By Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect & co-founder of SnappSales
The moment you learn to embrace the beauty of outsourcing, is the moment your world will change. And for the better, believe me! You only have so many hours in the day and a myriad of tasks to deal with besides being an example to your team, the strategic hub for growth, the face of the company and the decision maker on all things. So, after reading all of that and being reminded what a super human you are, let’s breathe and really take in how outsourcing your admin makes sound business sense.
The benefit of outsourcing admin
By outsourcing your admin you reduce operating costs, staff costs and you get highly qualified expertise. How? Operational costs are reduced because you don’t need to budget for office space, stationery and the like. Outsourced staff means reduction on staff costs like having to cover for sick leave, vacation days and overtime pay. Plus, when you outsource these admin tasks the person handling them will more than likely be better qualified than anyone in-house.
Who do you to outsource your admin to?
I’m a huge advocate of hiring virtual assistants (besides the fact that I run my own VA Agency), I drink my own cool-aid, as the saying goes. So I have my own Virtual Assistant who assists me in making my life easier. You can outsource your admin to VA’s, freelancers, consultants and solopreneurs. Identify exactly what your needs are and then match the tasks with the right skillset.
Where do you find the right help?
We are very privileged that the internet brings worlds closer together! If you’re looking for a custom birthday cake for your child’s party or that perfect evening dress for the theatre, you can google it and find exactly what you’re looking for. The same goes for finding the right person or company to outsource your admin to. One of the best ways to find the right help is to scour the internet and narrow down your search to location, capabilities, price range and so forth. Referrals and word-of-mouth can also work to find the most trusted outsourced help. Speak to colleagues in your industry, fellow business owners and friends, and get their take on hiring outsourced admin assistance and who they would recommend.
What exactly should you outsource?
The golden question! In order to know exactly what to outsource spend a week taking note of absolutely everything you do in the business, from 8am to 5pm for 5 days straight. Take the average number of tasks that take up most of your day and make a shortlist of these tasks that cost you time but don’t necessarily contribute to the bottom line.
Remember you want to outsource admin tasks that are time consuming, and don’t require your expertise. You want to free up time in your day so that you can focus on working within your genius, whether that’s putting a sales strategies in place, improving processes and systems, or building the business’s future vision.
Get comfortable with the idea of outsourcing your admin, it’s going to free up time in your diary and you’ll be grateful for the opportunity to focus your energy on things that you love!
Happy outsourcing!
Karen Wessels is the co-founder and COO of VA Connect, a South African virtual assistant platform that provides outsourced administrative support; and is also the co-founder of SnappSales, a company that generates quality sales leads for its clients. Prior to establishing both her companies, Karen spent over 10 years in different sales, marketing & admin support roles. This experience has equipped her with the invaluable skills required to run her two successful business ventures. Follow Karen on her Personal Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+
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