“Lisa, I’m in front of my computer all the time. How can I have more time and use my time for revenue-generating activities when there is so much work to do?”

It takes a lot of work to run a business online. There is administrative work, bookkeeping, email marketing and newsletters, social media marketing, website and blog upkeep, product and program creation, product launches, phone calls, and other forms of online and offline marketing, and you need time to work with clients.

If you try to do all of these things yourself, you will drive yourself crazy. There are not enough hours in the day. Not only that, but you will be focusing so much time on trying to get the administrative and techie tasks done that you will be spending no time on revenue-generating activities, and you will not be making very much money. You will be complaining about how busy and broke you are. That doesn’t sound like a very successful plan, does it?

Are you an expert in all of these areas? For most of you, probably not. Do you enjoy doing all of these tasks? For most of you, probably not. Even if you do enjoy doing all of these things, should you be doing them? What is it that you want to do? Do you want to be a coach or do you want to be a Virtual Assistant? If you want to be a coach, you should not be doing the work of a Virtual Assistant.

There are probably tasks that you are spending three-to-four hours on that a Virtual Assistant could get done in one-to-two hours. You can’t bill clients for those three-to-four hours, so you aren’t making any money. Not good.

List #1 – Your Daily Schedule

What are you doing on a daily basis? Where are you spending your time? You need to know this before you can make changes.

1. First, for a minimum of one week, write down everything you do on your computer every day that’s business-related. Keep a list by your computer and write down every task.

2. At the end of the week, go through that list and identify everything that you’re doing that doesn’t HAVE to be done specifically by you. Those are tasks that can be outsourced.

3. Prioritize that list in the order of most important to least important, and make note of which tasks take up larger amounts of your time.

4. Start by delegating the most important and most time-consuming tasks on your list. That gives you a place to start, and you can continue adding the other tasks over time.

List #2 – Your Procrastination List

What tasks have you been putting off, that are just not getting done? Either you don’t want to do them or you don’t know how to do them, and the procrastination is stunting your business growth in some way.

1. Make a list of all the things that you have been putting off or that just aren’t getting done.

2. Identify the tasks that don’t have to be done specifically by you or that you don’t know how to do.

3. Prioritize the list from most important to least important.

4. Pick a reasonable deadline for the top three items on the list. When would you ideally like to see these completed by?

5. Start by delegating the most important tasks on the list and work on getting them checked off or implemented, one at a time.

Choosing the Right Virtual Assistant

Once you know exactly what you need help with, then you can start looking for the right Virtual Assistant for your business. Not all Virtual Assistants have the same experience, not all Virtual Assistants offer the same services, not all Virtual Assistants will have a passion for your particular business niche, and not all Virtual Assistants will be a good fit personality-wise.

Do you need help primarily in bookkeeping, administrative, or techie work? These are just a few general categories that I’m using as an example (you can also break them down more – social media manager, website, etc.). This is important to know. If you need help in all three areas, you may be able to find a competent and knowledgeable Virtual Assistant who offers services in all of these areas. Perfect.

In some cases, you may find that it’s a better option to hire separate Virtual Assistants who specialize in administrative or techie work (or whatever the categories might be), as well as a virtual or local bookkeeper. You don’t have to hire everybody at once. Look at the priorities on your lists and decide where you need the most help first. Start there and add to your team over time. Having a team will take a little bit more time to manage on your part (unless you also hire an online business manager to take on that role of managing, organizing, strategizing, and delegating).

If you’re new to the idea of hiring a Virtual Assistant, keep things as simple as possible starting out. This will make it an easier transition for you. Know what it is you need help with and what items you want to start with. Be prepared to do some research to find the right Virtual Assistant, and don’t be afraid to ask others for referrals.

Most importantly, once you begin to free up your own time, don’t waste it! Get strict with yourself, dedicate that time to revenue-generating activities, and watch your business grow!

Are you ready to get started? Schedule your Complimentary 30-minute Discovery Session to discover if we would work well together: