Why Hiring A Virtual Assistant Should Be Among Your Top To-do’s | Ep 02
Starting your own business? Just pondering the process of building one-up already feels tedious. There are several moving parts to factor in, to manage, - and to account for. As a business owner, the knee-jerk reaction is to do it all--winging it every step of the way as you “fake it til you make it”, so to speak. Many businesses have succeeded via this route, but the truth is, not every business has to go this way.
Dear business owner, you do not have to be subject to the daily tasks and operations of your business. Rather, they should be subject to you. You’ve got some strategizing, creative thinking, and growth planning to do, and you should be able to allocate your highest energy levels to these top priority tasks. In other words, they shouldn’t get whatever energy is left after you’ve done the repetitive tasks of day to day operations.
Ah, but how about the manpower, you ask? If you don’t manage the daily tasks, who will? Well, first things first, hire a Virtual Assistant. Here’s why.
A VA can Virtually be Anywhere, Anytime (pun intended)
Remember when Anne Hathaway played Andrea Sachs, overworked assistant to Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly on the Devil Wears Prada? Scenes of her running up and down New York’s bustling streets, racing from one errand to the next resonated with so many employees who’ve ever had to work for driven goal-oriented bosses. But, fret not, you can stay true to your big goals without worrying about driving your assistant to the ground. A VA can literally complete several different tasks within a shorter period of time without having to leave the comforts of his/her workstation of choice. That’s efficiency in the digital age for you.
You’ve got Enough Hats on, let your VA have a Few
As previously mentioned, you probably tend to be a generalist as a business owner, having to take on many different roles just to get the engine running for your business. That’s admirable on so many levels, but it’s also bound to take its toll on you, whether creatively or strategically. Having a VA onboard means engaging in the services of a specialist, someone who can give you fresh value-adding perspectives and is equipped to handle software, systems, or tasks that you may not necessarily be an expert on yourself (e.g. web design or graphic design). On the other hand, a VA can also do tasks that you’re able to do, but perhaps aren’t high up on your priority list. This is just as helpful! Taking these hats off and passing them on allows you to have the time, the energy, and the headspace needed to keep the more important ones on.
Having a VA Allows you to Work with a Broader ?Context in Mind
While efficiency and specialty are compelling enough, let’s zoom out for a bit and appreciate the bigger picture here. Since VAs are based abroad, they are capable of bringing a bigger context to the table simply by being across the globe from where you are, working against the backdrop of an entirely different culture from your own. Building a relationship and collaborating with a VA allows you to peek into a different market segment altogether. That being said, taking notes from these interactions can provide key insights to engaging a wider target market as you grow your business. The internet is the world’s most accessible bridge after all, and you would do well to invest in being able to communicate with the different people who traverse it.
What challenges have you encountered in your own startup journey?
