“I NEED SUPPORT BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START”
Knowing when to hire a Virtual Assistant
It’s Friday evening, you’ve had a long week at work, and you walk into your home knowing that you have a weekend of admin to catch up on.
You know you need help, but you don’t know exactly what you need help with.
Or, you know you want assistance with admin that takes most of your time, but you don’t know how to delegate it.
Ask yourself:
- Will I be given back time if I delegate this task to a VA?
- Is the task repetitive and boring?
- Are there are too many tasks to be performed?
- Do I have other high priority tasks to focus on?
- Does the task need a particular skill set to be performed?
If you have answered ‘YES’ to any of these questions, you need to start looking at the benefits of outsourcing.
WHERE SHOULD I START?
So, how do you begin deciding on the tasks that you can outsource vs the ones that you would prefer to do yourself.
- Create a list of everything you do daily and how long you spend doing each task such as checking emails to recording receipts and everything in-between.
- Highlight the list with the tasks you feel comfortable outsourcing. Most importantly, think about the ones that detract from your core business.
- Is time spent researching insurance comparisons really the best use of your time?
- Do you have hundreds of unopened emails clogging your inbox?
- Do you have a box of customer business cards that need inputting on a database?
- Are there several customers that still haven’t paid?
Once you have identified the tasks that you can outsource, you will start to feel a little more in control.
APPOINTING YOUR VA
Starting a relationship with your new VA with clear expectations and communications can lead to a successful and rewarding collaboration. A good friendly working relationship is worth the effort and time. Communicating your vision is paramount as this will lead to you both working towards the same goals.
GIVE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS
Communication with your Virtual Assistant (VA) is vital when you first begin to outsource. To get the best outcome, you need to be clear on what you would like to achieve. Working virtually may mean you need to have several calls to talk through the tasks. Using a shared project tool can help you both keep track of where tasks are up to.
If you wish to have reports or research in a certain layout, font, or format, send examples or advise your VA in advance so they can follow this brief. Receiving data or facts & figures back in an unfamiliar way may leave you feeling frustrated.
Communication at the outset is key. Your VA is there to support you and your business and wants to work in the best way to benefit you.
EVALUATE RESULTS
Having a regular check-in with your VA can help you see how tasks are progressing. You choose how you would like to see the results of the work outsourced. You may like email communication or prefer phone or Zoom calls. Even reports on insights for campaigns, so you can monitor results.
Ongoing reviews of the processes you are using, looking at what is working well, can help you continue a healthy and positive working relationship.
FINALLY….
It’s impossible to be an expert at everything so don’t try to be! Concentrate on the things you are good at and seek help for those where you need support. Outsourcing means you can focus on where your strengths lie. As the saying goes….
Do What You Do Best and Outsource the Rest
Peter Drucker