If you feel you may need assistance “soon” but are not quite ready yet what are the steps you can put in place to start the outsourcing process?
A VA is best not taken on board when you are completely stretched, and you are perhaps starting to drop the ball on occasion. If you leave it to this point not only will you find it difficult to hand over tasks fully and with accuracy, you also run the risk of not handing over things in a clear manner which could impact your client work i.e. missed onboarding steps as the VA has not been told exactly what you do to prep for a new client.
Not hiring a VA keeps you “stuck” and in the same position – we all have a certain capacity of hours and if you have maxed yours out where is the room for growth to come from? Sometimes having a little breathing space in your business can work wonders.
The best way to have a smooth start to working with a VA is to establish where you need help.
Note all the tasks you complete each day for 5 days. Think general, not specific at this stage i.e. answer client emails, respond to client enquiries, respond to Facebook posts in Facebook group, update CRM, draft newsletter, schedule content, upload course videos, book a restaurant, research flight prices… note how much time each task takes.
Review the tasks and see which could be outsourced to a VA. Don’t immediately dismiss something as it may require training! Think how much time it will save you long term. Focus on tasks that are not generating your income or tasks that you hate. Perhaps there are even tasks someone else could do better than you in less time!
Having your own business is hard. What’s harder is working as an employee in a business that’s not right for you. Being clear on why you are working towards your goals can help you get through difficult days. Maybe that’s more family time maybe it’s flexibility, maybe it’s Fridays off. However big or small your why is remember it on those terrible days where you want to give up! Look at your why – are the tasks you are doing leading towards a business that sustains you and can grow? If not why not? No doubt the answer is “I don’t have time” if so think about that “Why” and how a VA can walk with you towards it.
Whilst a VA can definitely help you implement systems, having some consistency and regularity in your business can really help when onboarding your team. If you work out pricing on the fly, don’t have a set process your clients run through or keep everything in your head how can you expect someone to work with that? Start putting those small areas of organisation in place and your VA can then help you tighten up on the processes and implement SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures). If you are thinking “well I don’t need SOPs” I’m not going to grow that much!” Stop. Who knows where you could be in a year. Perhaps you may hire a social media VA, maybe you decide to launch a new service and need a funnel or process bedding in and hire a tech specialist. It’s always the right time to systemise your business.
So don’t “feel the fear” when hiring a VA, get prepared and then get hiring! If you’re interested in a step by step guide to Outsourcing and Hiring a VA download my guide Outsourcing Guide.