As a Virtual Assistant who specialises in helping people to work more efficiently by allowing them to ‘outsource’ certain tasks to me, I must admit that until recently I had little first-hand experience of relinquishing control over my own day-to-day administrative tasks; I was advising my own customers to ‘work smarter, not harder’, yet insisted on carrying out every single aspect of my own business, despite the fact that my business was growing fast.
A couple of months ago, as I frantically searched for ‘interesting’ and ‘relevant’ content to post to my Business Social Media pages (on the wrong side of midnight), a thought suddenly struck me – what if I was to outsource a few of my own tasks, like Social Media content and scheduling, to an outside agency? I immediately posted a message on to a Virtual Assistant Networking Group I belong to on Facebook, asking for help and advice. Despite our ‘virtual’ and remote nature, Virtual Assistants are a very supportive community and are happy to share their own experiences and make recommendations in order to help a fellow VA in need! Seconds after posting my plea for help, I had a number of Social Media specialists offering to help, many of whom were willing to send through samples of their work so that I could review their content and check that it ‘fit in’ with the kind of tone that was important to my business. After taking a good look at the content and their hourly rates, I decided to go with a Social Media Manager called Gemma who offered the kind of assistance that I was looking for at a reasonable price.
The first few days were a little nerve-wracking, I must admit, but I was given the opportunity to clearly describe the kind of Social Media posts that I was looking for, and Gemma sent across some potential content for me to review prior to posting anything, which was reassuring! I was also able to retain control of my personal information, as Gemma’s Social Media Scheduling Tool allows her to post to my accounts without me having to give her the passwords details – a handy ‘plus’, though I would have entrusted this information to her if required, as I know that as another ‘Virtual Assistant’, Gemma is bound by the same ethical responsibilities for client confidentiality as I am.
The whole experience of outsourcing a small portion of my personal work has been a positive one, and valuable! It’s given me a great insight into the concerns that some of my own clients may have initially before they decide to outsource work to a Virtual Assistant. It has also given me first-hand experience of the positive impact that outsourcing can have! The few hours a week that Gemma spends dealing with my Business Social Media Accounts has given me more precious free time to focus on what I do best – helping other businesses to work more efficiently by assisting with THEIR day-to-day administrative tasks, and to build relationships with new customers. In addition, I also have the time to dedicate to the bits of Social Media Marketing that I really enjoy, like networking on Twitter or sharing interesting content on Facebook when I see something that I think my Facebook friends would enjoy! Outsourcing doesn’t have to mean handing over control completely if you don’t want to, and most VA’s will be happy to fit in with your specific business needs, just as Gemma has done for me!
So what have I learnt from my own ‘outsourcing’ journey? Firstly, that finding the right kind of assistance for your business doesn’t take long! Certainly not as long as it would take to advertise, interview for, and train up a brand new member of staff to assist you (as well as being far cheaper!). The growing population of UK Virtual Assistants means that you should be able to find the perfect Virtual Assistant for your unique business, as every VA has their own specialist skills and experience. When speaking to potential VA’s, don’t be afraid to ask questions – you need to be convinced that they can (and will!) communicate clearly and effectively with you, that they have excellent attention to detail, understand your business, and aren’t afraid to make suggestions or receive constructive feedback from you. These are all important foundations for any successful business relationship, and will help to ensure that the outsourcing process is as smooth as possible for you and your VA.
If you have been considering outsourcing, but are a little wary about the costs involved, it is important to think about the value of your own time and the amount of time that you are ‘wasting’ on tasks that could easily be completed by an external agency. I’ve highlighted this idea in a little graphic below:
So if you are looking to work smarter, I can strongly recommend outsourcing some of your day-to-day administrative tasks – it really can make an incredibly positive difference to your daily working life!
Diary of a Virtual Assistant 