I am a small business owner and, if there is one thing I have learned through the years as an independent business owner, it is to ask for help. I know it can be a hard lesson to learn.

I grew up an independent kid, so it has taken some practice to move away from doing everything myself to identifying those areas where my time, energy, and talent give me the best ROI (return on investment) and where it does not. Doing things you enjoy makes them easier to do. Identifying the things you are avoiding doing? The things you do not enjoy or excel or that tend to frustrate or bore you? Here are a few suggestions where working with a VA (Virtual Assistant) can help your small business.

BUSINESS PLANS

If you do not already have a business plan, it is probably because you either do not know where to begin or it just is not something you are anxious to get done. Good news! There are actually people out there who like writing business plans and are really good at it. (HINT: I am one of them!)

COMMUNICATIONS

It is so true, especially in business, that communication is key. Especially written communication in this digital age. Everyone is connected with a phone or electronic device of some kind and the messages that are being sent and received are written. Whether it is email, social media posts, press releases, or speaking – it starts with writing it down. And if that isn’t something you love to do, it tends to get put off, doesn’t it? Even when it is important. 

MANAGEMENT

Okay, so not management like Office Space ‘Did you get the memo?’, more like project management; someone you can delegate all or part of a project, live or online event, or training to. So you can focus on, well, whatever it is you rather be doing.

OPERATIONS

There are so many moving parts to operating a business. It does not take long for the operations side of the business to take up more and more of your time. Before you know it, it may feel like the business is running you instead of the other way around. A VA is invaluable in tackling the day-to-day operations and processes needed to keep a business moving forward. If you don’t have a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs), a VA can definitely help you get those set up. 

TRAINING

If you are in a stage of growth in your business, then you are probably finding yourself spending a good chunk of time teaching others how to do certain things related to the business. Or you anticipate that you will. This means you will likely be training other contractors or employees and will need the materials to do the training. Again, whether this is a written communication or via video, teleconference, or webinar, those materials still need to be created, maintained, and administered. And unless this is something you really love to do, then it is probably a good idea to hand that off to a VA.

These are just a few suggestions of how working with a VA can help your small business – there are tons of other ways a VA can ‘bee’ beneficial to your business success.

Check out my Small Business Tools for additional resources for your small business.