Delegate - Give Yourself More Time, Energy and Money
By: Kim DeYoung
In my last Ezine I spoke about the importance of having a clear vision and letting go of perfection if you really want to move your business forward. Another key element to getting things done is delegating effectively.
I am such a believer in the importance of delegating and having a team of people to support you. I come from the mindset of a mother of three children with so much to do. I know that many of the women within the Metromom community certainly relate to this - you've got a business, you've got children so you're pulled in various directions.
I had a chance to speak with Erin Blaskie, The VA Coach, about how to delegate to a virtual assistant so you can work so much more effectively. A virtual assistant (VA) is someone who assists you with everything, from administrative things to technical things to even personal things. They're "virtual" because they work out of their own office and connect with you online or over the phone instead of working out of your office.
But, do I really need (or can I afford) my own assistant?
Delegating is a way to give yourself more time, more energy and more money. You give yourself more time to focus on the things that generate you income, like product and service creation, sales meetings, client interaction etc. Wherever you're directly earning your income is where you should be focusing, everything else should be delegated out.
You will give yourself more energy because you'll be focused on what you love doing. This will also fuel you since you won't have to spend your time on things that drain you. I know of VAs who hire their own VAs. Maybe their expertise is on internet marketing, so they hire someone to handle their bookkeeping!
The other nice thing about a virtual assistant is that it saves you money - you only pay for the time spent on the actual work. When you hire someone in-house, you usually end up paying them for a half a day or a full day. With a virtual assistant, if you only have two hours of work that week, they'll bill you for two hours.
Here's an extra bonus of working with an experienced VA, you're getting the benefit of what they know. VAs often work with pretty amazing people, and they're able to share their accumulated expertise. I've often been working on something and have said, "I don't know how to solve this." My VA says, "I just did that with so-and-so client. This is what we did to solve that problem." They have an arsenal of amazing resources, which is another huge benefit that's often overlooked.
Tips on delegating effectively
Erin shared some great tips on delegating effectively that I wanted to pass on to you:
Make a list of the things you know you want to delegate out. This will help during the interview process because you'll know what questions to ask.
Track your time for one week. Track everything - whether you're answering emails, with a client etc. Track your billable and non-billable time. This will help you see what is sucking up a lot of your time so you can delegate more effectively.
Communicate your business vision. To make sure you're clear on your vision you can write it out for yourself. Also write out your expectations for yourself and the people who work for you and share it with your team.
Consider your virtual assistants as partners, not employees. That's an important distinction. If you empower your assistants to be a part of your company, you'll see bigger results.
Utilize their expertise. Part of why you're bringing them on board is that they know things that aren't your expertise. They're probably much more up-to-date on administrative and technical things so utilize their expertise in those areas.
If you are running at maximum capacity right now and are frustrated that you can't get it all done, then it's time to seriously consider hiring a VA. Many mom entrepreneurs hold back, thinking it will cost a lot of money. Or you're worried about control and think, "No one will do it quite as well as I do it" or, "I don't want to have to explain that, so I'll just keep it."
Start with baby steps. Delegate out one thing at a time and see how it goes. Before you know it you'll see how it frees up your time and energy and makes you more money. Soon you'll be thinking, "What else can I delegate out?"
More in my next Ezine about how to figure out the series of steps to getting things done! If you want to learn more about the different kinds of virtual assistant there are or how to find someone reliable, download my interview with Erin Blaskie.
About The Author:
Kim DeYoung is the original Metromom-a driven, evolving woman committed to her family, her career and achieving success on her own terms. Also known as the "Get It Done Girl", Kim is the dynamic and creative force behind Metromom.com, a comprehensive resource for the busy mom entrepreneur, providing solutions on marketing, money, mindset and motherhood. Order your own FREE CD - "5 Surprising Secrets Every Mom Entrepreneur Must Know" and learn more at www.metromom.com. To see if you're in fact a Metromom, check out her 3-minute video at http://TheMetroMomMovie.com.
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