Running a business can be a full-time job. Not just working with your clients, which should be the full-time part of your work, but doing the day to day running of your business.

What are you doing every day that is not generating revenue for your business? As a business owner, it’s important that your time is spent bringing money and clients into the business. Without clients and money, your business will not survive.

So why are you spending so much time doing things that aren’t making you money?

That’s why it’s important to consider getting help with some of the things that you may be doing that are not the best use of your time.

Getting a Virtual Assistant to help with things like administrative tasks and marketing can free up your time to do just the things that are generating revenue for your business.

But where do you start?

You should begin with your VA wish list. It’s an effective exercise to show you just where your time is going in your business, and gives you a place to identify the most important places you can get some help.

Start on a Monday morning and make a list of literally everything you are doing in your business. It is just a list – so write down each task, each project, each thing you are thinking about or strategizing.

Do this for a full week, one page for each day. You can do it for a whole month if you like, but a week is generally enough time to start showing you things that you are doing every single day that you might be able to get help with.

At the end of the week, analyze the list.

What are the things that you hate doing? Here’s some news for you: there are people who love doing the things you don’t like doing – like bookkeeping, for example. That is definitely one thing you should consider putting at the top of your list for outsourcing.

What are the things that are very time consuming? If you are taking up a lot of time doing something then consider whether you could outsource it. For instance, if writing or scheduling your social media is taking you a long time because you don’t love doing it, that could be a task you could get help with.

What are the things that are repetitive? If you see something coming up on the list every day, consider if it’s a good use of your time. If it is not really something you should be spending your time doing, maybe you should find someone to help you with it. For example, if you are constantly going back and forth with clients to book appointments or answering emails, perhaps working with a VA to free up those parts of your customer service will be beneficial.

The other way you can use the list is to categorize some of the things on it to figure out where you need to get help first. For instance, if you see five things that are all marketing related, maybe you should be looking for help with some of your marketing tasks like social media or your newsletter.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant is a good idea no matter which stage your business is at. Think of your business at its most successful (even if that’s not your current situation) and think about what you would need help with at that stage. Then start working toward that now, or at least putting it into your forecast.

If you are just starting out, consider putting it into your growth plan to allow for hiring support. As you start to work with clients, you will have less time to do the business stuff, so make sure you have a plan.

If you are in a growth phase, it’s definitely the right time to figure out what a VA can help you with. Growth done properly is so much better than growing by working 24/7.

Start your VA wish list today – it’s the smart way to get the help you need sooner!

 

Tracey D’Aviero is VA Coach and Trainer, International Speaker and Author. She is President of the Global Alliance of Virtual Assistants (GAVA) and the Canadian Association of Virtual Assistants (CAVA). Tracey has operated her own business since 1996, and has shifted gears to focus solely on training and supporting other VAs through Your VA Mentor. Her mission is to educate virtual professionals on how to build and grow profitable and sustainable VA businesses with a solid foundation, goal setting that works, and accountability and support.

Whether you want to be a Virtual Assistant, or need to hire a Virtual Assistant, Tracey can help! 

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