As with any other business, if you’re running a VA business, it pays to get yourself a great VA on board to help. You need to be able to outsource some of the tasks in your business so that you can focus on what you are passionate about and what your clients pay you to do. A great VA can help you with these tasks, plus they can identify other areas that you can cut back on, streamline or hand over to them to gain back even more time.
However, many business owners make the mistake of taking on an amazing VA but outsource all the wrong tasks to them. They end up not getting the best out of the relationship and therefore they don’t necessarily realise the value.
As an expert in this field, it is my opinion that there are some tasks in your business that you should NEVER be tempted to outsource:
- Networking
We all know that one of the keys to business success is the relationships that we build and nurture within our networks. People buy people – don’t put your VA in charge of this. Obviously social media is a great tool to build online networks (and your VA can absolutely help you with this), however, face to face networking is something that needs your time (and presence!). Think Theresa May and Amber Rudd and the PM General Election debate…
- Strategic Planning
Getting a fellow business owner on hand to help to plan, brainstorm, hold you accountable – yes. Determining the direction of your venture – no. As a business owner, you need to be responsible for the ultimate decision making and responsibility for which road you choose to travel. Bring your VA into the mix to assist you with project plans and the like, but draw a line when it comes to defining your strategy.
- Financials
Obviously as a business owner you need to understand the financials in your business. It isn’t uncommon, however, for VAs to be taken on to reconcile transactions, create invoices and, in some cases, do some basic bookkeeping. Unless your VA is registered with HMRC as being compliant with Anti-Money Laundering regulations, you could open a whole can of worms for both your VA and yourself (including hefty fines in some cases!). If you are looking to outsource some of the financial work in your business, ensure you take on a registered VA or an accountant/bookkeeper to help you.
- What you do – your area of expertise
It may seem obvious, but you should never outsource what it is that you say you do. Your products and services are what you are selling to your clients, and the only person who can provide that is you. The benefit of a VA is not to replace your expertise that you sell to your clients, but to give you the freedom to be able to focus on what you are passionate about – what got you into business in the first place!
Outsourcing can be liberating, give you back your time and is an obvious sign of your business success. However, it is important to remember where your business started – it started with you. Your clients chose to work with you and you need to ensure that the personal touch doesn’t vanish completely and that you are still firmly in control of the key driving elements of your business. Use your VA wisely and feel empowered to focus on building the direction and personality of your brand.
If you are ready to outsource some of the areas in your business to a high-performing and fully vetted VA, get in touch to find out how we can help, or visit our Business Owner page to find out about client/va matching.