Guest Post by: Karen Wessels, co-founder and COO of VA Connect
Hiring a Virtual Assistant is so hot right now it’s trending! But before we get into the nitty-gritty of this business phenomenon, let’s first define what a Virtual Assistant is.
Let’s take Susie for example. She became a Virtual Assistant in 2013 after quitting her corporate job to stay at home and take care of her twin babies. Still wanting to do part time work, she joined the outsourced world. She now works as a contractor or freelancer and with her wealth of expert assistant experience she can command her own rate and working hours.
Most entrepreneurs, and especially startups, realise that they can’t wear all the hats and at the same time accomplish all their milestones. Thanks to a growing global movement and technology improvements, businesspeople are today more comfortable with outsourcing certain tasks so that they can focus on growing their business.
Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the most enthusiastic adopters of virtual assistants, but project teams and some executives in large companies are using them, too. In fact, the VA is rapidly becoming the secret weapon of successful people.
In order to achieve success as an entrepreneur we need to learn to let go – that’s right, say goodbye to perfectionism and that strong desire to want to control everything. I love this quote by Marcus Buckingham that says “Do what you do best, and outsource the rest”. To be successful we need to embrace action, and outsource everything else.
As this phenomenon grows in popularity, the easier it is to clear your diary and truly focus on innovating, increasing your productivity and taking your business to the next level. In fact this trend is so great there’s even been a book written around the idea of outsourcing to Virtual Assistants, namely “The 4-hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss.
You’ll be amazed at the skill level Virtual Assistants have, and don’t forget about their wide network of contacts. VAs are well connected and will certainly add value where possible.
Like anything in life, the more time and attention you invest initially in handing over tasks to your Virtual Assistant, the more benefit you’ll receive.
Karen Wessels is the co-founder and COO of VA Connect, a South African virtual assistant platform that provides outsourced administrative support. Prior to establishing VA Connect, Karen spent over 10 years in different sales, marketing & admin support roles. Having worked with MDs, SMEs and professionals, she is very familiar with managing different workloads within tight deadlines. This has equipped her with the invaluable skills required to run a successful VA business. Follow Karen on Twitter | Facebook | Google+