Sometimes Solo-Based Business Pros Just Need a Little Help

Why is it so hard for us to get that simple fact? It’s impossible to be the Captain of our own ship when we’re also trying to run the galley, swab the poop deck and shiver the timbers.

I ventured into Virtual Assistant Land a couple of months ago for the first time and it’s been really great. If you’re feeling a little swamped with all of your to-dos and like you’re not getting enough time to be creative, then it’s probably time you start thinking about getting help. But there are a few things that can make it a little smoother.

1. Define really clear tasks. I knew I needed help to get all of the plethora of marketing pieces done, but I had not spelled them out clearly so she was spinning her wheels at first. What my new VA needed was exactly what the task was: Copying and pasting specific event information into different event listing sites. And clearly define how you’d like it done: I needed to supply her with an excel file with all of the sites, my account info for each and the text that I wanted posted.
2. Empower them to do a little themselves. I had gotten so used to doing everything myself – like so many of us that are solo-based – that I hadn’t even realized that I had become territorial. The poor lady was calling every few minutes asking if this was OK or that was all right, until I realized that I hadn’t given her that leeway. I had done a lot of searching for someone that would understand my industry and I was real picky about her being ‘certified’. So it just made sense to trust that she had some good common sense and could make basic decisions herself. Once I realized that much, the rest was really freeing and she began feeling more confident as well.
3. Get it out of your head. A big thing that I learned about myself was how much I keep in my head: Passwords, tactics, plans, strategies, methods of doing things – all that stuff was just crammed into my brain. Of course, it was a challenge for someone else to come in and help. This adventure really taught me to get things down somewhere. Your head has no back up and it becomes easily clogged.
4. Get a fresh perspective. I work hard on my businesses. But it’s all from my unique – rather tilted – point of view. The VA comes from an entirely different background. She was really excited about what I was doing and totally on board, but she had some really different ideas and opened some new avenues of thought that I wasn’t even aware of. For example, she suggested doing a FaceBook ad. I didn’t even know you could do that. She gave me a little tutorial and away we went. Plus since she’s is based in the East (Wisconsin, not India) she knew of all kinds of resources that I wasn’t aware of. Cool.
5. Get used to checking in. Since we’re solo-based, we tend to just run on auto pilot. The VA’s process was to have a short phone call every Monday morning. Mondays – honestly – are not my best days, but the quick check in really did help to set the course for the week. Yes, I was still at the helm but her telling me what she accomplished last week and our review tasks for her for the coming week, got my ducks in a row as well.

If you haven’t yet thought about getting help, whether it’s a VA for admin tasks or a web person for you site, I would really suggest that you put it on the list. I know that it can seem like an expense that you can’t afford, but really you can’t afford not to get some help. I’m not talking hiring someone and putting them on the payroll. I started with five hours a month and it goes in the books as a “Professional Services” expense – no payroll. Even though I started with a really small amount of hours, what she was doing for me in that time usually took me three times longer to do myself. So I could spend that time on doing things that would grow my business faster – and that I really enjoyed more.

If you need a few more reasons for getting help, take a look at what Pat Flynn (you know I love this guy’s blog!) has to say about it in his blog post “What’s Stopping You From Using a Virtual Assistant”. Here are a few tips to help you get things ready for your first venture into getting help:

•    Make a note. As you go through your week, make a note of the piddly like tasks that you’re spending doing that are not directly related to being brilliant – and the time that you’re spending on them. That means things like those repetitive tasks that your dog could do if he had thumbs, sending out info, posting your articles to submission sites, making initial contacts, scheduling meetings, whatever. Write them down.

•    Gather all of the minute details. From passwords to processes, start an operation manual for your business right now. It doesn’t have to be fancy, mine is in a 2-inch binder with dividers. I’m thinking of putting in those slash-pocket dividers so I can just print those directions from websites and and stick them in the pockets. I know some people are using Google Docs to keep their operation manuals in now. That way everyone on their team can access them as they do the tasks assigned to them. They can also update them as they go so that it grows organically. That’s cool. Also, should anything happen to your office you’ve got a backup of your manual in the “cloud” that’s accessible from anywhere on earth.

•    Run the numbers. Take that list above and apply your hourly rate to the time you spent. Realize that a VA very probably will do those tasks quicker because it’s their specialty but if you apply their hourly rate (usually about $40/hour) – is it cheaper to have someone else do it? Realize that the time you spent doing those repetitive tasks can now be spent creating a great product or developing a new lucrative client relationship. Part of being a good Captain, is know where you should be channeling your energy.

•    Open up. You’re good at what you do. But odds are you do not have the time to spend finding better ways to get those admin tasks done. That’s what a VA does. I was shocked at the hints, tips and insight I got from this experience that I use to make my business better. I spend a lot of my time researching resources on how to run your business better as a solo consultant, but I had a real blind side because I’m not terribly interested in administration tasks. But my VA loved that kind of stuff and she had tons of great recommendations.

•    Read 4-Hour Work Week. Not all of the things in this book is practical right now, but the mindsets behind them are a really great way to get you thinking differently about how you spend your time.

If you haven’t thought about getting help and you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, I hope now you’ll give it a try. Start with just 5 hours a month and you’ll be amazed. Promise.