September often feels more like a new year than New Year does. It's a perfect time to make a new start with your business and outsource all that admin that's taking up too much time. But if this is the first time you've delegated work it can feel really scary. After all, you've spent time building up your business, you have your own ways of doing things and have high standards that you don't want compromised.
How do you know that the person you outsource to will care as much about your business's reputation as you do, do things the way you like and produce work to your standards?
How do you know that the person you outsource to will care as much about your business's reputation as you do, do things the way you like and produce work to your standards?
The honest truth is…you don't. All outsourcing is a bit of leap into the unknown. But there are guidelines you can use to get you to a place where you can be confident that the admin work you delegate will be in safe hands and won't ruin your business.
It all boils down to three key points:
Do your research
Communicate clearly
Give it time
Research, research, research
Always meet the VA first. You may decide to hire someone you've met via networking - if this is the case then great, you should already have got to know them fairly well and will have a good idea of their work ethic and approach to their business. If you can't meet a VA in person then at least have an online meeting to chat and get a feel for whether they are a good fit for you. A good VA will have done a bit of research and should know at least the basics of your business. They'll probably ask what has led to you feeling overwhelmed, your aims for the business and what you are hoping to achieve by outsourcing your admin as well as more practical things like your preferred communication methods, what tasks you are looking to outsource and what your budget is. They may also ask about your values - they are also looking for a good working relationship and will want to ensure that you are both aligned.
Set expectations
This is where clear communication and setting expectations is really important. Don't be shy, ensure you talk about how you like to work, your preferred ways of communicating, what areas of work you want to hand over and ideally what turnaround times you would like for particular tasks. If you have SOPs or processes you can hand over that's even better. The more information you can impart at the beginning, the easier it will be for the VA to hit the ground running and have a smooth transition. Don't forget to ask about some crucial things including terms and conditions, a cancellation period, how the VA will store passwords and other confidential information, and their contract's data processing clauses. A professional VA will have all these in place and will be happy to share the information with you.
Have a little patience
There is always an introductory period when you first delegate any work. The VA will want to ask lots of questions in order to make sure they are completing work to the required standard and you may have to go back to them and ask for tweaks and changes to be made. Remember that the VA's knowledge of your business and clients won't be as extensive as yours and it will take them some time to get fully up to speed.
It's not uncommon in those first few weeks to feel like delegating is taking more time than if you'd just done the work yourself. This doesn't mean that outsourcing isn't working. No-one expects a new employee to know everything about their job from day one and the self-employed world is no different. Everyone works in their own way and while VAs are experts at adaptation, there is still always a settling-in period.
Your VA should have scheduled in a 6-week review when the contract started for you to discuss how things are going and provide feedback. This is where you can iron out any wrinkles, agree on what's going well and consider if any changes need to be made. By this point you should be feeling the benefits of the extra time you've gained from delegating your admin.
While I freely admit that outsourcing can feel daunting at first, the benefits it brings in terms of time and productivity far outweigh the initial discomfort. If you have done your research, communicated your needs clearly and allowed for the settling-in period, you can build a strong, effective partnership with your VA. This will allow you to work on the core aspects of your business, focusing on growth while the day-to-day gets done smoothly and efficiently in the background - maintaining the high standards you've worked hard to establish. In fact, getting a VA might turn out to be the best thing you ever do!
Helen Leach VA Services specialises in helping small business owners implement and streamline processes and reduce the admin burden. We take on the day-to-day admin enabling you to focus on your business and serve your clients. Get in touch to find out how to take your business from chaos to calm.
It all boils down to three key points:
Do your research
Communicate clearly
Give it time
Research, research, research
Always meet the VA first. You may decide to hire someone you've met via networking - if this is the case then great, you should already have got to know them fairly well and will have a good idea of their work ethic and approach to their business. If you can't meet a VA in person then at least have an online meeting to chat and get a feel for whether they are a good fit for you. A good VA will have done a bit of research and should know at least the basics of your business. They'll probably ask what has led to you feeling overwhelmed, your aims for the business and what you are hoping to achieve by outsourcing your admin as well as more practical things like your preferred communication methods, what tasks you are looking to outsource and what your budget is. They may also ask about your values - they are also looking for a good working relationship and will want to ensure that you are both aligned.
Set expectations
This is where clear communication and setting expectations is really important. Don't be shy, ensure you talk about how you like to work, your preferred ways of communicating, what areas of work you want to hand over and ideally what turnaround times you would like for particular tasks. If you have SOPs or processes you can hand over that's even better. The more information you can impart at the beginning, the easier it will be for the VA to hit the ground running and have a smooth transition. Don't forget to ask about some crucial things including terms and conditions, a cancellation period, how the VA will store passwords and other confidential information, and their contract's data processing clauses. A professional VA will have all these in place and will be happy to share the information with you.
Have a little patience
There is always an introductory period when you first delegate any work. The VA will want to ask lots of questions in order to make sure they are completing work to the required standard and you may have to go back to them and ask for tweaks and changes to be made. Remember that the VA's knowledge of your business and clients won't be as extensive as yours and it will take them some time to get fully up to speed.
It's not uncommon in those first few weeks to feel like delegating is taking more time than if you'd just done the work yourself. This doesn't mean that outsourcing isn't working. No-one expects a new employee to know everything about their job from day one and the self-employed world is no different. Everyone works in their own way and while VAs are experts at adaptation, there is still always a settling-in period.
Your VA should have scheduled in a 6-week review when the contract started for you to discuss how things are going and provide feedback. This is where you can iron out any wrinkles, agree on what's going well and consider if any changes need to be made. By this point you should be feeling the benefits of the extra time you've gained from delegating your admin.
While I freely admit that outsourcing can feel daunting at first, the benefits it brings in terms of time and productivity far outweigh the initial discomfort. If you have done your research, communicated your needs clearly and allowed for the settling-in period, you can build a strong, effective partnership with your VA. This will allow you to work on the core aspects of your business, focusing on growth while the day-to-day gets done smoothly and efficiently in the background - maintaining the high standards you've worked hard to establish. In fact, getting a VA might turn out to be the best thing you ever do!
Helen Leach VA Services specialises in helping small business owners implement and streamline processes and reduce the admin burden. We take on the day-to-day admin enabling you to focus on your business and serve your clients. Get in touch to find out how to take your business from chaos to calm.
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