As a business owner or executive, you've likely faced moments when it seems like there aren't enough hours in the day to complete everything on your to-do list.
Have you found yourself asking, "Do I need help? Do I need a virtual assistant?" We're here to help you decide.
We've compiled a list of 23 unmistakable signs that you should consider hiring a virtual assistant (VA).
Whether you're struggling to keep up with emails, falling behind on essential tasks, or feeling overwhelmed by the volume of work, our guide will help you identify when and how virtual assistants can benefit your business and allow you to focus on more essential tasks.
It's Okay to Ask For Help From a Virtual Assistant
Some people, especially ambitious entrepreneurs, small business owners, and busy professionals, fall prey to this trap.
It goes something like this: You have a great idea or project that could dramatically impact your business, but you keep putting it off for later.
- You think, “If I work hard and fast enough, I can complete it.”
- You think, “No one can get it done better or faster than I can.”
What usually happens after that is nothing. You keep doing what you are doing, putting things off for later!
News flash!
Sure, you can manage everything independently for a while, but even the best leaders and the most successful businesspeople and entrepreneurs seek help at some point. It’s not only vital for the growth and success of your business, but it’s also essential for a happier and more balanced work life.
As the 17th-century English author John Donne once said, “No Man Is an Island.”
It’s simply common sense to seek help, and most of us understand this. The challenge lies in knowing when, how much, and what type of help will best serve your business needs.
Hiring a full-time employee is sometimes essential, but that’s not always necessary. Bringing on a remote worker as a virtual assistant may be a more effective solution. Most virtual assistants can handle your routine tasks, allowing you to concentrate on the core responsibilities only you can perform.
If you're asking the question, "Do I need a virtual assistant?" read through the signs below and see what resonates with you.
23 Signs You Should Hire a Virtual Assistant
Work-Related Signs!
- You’re overwhelmed with administrative tasks.
- You have big ideas for your business but no one to help you implement them.
- You have exciting projects but no time to do them because you’re too busy running your day-to-day business.
- You regularly work 10, 12, or 16 hours a day to keep up with all your work, but you still feel like you are behind.
- You are bogged down with a million tasks that might be more appropriate for another person.
- You have routine tasks and work-related things to do that you hate doing
- You want to spend more time on your core business.
- You work weekends and nights to keep up with administrative tasks.
- You're spending more than 15 minutes a day scheduling meetings yourself.
You’re Losing Sales And Missing Opportunities
- You are losing sales because you lack an up-to-date client and prospect database. You are too busy to enter the necessary information into your CRM yourself.
- You keep missing deadlines to follow up and missing out on business opportunities.
- You lack the time or resources to increase your marking efforts, build your social profiles, or manage your lead flow.
Your Happiness Or Lack of It
- You are stressed out all the time.
- You want to be more productive instead of putting out fires all day long.
- Your work-life balance is suffering.
Signs You Should Hire A Virtual Assistant Over A Physically Present Assistant
- You have a small budget and can’t afford to pay all the operating costs of hiring a personal assistant, executive assistant, or administrative assistant, not to mention their salary, which can start at around 35K. More if you live in a metropolitan area like the San Francisco Bay Area. (Virtual assistants cost significantly less than a regular employee)
- You don’t have the office space to house a physical employee.
- The work you want to delegate can be done with remote workers.
- You need someone who can wear many hats and is flexible.
- You don’t want the hassle of providing a computer to a worker.
- You don’t want the hassle of dealing with health insurance, benefits, and all that HR stuff.
- You only need someone to help a few hours a day and can’t find anyone local who can afford to work so little.
- You don’t want the hassle of hiring or training a person. Many VAs are trained in special fields and specific software. For instance, one of the many online tools and software that Prialto's virtual assistants are trained to use is Salesforce CRM software.
Read More:
Do You Need a Virtual Assistant?
If you answered yes to just a few of the signs mentioned above, you might want to consider outsourcing work outside your company, finding a virtual assistant, or at least hiring one. If you truly want to move forward, you cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result!
You need a virtual assistant!
The good news is hiring a virtual assistant is much easier than hiring a full-time employee in-house. No daunting HR paperwork to fill out. No month-long time period trying to hire someone. No messy unemployment to deal with. No employee benefits to worry about. Plus, you'll save money over full-time employees.
You can hire a trustworthy, managed virtual assistant service to handle everything for you. Any good virtual assistant service will most likely have many virtual assistants who are ready to get started within a few days.
They really save time and make hiring virtual assistants simple.
Read More: Where to Hire a Virtual Assistant
When to Hire a Virtual Assistant
Okay, you know you need help. But how do you know when it's time to hire a virtual assistant?
Your answer will depend on several factors, and executives and teams of all sizes utilize a VA's skills. Here are some sure signs you need an assistant:
- You're scaling up your company on a budget
- You're spending as much time (or more!) on admin work as you are on your core work
- You're struggling to manage your calendar, inbox, or projects
- You're feeling overwhelmed and burnt out
- You want to streamline your workflows and processes
At the end of the day, any time can be the right time to hire a virtual assistant. As long as you have repeatable tasks you need to tackle, a virtual assistant can help!
Virtual Assistants Make Life Better
Virtual assistants work to make your life easier by taking on essential tasks that are easily delegated but take up too much of your time.
Think of how much time you'll save and the business growth you'll experience by letting your virtual assistant handle time-consuming tasks such as:
- Calendar management
- Data entry
- Answering phone calls
- Social media management
- Preparing documents
- Manage your to-do lists
- Email management
- Travel planning
- and many other tasks
So, instead of asking yourself why you need a virtual assistant, maybe you should ask yourself why not hire a virtual assistant.
Need to hire virtual assistants? With Prialto we are a fully managed service and take care of all of the hiring, training, and managing of your assistants to give you more time in your day without the hassle.
Book a call with us today and let's discuss your virtual assistant needs.