We all have exceptionally busy lives, right? It seems endless, what with running a business, grappling with life admin, seeing friends and family, and finding personal time for ourselves (good luck with that last one). We know it’s not going to change anytime soon. In fact, we always take on too much, so it might even get worse…
Start your article with a negative, why don’t you Wendy! Don’t worry – I’m about to switch back to default positive, because I have a solution for you: get a VA. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that hiring a VA can have one of the most liberating effects on your business and, therefore, personal life. This is true whether you’re a busy start-up or an established – but frazzled – business owner.
I’ve learnt two important things about my busy clients: 1) Initially, they have no idea how useful a VA can be, and 2) They needed a bit of coaxing into letting go so their VA could do a proper job!
VAs are their most useful when used as a ‘transactional resource’. Think virtual admin support rather than adding another buffer between you and the outside world. An obvious fit is the consultant or coach working on their own. Once they can see beyond ‘manning the phones’, they realise a VA is the start of getting to grips with their business growth problems.
A VA is an assistant in the truest sense of word, the ‘virtual’ bit simply turns them into affordable superheroes. The trick is knowing what a VA can do and what you need doing. If you can identify precisely what you want to offload, pinpoint where the pressure is causing you most pain, we can start the process of creating their unique role.
Then, because we’ve matched the resource with the need, there’s none of that “they can’t do this” or “they won’t be able to do that” kind of obstructive thinking. Instead, we have a plan with Can Do This written all over it. So, now the next stage is learning to let go, to let your VA do their job. The art of delegation takes a bit of time to learn, but it’s a whole lot easier if you trust the process and your VA.
Business-owners are crying out for a VA-shaped solution, that much is obvious. I’m 100% behind you in believing that you can do it all but, only with the right help. Then opportunities for business growth (and starting to make use of that gym membership) suddenly become possible.