How A Virtual Assistant Can Save You 10 Hours Per Week (or more!)

One thing I consistently hear from clients is that there is a huge discrepancy between the amount of time they spend trying to do the work on their own and the amount of time it takes me to complete a number of things for them. One in particular called it magic.

Sadly virtual assistants don't have magic time wands that make tasks go quicker. However there are several reasons I think that it takes them less time than it might take the business owner.

1. Virtual assistants focus on getting things done, not on getting things perfect.

As someone who owns a business, I am constantly fighting my own sense of perfectionism. I need everything I put out on social media, every blog I write, every webpage I create to be PERFECT. No mistakes, no typos, no unflattering pictures. Getting started and putting everything out there was a struggle because I had to be okay with the knowledge that someone might find a typo (they did!) or that someone might judge the work I put out there as not to their standard (they haven't said anything, but I'm certain this happened, too!).

It's horrifying. And if I think about it for too long, it can quickly become paralyzing.

But that's why I think having a virtual assistant can be an incredible help to business owners. It lifts the burden of perfectionism that we place on ourselves. When someone else completes a task, I have so much more grace for it. I don't see the minor flaws or worry about how it will be perceived by the nameless faceless crowd. Having someone else complete a task gives you the freedom to just be done because you're no longer worried about being perfect.

2. Virtual assistants work in their zones of genius.

Part of why I wanted to start my business in the first place was that I wanted to do a very particular type of work with a certain type of person. I feel like that work with those people is my area of strength and genius. I enjoy it. I'm good at it. I have valuable experience and advice, and I know how to get results.

Often, as business owners, we think we have to do everything for the business — even if we have no idea what we're doing.

When you hire a VA, you get work that is straight from their zone of genius, meaning they know how to do it and do it well. That's part of what you're paying for. So when you turn a task over to them, you get the benefit of their knowledge and experience which tends to work out better than trying to DIY.

3. Virtual assistants have seen it all before.

Putting out fires at work is the worst, especially when it's a brand new problem and you have no idea what to do. You google, you call your mom, and finally you do the best you know to do at the time. Is it perfect? Nope. Is it even close to right? Maybe? 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is just part of running a business. As you do it, you gain experience and wisdom, and you'll know what to do if it ever happens again.

Part of the beauty of working with a VA is that, very likely, they've seen your type of problem before, or at least enough similar issues that they aren't intimidated to figure it out. In most situations, if you're working in your zone of genius, you have a fair amount of experience under your belt. That experience means that most of the things that can go wrong have already gone wrong before. So when it all hits the fan, they are ready with answers other than dialing mom.

I get a lot of calls from business owners who are close to panic because they need something done yesterday and have no idea how to do it. Part of the joy of my job is that I get to do something that I know how to do and hand it to them — all fixed, all better — and see their relief.

How many hours could a VA free up for you? If you're curious, let's talk it out!