Twenty-four hours. That is all the time there is in a single day. While it may sound like a lot of time, in truth there’s only so much you can fit into it. Sometimes, it can feel completely inadequate!
This is especially true for small business owners.
Each day brings a whole lot of things to be done and decisions to be made. Whether you work with an actual checklist or a mental to-do list, getting these things accomplished doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve been productive. Working hard is different from working smart. When you do certain tasks, you will obviously neglect other responsibilities. Every work you do involves a trade-off.
The question is, “Are you making the right trade-off?”
There might be some legwork that you shouldn’t be doing and it’s robbing you of your best time of the day. It may even be draining you of your creative juices.
But there is something you can do about that—hire out. Virtual assistants (VAs) help business owners by helping them get their time back. By taking repetitive, boilerplate work off your hands, you get time back. This time can be cashed out, either to work on more important projects or spent relaxing at home!
But how do you know when you need to hire? Here are 5 clues you should look for:
1) You Work For More Than 10 Hours a Day
Small business owners tend to work longer hours than most. You’ll often find yourself taking work you couldn’t fit in during the day home with you long after closing of business. This can often lead to 10-hour (or more!) workdays. One of the biggest culprits is repetitive work such as administrative work, bookkeeping, and responding to emails. Not only is this type of work boring and time-consuming, but it’s also never-ending. The result is a time-poor, overworked business owner.
By handling these repetitive jobs to a virtual assistant, you stand to save considerable time. This translates into less work on your shoulders and more manageable, smarter workdays.
2) You Do Everything—Even When it’s Not Your Thing
As a small business owner, you’ve got it in your mind that you need to be a jack-of-all-trades, competent in everything that occurs in your business. Although that’s admirable, there’s just one problem: you might be out of your wheelhouse. If so, my advice is to step back and let somebody else do it for you.
As VAs perform your non-core activities, you have more time to focus on growing your business. Rather than wasting time and resources in doing day-to-day operations, you can invest it to think strategically about the business from a long-term perspective. This helps you to set goals that guide your company for better performance and long-term success. Sure, you might lose a bit of control. However, the time you get back (not to mention, reduced risk of mistakes) more than makes up for it.
3) The Work is Piling Up
No matter how hard you try, as an entrepreneur, the work never stops. The moment you finish one task, another pops up to take its place. And once you finish that, another two pop up. And it repeats itself over and over.
Sound familiar?
If the tasks keep piling up, it may be time to hire a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants specialize in taking work off your hands. And it’s not just the mundane items. VAs come with many skills and many specialize in everything from finances to travel arrangements.
4. You Need to Improve Organization.
It's often difficult to identify areas where there may be a repetition or glaring gaps in daily operations. Depending on their individual areas of expertise, a VA can help pinpoint inefficiencies and streamline procedures that can help everything run smoother and increase productivity.
While you probably have the skills to do all or most of your administrative and specialized tasks, you should take an inventory of your day and decide what is the best use of your time. When we are stressed or not at optimum energy, our executive and critical thinking skills suffer. It is more important to work smarter and devote your workday to the areas of your business that require your full attention and energy.
Make a Change
When you are ready, there are many resources to help you make the right decision for you. I suggest reaching out to your business networks, such as the Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs, which is filled with those who have been there and can give you advice and recommendations. You can also try working with an agency like Wise Advise + Assist and Instant Teams.
You should approach hiring a VA like any other employee, complete with a detailed job description, interview, references, and a trial period. Do not cut corners—this person will be vital to growing your business.
No matter what your business size, investing in a VA can be a small amount to pay in order to help maintain a stronger work-life balance that benefits both you, your company, and those in your personal life.
Join AMSE today and get all the tools, resources, and community you need to succeed as a milspouse entrepreneur! We also have a Slack channel for members to ask for advice and support, or utilize our member directory in the newest edition of the Military Spouse Entrepreneurship Guide!
Noralee Jones is a MILSO of 12 years, mom of 4, and writer/creator at Mrs. Navy Mama. Having experiences with 7 deployments, 4 PCS moves alone and the author of the Self-Care Guide for MILSOs, she is an expert on the importance of taking the time to focus on filling our bodies, minds, and souls with our individual needs in order to make the most out of our lives. She is also the Co-Author of The Newbie’s Guide to Military Life and focuses on supporting MILSOs through the ups and downs of military life through Mrs. Navy Mama. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
