When Should I Partner with a Virtual Assistant?
My experience in the virtual world has shown me there are two primary criteria involved in answering this question:
- Your Budget
- Your Personality
Your Budget
Let’s pretend we live in a perfect world (we shall call this world “Lori Land”!) and assume that, being the good business person you are, you actually have a budget regarding your business expenditures. (Did I just hear a chuckle in the back of the class?) You’ve got to decide if outsourcing to and partnering with a Virtual Assistant is good for your bottom-line.
The best way to do this:
- Determine your hourly billable rate; let’s go with a nice round number of $100 per hour. Adjust this number up or down depending on your business model.
- Guestimate the number of hours you expend per week on the paper-pushing. Here’s a pretty number: 10.
- Multiply 1 X 2. Our example: $1,000.00 per week.
One thousand dollars! That’s a significant amount of hypothetical money you’re losing every week. What could you possibly do with $1,000.00? Update your wardrobe to ensure you look fantastic when meeting with clients and prospects? How about hiring a really good Professional Organizer to swoop in on your home office and finally get you organized? I know! That vacation you promised your family five years ago? Don’t wait another five years… take them away now and enjoy the experience!
My experience also shows me that most solopreneurs need approximately 10 hours a month of Virtual Assistance; some need more, some need fewer hours. Ten hours is a solid base from which to begin determining your outsourcing budget. Also keep in mind that Virtual Assistants do not charge anywhere near $100 per hour (our example above).
Your goal with this budget process is to determine what paper-pushing you can let go of so that you may finally focus on your business, thereby ensuring your business stays in business.
Your Personality
Brutal honesty is the only way to get through this part! Be realistic about your personality type.
If you’re Power Player Pete, Suzy Granola is probably not your best choice in a Virtual Assistant. Partner with someone who will mesh well with your personality and work style.
If you must have your hands on every sheet of paper which flows through your office, you’re better off with an on-site assistant.