To Hire A Virtual Assistant or Not To Hire A Virtual Assistant, That Is the Question (Here's the Answer)
A few years ago, a customer came to me wondering if she really needed a Virtual Assistant. Her business was starting to burst at the seams but she didn’t feel like she was “wealthy” enough to warrant outsourcing anything, not to mention she had no idea what a VA could even do for her business. I gifted her a copy of my weekly tracker where she could track every little thing she did in her business every day. The nice part of the tracker is that it doesn’t just show you what you’re doing every week, it actually helps you to figure out if you need to outsource anything and if so - what. {psst … you get a free copy of this tracker too. Keep reading} What’s the number one reason to hire a VA? It’s to do the things that you just don’t know how to do. If you’re not a graphic designer, you NEED one to do your logo. If your website is going to be filled with videos and you can’t even figure how to turn yours on, you NEED someone to do it for you. There’s other reasons too, like just not having the time. If you’re still running into mental roadblocks to hiring a VA, take a look at these common problems.
PROBLEM #1: I CAN’T AFFORD IT
If you think you can’t afford a VA, but you know you need one, the only thing you can do is fit it into your budget. It’s like a retailer saying they can’t afford to buy stock. It’s kind of a must-have to keep your business running. If you’re just starting out and you can’t afford a VA because you’re bootstrapping, then you may need to find a way to do things yourself until you can afford what you need. There are certainly ways to start and run a business affordably.
PROBLEM #2: I CAN’T LET GO!
No one can do anything as well or as quickly as you can, right? Sure, when you hire a VA there’s going to be a learning period, one where your VA learns your business and your way of doing things. But remember: they're experts and once they nail your nuances, they’re golden. And if you get really lucky, your VA will start to think like you and will be making suggestions before you can even think of them. If you’re totally a Type A personality, start slow. Choose one thing that isn’t essential to your business and give it to your VA.
PROBLEM #3: I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO GIVE MY VA
When you choose your VA, you should choose one who has skills that complement the tasks you plan to give them. (Don’t worry - the tracker is going to help you figure those tasks out.) I’ve taken the liberty to list some (and I stress some) things that a Virtual Assistant may be able to do for you.
- Basic administration - wrangle online calendars or sort voicemail and email
- Build, update, or maintain your website
- Help you choose, build and maintain a newsletter service
- Build sales pages, online stores, and shopping carts
- Rock your social media sites
- Keep track of your affiliate earnings
- Whip your books into shape for your accountant {and maintain them through the year}
- Provide tech support for teleseminars
- Transcribe your audio and video files
But there’s more. So listen up because there are a few reasons NOT to hire a VA.
REASON #1: I REALLY WANT TO LEARN HOW TO ….
If you really want to learn how to use video editing software, then do it! There’s absolutely nothing that says you can’t do something in your business JUST because someone else can do it faster.
REASON #2: I REALLY LOVE DOING …
Do you love reading through your email every day and replying to your hundreds of fans? Keep it up, darling. If it fills you with happiness and pride, there’s nothing in the big book that says you have to keep it up. Oh, and before I forget, here’s a copy of your tracker.
So, do you think you need a VA? Why or why not?