Entrepreneurship is like running a three-minute mile. To make sure you don’t work beyond your capacity and head toward total burnout, hire a personal assistant. A personal assistant is a lifesaver, as it allows you to optimize your personal and professional lives. They will schedule your meetings, take care of arduous tasks, and help you notice important things.
Even if you’re not yet overwhelmed, the heap of mundane tasks prevents you from getting on with the work you want to accomplish. For many, the solution is to hire a virtual personal assistant. They can handle some of your least favourite tasks from the comfort of home.
Here are some examples of tasks that you can outsource to someone working remotely as a personal assistant:
- Personal tasks – Perhaps you need to find a dentist or want to make travel arrangements. A virtual PA can manage your private to-do list. You, on the other hand, can remain organised and productive. A personal assistant, as opposed to an administrative assistant, performs a great many duties for one person – hence the word personal. The demand for such professionals isn’t slowing down, just so you know.
- Inbox management – Shifting through spam, finding the right answers, and keeping tabs on messages is time-consuming. Outsource this task to your personal assistant. Having an unorganised inbox not only leaves people without responses but also damages your reputation. You’ll never miss a message when a virtual PA is on top of your emails.
- Online research – It doesn’t matter if you’re doing research on software that can expand your business’ capacity or want to find out more about a business partner from another culture. A virtual personal assistant can meet your research needs, allowing you to make important decisions for the company.
- Taking phone calls – No other form of business communication is as effective as the phone call. It’s direct, personal, and immediate. Calls are more valuable than ever, so let the virtual PA answer them professionally. You can step away during the weekends, even if you’re not completely separated from the business.
If you want to find a personal assistant that saves you countless hours per week, keep these suggestions in mind.
Identify Areas That Might Need a Boost
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There is a virtual PA for every area in your life or business. Therefore, it’s helpful to understand what areas need improvement so that the personal assistant can be a highly effective contributor. Focus on the things that you enjoy doing, but you’re not so skilled at. Knowing your weaknesses is paramount for working around them.
Maybe you’re not so great when it comes to writing social media posts. After all, writing high-quality content is a challenging undertaking. It will take longer to complete it yourself. And you’ll od it poorly. It would be best to let the virtual personal assistant manage your social media accounts
Instead of trying to overcome your weaknesses, you’d better concentrate on putting your strengths into action. If you actively use your strengths, you’ll be happier and less depressed. It would be helpful to see yourself through the eyes of others. Ask a trusted friend for input. They’ll help you better understand your strengths. As your business continues to grow, you’ll need more daily support. Delegating some tasks can help ease the burden. Find a virtual PA with the right skill set and valuable experience. Trust them to do their job and focus on your primary responsibilities.
Know What Attributes You’re Looking For
Professionalism is what allows the personal assistant to fill out the role to the best of their ability. There are some common qualities that a virtual PA should have. A virtual personal assistant should be a good communicator. They listen to your requests in detail and ask for explanations if they don’t fully comprehend what a task implies. As a good communicator, the virtual PA speaks directly, using clearly understandable language. You can move your business to a new location, region, or country. You don’t have to see your personal assistant face-to-face.
You want someone who won’t abandon you during your highs and lows and can keep up with the pace. You shouldn’t hire based on personality alone, but it’s an important factor to consider. Just think about the cost of replacing a non-performing employee. Skills can be learned, but people can’t change their personalities. Make it clear to the virtual personal assistant that you mean business. They shouldn’t take offence when asked to carry out a daunting task. Let’s not forget about trustworthiness. Trust is developed over time via small actions. Given that the personal assistant will be exposed to some of your deepest secrets, you need someone you can place your confidence in.
Track Down a Personal Assistant
The best way to find a virtual PA is to ask your network for references. If people can’t make any recommendations, post a job opening on LinkedIn. You can also use Facebook business groups to find a new hire. Mention what kinds of tasks you need help with and what type of business you’re running. Better yet, use a virtual personal assistant service.
This is an agency that serves the needs of entrepreneurs and professionals. You don’t have to source the personal assistant yourself. The rates for a virtual PA depend on the type of work undertaken, the speed of completion, and client testimonials. Keep in mind that many don’t work full-time, so you might need additional help.
You can’t learn too many too much about the personal assistant from an interview. This is why it’s recommended to do a trial run. Before committing to a long-term contract, hire a virtual PA for a short period of time.
If things work out, you can work together in the future as well. As a rule, these arrangements last for about 90 days. The trial period can have pros and cons, so understand what you’re getting yourself into. For example, you might find this period particularly stressful. Well, think about this as an opportunity to learn.
