Are you a small business owner wearing multiple hats, including managing the day-to-day office administration?
You’re in a leadership role, but do you feel you spend most of your time performing tasks that don’t necessarily parlay into new business? It’s like you have one foot on the side of being the leader and the other foot, which is often very heavy, taking care of tasks that someone else could do.
So what do you do when you need help but are not at the point where you can afford to hire an employee? Do these tasks look familiar?
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You answer incoming phone calls that consist of customer/client calls, vendor inquiries or responses, and what drives the business, potential new business calls.
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You schedule business appointments and meetings.
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You manage the logistics and registration for those important seminars and events your company hosts.
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You handle all of the administrative tasks that come with running a daily business.
There are choices, such as using a temp agency, asking a friend for help, or using a reputable virtual services company. The first two options may work for some, but the latter will give you more freedom as you won’t have to manage their team to perform your work as they do that in-house.
The difference between the three options is that the virtual services option allows for flexibility, and they work when you need them, with no required set hours. Yet, they are on standby with fully functional resources, and once they get to know you and your company, it’s so much easier as you won’t need to repeat instructions consistently.
Think of all the things you can do to grow your business, if not mired down in the tasks that don’t require your personal touch. So, you think this sounds good, but how to get started?
When you’re used to juggling so many tasks, it may not be easy to lift your head and plan for better options, but it’s worth it.
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List, in priority order, some of the time-consuming tasks that someone else can do.
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Locate a virtual services firm with a reputation for performing above standards and delivering on promised deadlines. They can review your tasks and give you an estimated cost and turnaround time. You’ll be unsure at first, so start small first and then build on that. A quality firm will walk you through each step and keep you in the loop at all times.
Delegating can be challenging, but once you get accustomed to giving someone else the work, it will become easier. Once you establish a sound system of communicating, you will discover the relationship between you and the virtual services company is invaluable.
You’re in charge of some big decisions for the well-being of your company, and that’s where you should focus. Your customers/clients will notice the change and feel even better about giving you more business. The newfound freedom you’ll have will allow you to focus on your growing business, one step at a time.