If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. This adage, which may once have been a strategy for success, can be a formula for failure in today’s competitive business environment.

"Delegation is important in any business," says Tyler Dikman, founder of CoolTronics (www.cooltronics.com), a Tampa, FL-based company that repairs computers and sells computer parts to other businesses. "There are only so many hours in a day. You can’t possibly do everything."

Tyler, 18, started coming to that realization soon after opening. Within 18 months of initiating his business, he began hiring employees to do some of the more time-consuming tasks that did not really need his personal attention, such as answering lower priority e-mail, handling phone inquiries, and dealing with shipping and receiving. This allowed him to focus more of his time on fixing computers — the most profitable aspect of his operation.

Tyler has found that, for his business and management style, delegating works best when it’s done on a personal level and for very specific task areas. "I would just sit down with the person and explain ‘these are your responsibilities: to return the calls, set the appointments, etc.,’" he says. Within a short time, employees would often take on other tasks. "A lot of people would take the liberty of doing things on their own." Tyler is happy when employees take extra initiative.

His method has been effective for a business with only 10 employees, although ultimately it could limit his business’ potential for growth. Tyler’s style may have also worked for Elise and Evan Macmillan, co-founders of The Chocolate Farm, until their business boomed.

When The Chocolate Farm, which sells chocolates and chocolate kits worldwide via its Web site (www.thechocolatefarm.com), was featured in People magazine two years after the company was founded, orders began pouring in and the workload became overwhelming. "With this growth spurt, it became clear that we had to delegate much of the production, shipping, and office management responsibilities in order to grow the company," Evan says. "We had to learn how to let go of certain areas of responsibility and trust others to get the job done."

Because Elise, 14, and Evan, 17, now find themselves overseeing as many as 50 full- and part-time employees, they rely on delegation of broader management areas. "We have a small core management team," Elise says. These managers in turn delegate task areas or make specific assignments to the other workers. "For example, we worked directly with our production manager on packaging improvements to our Chocolates By You kits," she explains. "The production manager researched options, reviewed them with us [and other associates], and took responsibility for implementing a more efficient packaging process for other employees to follow."

For the Macmillans, delegating the day-to-day operations of The Chocolate Farm allows them to focus on other aspects of the business. "By delegating day-to-day functions, we now have more time to focus on the company’s future in terms of strategy, marketing, and new product development," Elise notes.

When Tyler moved to California to attend college this year, he added a second CoolTronics location in Santa Clara, CA. "The biggest change in the move from Tampa to Santa Clara is that I could no longer physically oversee how my consultants were doing their jobs as often as I would like," Tyler explains.

Tyler found it necessary to allow his team members to take on wider task areas with greater levels of authority and responsibility, but his adjustment in management style has paid off. "Better delegation has definitely helped increase profits," Tyler says.

Similarly, the Macmillans reached a point where they could not delegate work in small chunks. "By hiring the right people and giving them the authority to make decisions [as well as the accountability for those decisions], we delegate broad areas of responsibility like production and shipping," Elise explains.

Even though all three entrepreneurs are young, none has experienced any backlash from older employees. Perhaps that’s because they made it clear from the start they were serious about business. "You [must lead in a manner that] commands the respect you want," Evan says. "If you appear unsure of your ability to make decisions and act on them, they won’t take you seriously."

It is important both to Tyler and to the Macmillans to have a productive environment that is also a pleasant place to work. Tyler stresses that CoolTronics is a team effort. "I ask people to work with me, not for me," he points out.

Evan agrees that an all-for-one and one-for-all philosophy is best. "It’s not some sort of militaristic, ‘Do this, do that!’" he says. "We are all striving toward common goals." That, it seems, is a key attitude for delegating successfully.