Growing a Team: Where do you need support first?
When working with new or potential clients, we get a lot of questions like: “I think I need a virtual assistant, but I'm not sure what they should be doing. I don't know exactly how to best utilize them! There's so many different options, and so many different skill sets, I'm not sure where to start.”
When we get those questions, I go back to some of the training I do for entrepreneurs. Here are some things we work through with our clients to determine what they need first with a virtual assistant, especially if this is the first time that you are looking to delegate tasks to outsource some of the work.
The first question: Are you ready to shift from that hustle and bustle mentality to being a CEO?
If you're a little bit unsure of what I mean or what that really would entail for you, then let's go through it.
Everyone goes through the entrepreneur hustle. We have this idea, we have this service, we have the solution to a problem, or we have this need to help others in some way. It might be in a product, it might be a service, or you have a variety of things to offer.
When we start our business, or whatever that form of entrepreneurship looks like, we are in the hustle mode. We're saving money — or at least, that's what we tell ourselves by doing a lot of it on our own.
There are some natural things that come up that people are very quick to delegate because we didn't go to school for it. If you are not an accountant, you probably delegate those tasks. I know a lot of accountants that even delegate their own accounting work to have fresh eyes on things because it is a checks and balances system.
There are other pieces that you might contract out — like a graphic designer to design your logo or a website developer to build you a brand new site. Lots of different things you will naturally start to delegate out as, as a service to your business. But when you shift from having that outside help and those other businesses help you to build your business, you start to recognize that you're pushing all the buttons, you're doing a lot of things yourself, and you really need to have that internal help.
I always say: The most successful businesses do not have just one employee working alone. They have multiple people helping to grow, to scale, to survive, — to thrive. That's the shift from that hustle and bustle/pushing all the buttons/doing it all mentality — to the CEO mindset that you are one employee in a well-oiled system and company.
Now, as the owner/founder CEO, you also have an obligation to your sanity, your personal space, and to your time. And that means you need help in your business as you are growing. Now, I'm not discounting those of you doing it all yourself, especially in the beginning, if you are slow-growing, or if that's really your preference.
But I really want to caution you to think about this. What would happen if you have to take time off?
It's great to plan a business around vacations and travel, or just a break or sabbatical. But what if life happens, and it was unexpected? That's what happened to me. Luckily I had a team because I was out of commission for a whole month in 2019. All that I could do was check in with them and let my clients know what was happening.
Thank heavens that I have this team! Because I don't know that this business would be here today. That would have been a huge setback for me to completely neglect my clients and to neglect the work that I was doing.
What happens when you have an unexpected surgery or lose a loved one? A lot of us have dealt with this over the past year, and we’ll continue to do so.
What does that shift from the hustle to CEO look like for you? Let's talk about what that looks like.
Who would the first virtual assistant be for you?
First, you want to really determine the most critical role in your business, — what are the things that you do? Of those things, what do you enjoy the most?
What is your zone of genius? What are those things that made you start the business in the first place? Why did you start it, and what are the things that only you can do? You may think that only you could do the marketing and only you can do the sales, but as you grow, peel back those layers and see what it is that you bring to the business. Figure out what lights you up the most — because that will be the thing that sustains you through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
Who already is your support team on this journey, whether it's personal or professional? Who are the people that are supporting you? Is there a way to transition that support to an internal team or a service? A virtual assistant can support your business and help you grow while giving you space for what you enjoy most.
After you have determined what you do — the only thing you can do — then focus on the things that you dread doing, or things you keep putting off because it's not interesting. It's not your zone of genius.
You just don't have time for what I call “the pencil pushing activities” — we have certain things in our mind that we're like, oh, this will take forever. It's just monotonous. It is boring, and it’s necessary, but I just don't want to do it.
I know you, you’re always going to put your clients first. Their needs are going to take precedence over these back-burner tasks. And honestly, some of these things just aren’t worth your time.
You can delegate certain tasks, giving you the chance to do more of what you love, and that's going to fulfill you in different ways.
What are some of the things that are not worth doing for you?
Make a list of all the things you find yourself repeatedly putting off. What are those things that you need in order to grow — is it a new CRM system, an updated website, an email marketing campaign? And now, what are you willing to let go of?
Of all those tasks, what are some you're willing to let go of in order to pursue the things that light you up? What should someone else really do?
Those are the things that I want you to think about. There are so many great virtual assistants VAs) out there whether they're on our Bright Moments team or elsewhere. We all have our own skill sets, and once you have that list of what you really need, what you're looking for, those are the VAs that you want to reach out to you first.
You might be at a loss as to where to find them. That's okay, reach out to us. We have a wide network of virtual assistants, from brand new VAs to folks to more hands-on business managers, who can manage your business for you, and everything in between!
At Bright Moments, we have virtual assistants that specifically work with marketing, copywriting, website maintenance, and SEO. We also have VAs who focus on the more technical side of setting up CRMs.
Now, take your list of potential tasks to delegate and hit up your favorite networking group! Reach out to the people that you know have a virtual system they love, and ask them some questions. Where did you find the person? Are they willing to take on new clients?
There are so many places for a virtual assistant to help you grow your business! We know that we're not the right fit for everyone. However, we always open the door for questions anytime that you want to have a consult about your needs and support you might want us to do.
Contact us with all your questions, and we’ll see if the fit is right for you!