Why do small businesses resist outsourcing and delegating?
No-one started a business to do admin (unless it’s a business that sells this as a service) and yet most small business owners choose to do work they don’t like and aren’t very good at.
This isn’t because there aren’t talented, capable people available who could take on those duties … so what is it that gets in the way?
In a discussion with Wendy Johnston, a V.A. trainer and provider of business support services, we covered a lot of the issues and what can be done about them.
The main reason for overcoming the barriers is that bringing one or more good V.A.s into your businesses can be a real gamechanger.
Think about how much you earn when you deliver your best work to clients.
In the UK a V.A. typically earns £35 per hour.
If spending this releases you to earn a lot more, that is the best possible reason to get help.
The main light bulb moment for business owners is when they realise that employing more than one V.A. to do specialist tasks is better than expecting one person to be good at everything.
Key Things that V.A.s do
Admin Tasks – phone calls, managing email, processing data, transcribing voice recordings, scheduling appointments, arranging travel, organising meetings, etc.
Tech Support – managing website analytics, blogs, CRMs, mailing list platforms, support with podcasting tech and community building platforms.
Creative Services – content creation for social media, graphics, design work.
Financial Management – bookkeeping, invoicing, credit control, bank reconciliations.
Customer Support – answering queries, processing orders, resolving issues, collecting feedback, responding to reviews.
Personal Assistance – lifestyle support.
What should you outsource?
- Low value, repetitive tasks.
- Things you don’t like, don’t do well or that tie up too much of your time.
- Anything that doesn’t generate income.
- Tasks with set procedures.
Doing these things will make it easier to build a trusted relationship
- Ensure you have exceptionally clear communication.
- Conduct thorough interviews about skill and experience.
- Test skills.
- Check references thoroughly.
- Set clear expectations / don’t overload with tasks.
- Provide training and the right tools for the job.
- Have a signed contract / confidentiality statement / NDA.
- Don’t micromanage.
- Set clear boundaries re working practices.
- Take cultural differences into account.
- Secure your data / passwords etc.
Hiring V.A.s can be a game changer.
Most small businesses stall because they can’t deliver to clients while also marketing and doing all the admin. Too many owners burnout or find they can never really take time off – and this isn’t what they went into business for.
By using V.A.s you are demonstrating that your business doesn’t rely solely on you and this can be attractive to anyone who might be interested in joining your team, investing, or even buying your business!
If you’re hesitating or have questions about how to go about making best use of V.A.s in your business have a chat with Wendy https://wendyjohnstoneltd.co.uk/contact-us/ or just reply to this post and we’ll do our best to help!