Soul Proprietor - To V.A. or Not To V.A.

If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard this statement many times: you need a virtual assistant (V.A.) and other hired help if you want to grow your business.

Imagine the hours you would free up if you had:

A cleaning lady to take out your garbage and wash your unmentionables
A virtual assistant (preferably outsourced on the cheap) to open your emails and handle miscellaneous and tedious details
A tech person to keep your site running smooth and bug free
A personal assistant to handle chores such as booking flights and taking your suits to the dry cleaners

That’s a lovely painted picture, right?

But the reality for a lot of soulful business owners is that these things cost money – and finding reliable help is not as easy as it looks.

I’ve heard horror stories from fellow entrepreneurs of assistants losing entire sites, designers missing important deadlines, and cleaning crews with sticky fingers.

Sometimes this hired help comes from reputable companies. Other times, it’s from those outsourcing sites that get you the cheapest labor imaginable (and yes, you do get what you pay for in some cases).

No matter where you find your help, you are taking a risk with your business every time you turn the keys over to an employee. Hiring should be done with the greatest of care and you need to be clear on your expectations from the get-go.

But even the most mindful hiring is no guarantee – nor is hiring help appropriate for every business.

For example, I would never have a V.A. answer my emails. Why? My work is sensitive and I practice strict client confidentiality. I cannot risk having someone read the emails that float into my inbox. That means I have to answer every single one myself. Yes, it’s a lot of work but my client’s privacy is important to me.

That’s the key: before you hire a staff make sure it is a service that you truly need. And then, make sure it’s in your budget so it doesn’t add stress to your already busy life. (My team consists of a fab tech ‘n design gal, a website pampering host, a legal eagle, a graphic artist, and my business BFF: my accountant. I like to operate as a lean, mean machine.)

Not everyone needs a housekeeper or a tech guy. Ignore the people say you must have a staff or your biz will never prosper. Let your business dictate what you need and what is affordable.

Then – hire slow and fire fast.

Blessings!

Theresa