to competitors who seem more polished.​​

​What can you do to fix it?
Assess your website’s current SEO and performance using tools like Google Analytics or Google Search Console. Regularly update your content, ensure page load speeds are optimized, and repair broken links. If this feels outside your skill set, consider outsourcing these tasks to a professional or a part-time specialist who can handle it efficiently, ensuring your site is always client-ready.

2. Feeding the Marketing Machine

Creating consistent, high-quality content is essential for keeping your brand visible and engaging. However, content creation is time-consuming, and many business owners struggle to maintain a steady flow of blog posts, social media updates, and newsletters.

How is this costing you money?
Without fresh content, your marketing efforts stall. This leads to a drop in customer engagement, fewer opportunities for lead generation, and ultimately, lost revenue. When your marketing goes quiet, so does your ability to attract and retain clients.
​
What can you do to fix it?
Create a content calendar to plan ahead and ensure a steady stream of material. If creating content is too time-consuming, hire temporary help to handle blog posts, social media, or newsletters. By delegating, you free up time to focus on strategic growth, while still feeding the marketing machine that draws in business.

3. Finding the Right Vendor and/or Service Provider

Working with external vendors is part of running a business, but managing relationships with web developers, graphic designers, or IT professionals can be tricky. It’s hard to know if you’re getting good value, and vetting multiple vendors is time-consuming.

How is this costing you money?
Spending too much time managing these relationships pulls you away from the core operations of your business. Worse, if you’re not getting the best value from a vendor, you could be overpaying or not receiving the quality of service you need, which can hurt your bottom line.
​
What can you do to fix it?
Periodically review vendor contracts and service quality to ensure you’re getting the best return on investment. If vendor management is eating up too much time, delegate this task to someone on your team or hire outside help to vet and manage service providers. This keeps your focus on growth, while still ensuring you’re getting top-quality service at the right price.

4. Collecting Late Payments

Following up on unpaid invoices can be uncomfortable and time-consuming. Many business owners avoid it, but delaying collections can lead to bigger problems with cash flow.

How is this costing you money?
When invoices aren’t paid on time, your business experiences cash flow interruptions. This lack of liquidity limits your ability to invest in growth, pay bills on time, or cover unexpected expenses. The longer an invoice goes unpaid, the harder it becomes to collect.
​
What can you do to fix it?
Implement an automated invoicing system that sends out reminders before and after the due date. If needed, delegate collections to a team member or hire an external service to handle the follow-ups. By automating or outsourcing this task, you can maintain healthy cash flow and avoid uncomfortable client conversations.

5. Delaying Necessary Technology Updates

Small businesses often lack a dedicated IT person. When tech issues arise—whether it’s a website going down, needing software updates, or managing cybersecurity—those issues often linger, causing operational delays.

How is this costing you money?
When tech problems are ignored, your business may experience downtime or inefficiencies, resulting in lost revenue. Additionally, outdated technology or unresolved issues can expose your business to cybersecurity risks, which can be far more costly in the long run.
​
What can you do to fix it?
Develop a basic IT support plan by creating a list of common issues and identifying resources for troubleshooting. Partner with a managed service provider (MSP) or hire fractional IT support to resolve more complex problems quickly. By addressing tech issues promptly, you minimize downtime and protect your business from potential cybersecurity threats.

6. Neglecting Client Communication

​Providing timely and effective customer service is crucial for maintaining relationships with your clients. However, when you're swamped, client communication can fall to the bottom of your to-do list.

How is this costing you money?
When clients feel neglected—whether through delayed responses or unanswered queries—they're more likely to take their business elsewhere. Poor customer service can damage your reputation, lead to negative reviews, and result in lost future business.
​
What can you do to fix it?
Set up systems for client follow-up and communication, such as automated email responses or a CRM to manage customer interactions. If necessary, assign a team member to handle customer service, or outsource this function to ensure no inquiries fall through the cracks. Satisfied customers are more likely to return and recommend your business to others, increasing your long-term profitability.

Maximize the Impact of Every Team Member’s Time

​When you’re running a lean or small team, every hour of every team member is critical. The reality is, time spent on tedious but necessary tasks like invoicing, SEO updates, or vendor management can take your most valuable people away from high-impact work that drives growth. If you don’t have the in-house resources to manage these tasks, it might be time to consider augmenting your team with a virtual assistant or fractional IT help.

By bringing in external support, you can ease the burden of these time-consuming tasks and allow your team to focus on what they do best—whether that’s acquiring new clients, delivering top-notch service, or growing your business. Virtual assistants and fractional IT professionals can handle everything from daily administrative duties to managing technical issues, freeing up your core team to work on strategic initiatives.

​The investment in outside help often pays for itself by reducing operational inefficiencies, increasing productivity, and improving customer satisfaction. Whether it’s expanding your client base or cutting unnecessary costs, the right external support can provide the ROI you need to justify the expense—and help your business thrive in the process.

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Laura Moynihan

Laura is a state certified teacher, professional Mac/Apple user for over 25 years, and has been helping people with technology professionally since 2015. She specializes in helping people of all abilities become more efficient with the technology they use every day. In her free time, she loves mushroom hunting, playing pickleball, and serving the many needs of her three cats.

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