how to bring on help without having to hire employeesWhen to Know It’s Time to Bring on Some Help

Even the most energetic and organized solo entrepreneur will hit a wall with how much they alone can accomplish.

When your workload is starting to feel like that trash compactor scene in the Star Wars, or you feel like you’re “running out of runway”, it’s time to bring on some help.

Not thrilled or ready to hire employees? No problem. There are many exceptionally talented Virtual Assistants and VA Agencies ready to help. Really, what did we ever do without them?

But deciding which person makes it onto your team can be tricky.

Here’s what you need to know when considering a virtual assistant.

What would I give this person to do??

Make two lists.

  • List A – the tasks that HAVE to be done for your company.
  • List B – what could be ADDED to make your company even better.

Example – you HAVE to pay your bills, but you don’t HAVE to post on social media (yet it would increase prospect activities).

Go through List A and determine

  • which tasks ONLY you can do – mark it with *.
  • Which tasks you LOVE to do – mark it with !

For example, I love to write my marketing content, but I don’t have to be the one to post the blog onto WordPress or format it into Constant Contact.

What’s left? Those tasks that will get done by your new VA.

  • Determine what skills are necessary to do those tasks.
  • Do they need to be proficient in certain software?
  • Must they have a background in a particular industry?

With these discoveries, write job descriptions and go into as much detail as possible. This gives you clear guidelines and questions for when you’re interviewing VA’s.

You may want to stop there and start looking for your new team member to get that stuff off your shoulders. When you’re ready, move on to List B.

Now Find Someone To Make Your Company Even Better

Those items that aren’t getting done at all or on time because they’re not critical to the business.

  • Why aren’t they getting done? Why should they be added?
  • Does it involve a SKILL set you don’t have?
  • Do you have the skill but HATE to do the task?
  • Will the task add to your revenue by helping you increase your clients roster?
  • Will the task help you finetune processes by
    • creating or managing repeatable systems?
    • Improving efficiency and saving time?

Write the job descriptions for those tasks as well, with those discoveries in mind.

When It Comes to Choosing a VA, DON’T Do This:

  • Get stuck with old-fashioned concepts of assistants as people who answer the phones and file your papers. 1965 was a long time ago. Open your mind to many more tasks that these talented folks can do for you.
  • Grab the first person you speak with. There are many folks out there, each with their own talent sets and experience levels.
  • Hire a VA freelancer when a software or automation can do the trick. Save some bucks with a calendar booking software. It’s faster than any human.
  • Expect one VA to handle a complete inventory of tasks. The person who has a graphics background may not be thrilled about plugging into bookkeeping.
  • Use your new person to hide behind your desk – your clients still need a great experience with YOU.

What You Need To Know

There’s a huge difference between an employee and a 1099 contract person and the IRS is only to happy to remind you. In a nutshell:

  • If it makes sense, bring on 2 or 3 VA’s – because of the skill sets needed.
  • You do not own their time. They are employees of their own company, not yours.
  • You can ask about their hours and availability but you cannot command how they spend their hours or what days they are available. You can ask if someone can be available every Tuesday but not demand they change their schedule.
  • You can suggest they follow your company’s process and operating rules but when it comes to performing the specifics of the task, they do it their way.
  • If they want to take vacation days, they can.
  • Remember – they are not your employee – consider them more of an outsourced partner.

What You Need to Know About Starting and Ending the Relationship With Your VA

When you begin, they will likely hand YOU a contract from their company for you to agree with and sign. It’s typical for them to require a weekly or bi-monthly meeting with you to ensure everything is on track. This is a business owner, so you must respect boundaries. You can stop working with someone if it’s not working as expected.

The bottom line is that working with a Virtual Assistant could be the decision that turns things around for your company. I highly recommend this experience, and that you don’t wait too long to start!

How Can I Help You?

If you need help and are reaching decision exhaustion and entrepreneurial loneliness, it may be time for you to enter a supportive group environment. The Clear Path Collaborative provides you with access to the Growth Positioning System, a business strategist, and fellow entrepreneurs who experience what you do and are ready to help each other on a steady path of growth. Running all aspects of a business alone is madness. Even when you have a team working with your clients, the buck stops with you and it’s lonely at the top. A peer advisory board has helped millions of business owners. Here’s how you can benefit as well.