There are many reasons why people start their own business but at the top of most people’s list are to be independent and become their own boss. After years of being told what to do by people that may not know as much as you can be pretty draining. So the only way to regain your sanity is to venture out and start doing your own thing.
Now we all know that most businesses fail pretty early, but for the ones that get over the hump, they have something I like to call staying power.
If you’ve had any amount of success as a business owner there has to be some type of drive inside of you that most people can’t understand. You’re willing to work around the clock, give up your social life and do whatever it takes to make sure that your business succeeds. Those are all traits of an entrepreneur. But let me tell you something, those are also the traits of a person that will eventually experience burnout if they’re not careful.
Burnout
Burnout is defined as physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress. No matter how driven you are or how many energy drinks you consume during the day, if you continue to work like crazy you’ll eventually experience burnout.
Now I am not a hater. I respect people that have tremendous drive, I look up to them and I study them and what I’ve found out is that the most successful people have incredible drive but they are also excellent delegators. They have a team of people around them that take care of certain tasks that allow them to focus on what they do best. This is the only way they can avoid getting burned out.
Virtual Assistant
Just hiring people at the drop of a dime sounds great, but the fact of the matter is that most small business owners don’t have endless cash flow and they can’t just hire people when their workload gets heavy, but they can hire a virtual assistant.
As I stated earlier, burnout is inevitable for anyone that’s grinding day in and day out on a Gary Vaynerchuk level as a solopreneur. In the beginning it’s understandable because you’re trying to gain some traction but once you’ve gained it you should get some help. The great thing about hiring a virtual assistant is that they come in all skill sets. They aren’t just data entry women anymore or virtual receptionist. The industry has progressed over the years and now there are virtual assistants out there that offer services ranging from data entry to web coding and everything in between.
Some people are a little reluctant to hire virtual assistants because they like to be hands on with everything. If they can’t have an employee that will come into their office so they can micromanage; then they won’t hire anyone at all. Well I’m here to tell you that that small minded business approach will keep you stagnant. As I stated earlier, the most successful entrepreneurs are great at delegating. Being great at delegating involves being able to trust people to do their jobs while you focus on yours.
Today virtual assistants make it easy for you to see what they can do. A good virtual assistant should have a professional website that explains their services in detail and displays some of their work. A quick Google search and you should be able to find multiple virtual assistants ready and willing to help you take your business to the next level.
One thing to remember is that you get what you pay for. I don’t know of too many situations where the cheapest option is the best option and hiring a virtual assistant is no different. Even if you spend more money to hire a more experienced virtual assistant, you’ll still come out cheaper than hiring an employee because of taxes and the fact that virtual assistants are only paid for time spent on projects.
Make More Money
Now I’m not saying that every solopreneur should hire a virtual assistant. Some people are perfectly fine doing everything themselves and being in 100% control from start to finish. But if your goal is to grow your business there is no smarter move than hiring a virtual assistant.
There will be some business owners out there that see hiring a virtual assistant as an added expense but the ones who will advance the fastest will see it from a different angle. A virtual assistant is a necessity if you plan on spending more time on revenue generating tasks and increasing your income.
Instead of writing blogs and press releases, hire a virtual assistant that specializes in writing. Not only will that time consuming writing task be taken off your plate, but it will probably be done on a higher level because that’s one of the tasks that your virtual assistant specializes in. Don’t spend hours each month posting content on your social media profiles, hire a virtual assistant that specializes in social media to handle it.
In most situations virtual assistants are hired to take care of tasks that don’t directly affect the bottom line, but because many virtual assistants are highly skilled professionals, some small business owners are utilizing their skill sets to help with their sales and other tasks that deal directly with their customers and clients.
Once again, knowing how to delegate can be the key to your long-term success as a business owner. Don’t feel like you have to be the only person that can talk to prospects and clients. Allow your virtual assistant to help you follow up with clients, send emails and close deals.
Conclusion
You may think you can’t afford a virtual assistant right now but the fact is that you can’t afford not to hire a virtual assistant. Every day that you put off finding the right person to help you manage your hectic day, the closer you are to reaching the point of burnout. Don’t wait until you lose your drive,do it now. There is no reason for you to be overworked and stressed out. Your goals are in reach, all you need is someone to take certain tasks off your hand so you can spend more time doing what you envisioned when you started your business. Not sure what you need, no worries, we can help you figure out what to delegate, call us today at 866-874-3647 or complete the contact form located on our website.