It is easy to imagine that what drives serial entrepreneurs is the excitement of launching something new, and watching it grow and become successful. It is a feeling we all experience, perhaps on a smaller scale, whenever we tackle a new project, or start planning something new. What drives us is not the idea of something new, but the idea of the finished product, and therein lies a problem; in only focusing on the idea of the end result, we can easily gloss over what is needed to achieve this.
To be successful, any project requires various steps to be completed in sequence, and according to a set schedule or timeline. Some steps might be quite tedious and tempt you to take shortcuts, and others might require a lot of energy and time, which you don’t always have. When faced with this you could easily decide to scrap the project before you even get started, without considering another option available to you; a Virtual Assistant.
Abandoning a project because you don’t have the required time and energy to commit to it is foolish when, with a bit of careful planning, much of the work can be delegated to a virtual assistant. VAs are professionals, managing their own business, and often with many years of experience and training to support them. This results in someone who can always be relied on to deliver work that is professional and of a high caliber, and who understands the need for deadlines to be adhered to.
Before you hire a virtual assistant, break your project down into all the steps and tasks that need to be completed. Work through this list of tasks and decide which you are able to do, and which you would be willing to delegate to somebody else. The reason for this step is to determine what expertise is required in order to complete them, helping you to hire the correct VA. Many VAs specialize within certain fields, so knowing whether you need someone to do data entry work, research, or even marketing is essential. Once you have hired a virtual assistant and begin assigning tasks to them, ensure that you clearly communicate what is required, and what the deadlines are for each task. Set guidelines with them in terms of feedback; do you require feedback daily, weekly or as each task is completed? And establish parameters for communication – when and how should they contact you.
Hiring a virtual assistant is not as costly as some imagine it to be; they are only work as needed, and they charge an hourly rate sometimes with discounts attached if they are booked for a minimum set of hours each month. With the proper virtual assistant as part of your project team, you will never have to give up on an idea again.
About Out of the Office Virtual Assistance:
At Out of the Office, we are committed to providing earth-friendly administration and offer ideas and ways to increase your productivity, decrease your workload, and work more efficiently. We nurture a successful business relationship, while continuing to grow as your business partner. We are focused on streamlining your administration, social media planning and execution, and offering creative solutions for your business success.
Image credit: StartupStockPhotos | CC0 Public Domain