Owning and operating a scalable business takes a team to fortify the back end, the daily routines, the foundational systems, and processes, let alone the everyday task of social media. After you’ve done it all yourself day after day and you’re ready for a business lifeline, take heed of my client’s advice to other business owners and start-ups. Cultivate the business mindset for growth and profit. You don’t have to go it alone, nor should you.

Humbled and honored by a client’s written word, I’d like to share his opinion about our long-time valued partnership.

Besides transcribing shows Suzie helped organize timelines and tasks for my books, edited and proofed them, served as a sounding board giving much-needed feedback, she found online collaboration tools to help facilitate an easier process, she’s schooled me on social media tools, made introductions to other resources and been an avid cheerleader and friend.

Her role has been a key factor in reaching my goals.

You’re hiring a partner, a coach, an employee, even a boss when you hire the right virtual assistant. If you hire the right virtual assistant, your life is made easier and more productive.

Have you truly got the time to build your business, generate revenue, and manage ALL of the necessary components of your company? Single-handedly?

Take some time to investigate your options for growth. If you haven’t already, write out your goals, both short term, and long term, including action steps and a timeline. List every hat in the company with about how much time you SHOULD invest and DO invest in each. Are there places that are falling between the cracks? Projects or responsibilities that never seem to get finished or even started?

Upon review, are you a superhero with a magic red cape who can do it all and be it all to everyone? Make an honest and sincere assessment of your organization? Can it withstand just one person at the helm or would you benefit from a co-pilot? A little scrutiny goes a long way toward your successful longevity.

If you’re still not sure about delegating, here is another client exchange:

I actually found Suzie from internet/social media, her posts and activity was something we were trying to do so I figured if she could do it for herself she could do it for us. Suzie wasn’t my first attempt at a VA, the 1st one didn’t work out mostly because our styles didn’t fit together.

My personality is that I know what I don’t want more than what I do want ….so people who work with us have to be able to think things thru and come up with solutions. I’m not good at giving detailed specific instructions. I tried Suzie on a couple of ugly projects and she worked thru them, she pushed me when I needed pushing and she made the decisions when she knew she was right.

Suzie could do the specific projects faster than we could do them, get them done on time better than us and all though my cost per hour for Suzie vs some of my employees is much higher, I found that it takes Suzie less time and it takes no supervision from me.

Don’t get hung up on a comparison of hourly costs and don’t think a VA is for the grunt work. Hiring a VA is a way to get another smart person on your staff at a low overall cost.

Delegating allows you to:

• Focus on your core genius: Do what you must do: the tasks and projects that ONLY you can and should be doing. The mainstay of your company.
• Increase your productivity: You can work on more high-level business operations instead of the routine and mundane day to day necessities.
• Eliminate distractions: There are many daily tasks that don’t require your immediate attention. Moving those off of your plate diminishes notifications and multi-tasking.
• Be client/company centric: You have more time to dedicate to building your business structures and relationships.
• Reduce your stress: You’ve got a vested partner working behind the scenes to ensure that everything is efficient, successful, and administered in a timely fashion.
• Bolster your work-life balance: The more you are able to move off of your desk, the more time you gain for your personal life. Nix the nights and weekends.

These are some time-saving and life-saving benefits for the entrepreneur. The gift of time is something we all need more of. If you want to seriously focus on what is important, rather than on what needs to be done, delegating might just be the tool for you.

When you do less, you achieve more.

If you’re ready for a few upgrades in 2015, contact us for a free consultation.