Starting a Business? A Virtual Assistant Can Help!
I honestly think that one of the bravest things a person can do is start a small business. They have to overcome so many obstacles, even before they take their first official steps. They have to deal with family and friends doubting them. They have to worry about the potential loss of income from their current job. They have to consider the current economic climate and judge if it’s a good time to open a small business. That’s an awful lot to have on your mind! As someone who has gone through it all, trust me, I know how much courage is required!
After you push away the doubts, you then need to start actually figuring out the logistics. Will this be an online-only business or will you have a storefront? Will you rent an office or work out of your home? What is the audience of customers that you will be targeting? So many questions!
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Thankfully, there are answers to all of them. Once you start putting together your business, you might need some help to get everything done. Believe me, there won’t be enough hours in the day to do it entirely by yourself! That’s why a virtual assistant can be a newly-minted small business owner’s best friend. If you feel that you can’t be productive because you have too much on your hands, I can take on all of the busy work so that you can focus on the critical parts of getting your business off the ground!
Here are a few things to think about when you are planning on creating a new small business:
Come Up with a Surefire Idea
What are you passionate about? That’s one of the first things that you need to ask when you are taking your first steps. Chances are that you are tired of doing other people’s work. You might be tired of your chosen career and want to break free to do what you’ve always wanted. As a small business owner, you need to trust your gut and follow your intuition about ideas for your small business. If you instantly feel nervous about an idea, it probably isn’t the right one. If you suddenly feel yourself filled with confidence, chances are you are on the right track.
Figure Out Where You Need Help
Entrepreneurs and small business owners tend to be “take charge” kind of people. We like to feel like we can do everything! But something that you will quickly learn is that, as driven as we are, we can’t be great at everything. Maybe you have a real head for numbers but can’t write a blog for your website. Perhaps your in-person customer service is unparalleled, but your social media management needs a little work. Whenever you discover that you are struggling with something as you set up your small business, write it down. There is a good chance that there are virtual assistants out there who specialize in that exact thing.
Worry About the Bottom Line
As a small business owner myself, I know the first few years can be rough. The adage “You have to spend money to make money?” Yeah, that’s definitely true when you’re starting a small business. You’re always having to watch your bottom line to make sure that you aren’t burning through your company’s funds.
This is one of the biggest reasons why small businesses don’t hire on employees. Employees are expensive, and I’m not just talking about their salaries. You have to think about vacation time, insurance, training, and what if they decide to leave and all of that time and energy spent was for nothing? If you need a “part-time” employee, but can’t afford one, you should take a look at hiring a virtual assistant.
A virtual assistant is hired on a case-by-case basis. You aren’t paying them for 8-hours a day, no matter how productive they are. You’re only paying for the time actually spent working on the projects you hire them for. If you want your website revamped, you aren’t paying a considerable block fee up front. You are only paying for the time it takes to do the rewrite and redesign. This can make for incredible savings versus a part-time employee, really helping you balance your bottom line in the early days and weeks of your business.
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There is one other thing that I want to say to all of the new small business owners out there: Congratulations! You’re about to start on a journey that will change you for the better. There will be stress, there will be triumph, there may be tears, and there should be a heck of a lot of laughter! You were the one who pushed through and created a business. You should be proud of yourself! And as a virtual assistant, I would be proud to help you reach greater levels of success. Just contact me today for a free consultation, and I would be happy to give you some advice about my own experience having opened a small business.
If you need a place to get started, why not download my free Business Planning Workbook? I hope you find it inspiring!
