The question is, where to start? Here are a few tips to help you narrow it
down:
1. Write a list of
everything you do for your business.
This means everything from purchasing, ordering, paying bills,
invoicing, designing and stamping, to labeling, blogging, marketing and social
media.
2. Take out
everything that you personally love to do. If you are an artist, you might love creating
your piece, blogging about it and then finding avenues to market your piece.
3. Take out any
items that are income producing, i.e. meeting with prospective clients/customers,
designing and making the product, follow up calls, customer service calls, etc.
4. You should be
left with two categories: The things
that you don't like to do, and the things that are non-income producing but still
need to be done.
5. From this last
list, take out anything that you are not able to relinquish control over. For example, I have a client who's email Inbox is her biggest
"time-sucker". It's
overloaded, she has too many emails sitting in her Inbox, not enough folders,
etc. However, she is not willing to hand
over her Inbox to anyone else. As she
says, it's organized chaos, but she knows exactly where everything is.
Complete Steps 1 through 5, and this is the perfect place
to start.
Once you are satisfied with the list of jobs you would
like to outsource, begin your search for a Virtual Assistant. Keep in mind, all VA's will have specialties
and have certain skill sets, so don't be afraid to "shop around", ask
for references, ask to take a look at their work, and interview until you find
one that suits your needs. If that is
too overwhelming or time consuming for you, there are many reputable agencies
that can help you find the perfect VA.
It is important to note that there is a "settling in period"
for both you and the VA, so give it time.
Do what you love, outsource the rest!
Michelle Callipari, Virtual Assistant
MSC Business Solutions
