Can you design a Web page yourself? Do you know how to write a press release or ad copy?  These are questions that I pose on the Skills Assessment questionnaire in Chapter One of Dollars and Sense for Writers.

These questions are all about spending money. Whether you should do these things yourself and save the money it would cost to hire someone or spend your time writing and pay someone else to do the work.  For most writers, the answer is a simple one: Do it yourself because there is no ready cash to pay someone else.

I recently had to make such a decision. In order to accomplish a specific marketing task for my business, I need to acquire a new computer skill.  I am capable of reading the Internet and teaching myself. However, that would take a significant investment in time. Happy day, the local high school is offering a 3-hour course.  For a merely $30, I can get the basic training I need in one evening. This was a no-brainer.  Unfortunately, these decisions are not always easy to make.

It is important to consider each investment of time as a monetary outlay.  Your time has value. If you are creating a Web site, you are not writing. And if you are not writing, you are not producing the product that generates income.  Does one investment outweigh the other?

I know outsourcing some of these tasks can be expensive. However, if you comparison shop and use your network, you may find some terrific bargains.  For example, through the local library, a writer friend of mine found a graphic arts student-turned mom to design his book cover.  He is still getting compliments on it years later and he paid a quarter of the going rate.

So when you are about to spend hours doing something yourself, take a moment and consider – is this something I really can do myself or is this something best handed off to someone else? 

Do what is best for your business.  If it is good for your business, it is good for you.