6 Situations when it might be time to hire a VA
This week my daughter's pony has been poorly, (the dreaded Laminitis flare that all small pony owners fear.) Luckily we caught the signs early and stepped in so the vets are optimistic with lots of planned TLC she will bounce back nicely.
Her sad little face is so heart wrenching, definitely spending more time with cuddles for the poorly pony.
However, caring for a pony on box rest has had an impact on my business productivity. If you run a business as a sole trader it's not always possible to pass tasks to someone else. I joked to my other half that I needed my own VA. In all seriousness though this is a good example of how outsourcing gives you the slack you need to deal with the unexpected.
My experience this week reminded me that, one thing I hear from small business owners is that they don’t know when the right moment is to begin outsourcing. Everyone’s situation is slightly different so there is no rule book on it but here are a few suggestions on points in business when it might be a good time to find a VA so that you can go from overwhelmed to enjoying your business.
When something unexpected happens in your home life
I have touched on this already but if you do find yourself dealing with the unexpected, and its making life a struggle to balance everything you have to do. Consider some temporary support to help you keep your business in good shape for when you're ready to come back to it properly. Most VA’s offer adhoc support. This is a perfect example of when it could be used. In your busy season- So you can focus on your zone of genius I think a lot of people think hiring a VA must be a permanent arrangement. It doesn’t!! We are freelance not employee’s so we come on board for the contract a client arranges with us, however long that maybe. If that means during the summer months when the kids are home, because you have less time available. Maybe for you it would be in winter because you need to maximise the daylight hours and spend as much time outside without losing control of the admin waiting inside for you, that’s fine. As long as the arrangement is clear and there are planned review dates a VA can be there when you need us. You can always come back again at another point if you need help again.
When you need to set up something new that mystifies you.
It’s OK not to know how to do everything yourself, even if other people can it. We all have different skillsets. No one can be good at everything. If you need or want a new element to your business but you don’t know how to do it then outsourcing to someone with those skills helps you. Think about it logically, yes you could spend hours doing it yourself with the help of you tube tutorials and get the job done but is that the best use of your precious time. Could you outsource it to a VA who specialise in what you need, as an adhoc project? They will probably get it done in half the time and give you a clear result that they can train you on, so you won’t be left feeling frazzled by using something new and unsure how it works.
The next few examples are of times when ongoing support from a VA would be more appropriate.
When your business has grown and spinning all those plates has become overwhelming.
Your hard work has paid off and your business is a success but you’re not feeling as happy and proud as you rightly should because your to busy keeping all aspects of your business under control. Now is the time to pause, look at the tasks you do and assess which one needs to be done by you (they are your zone of genius and bring you joy) and which ones you could get someone to do on your behalf. I want to reassure you that getting support by outsourcing tasks is not a sign of failure or not coping. As I think some people worry it is. It’s a smart choice for your business. Tapping into someone else’s specialist skills that differ from yours just means your customers get the best service when they deal with you because you have the time to focus.
Where do the tasks you’re doing fall in this chart?
If the work-life balance has gone is not where you need it.
Running a business can be all consuming. I think it’s fair to say everyone does it to gain a better quality of life in the long run. Similarly, to my last point if work is starting to steal your self-care, or family time assess which tasks that you don’t enjoy doing. If they don’t need to be done by you, outsource them. I know many small business owners struggle to do this because they want to keep their costs down but remember the jobs you don’t like take you longer. If someone else finds them easier they will do them faster it will cost you less than you think and you gain time back! Win Win
You are ready to scale up to the next level
Is it time to take your business one step further? You’re loving what you do and just want to jump a little higher. You know that the basics still need covering so inviting someone on board to help you is a sign of exciting times. You can look forward to the possibilities it presents when you share the work load to make growth possible.
As my face shows making a jump can be daunting but with help its fun too!
Whatever your motivating factor and no matter what level of support you're looking for I am always happy to have a chat about beginning your outsourcing journey, book a free consultation call.
Next month I’m going to talk about how to chose the right VA to fit into your business team.