| If you have the entrepreneurial spirit (which | | | | the skilled professional that her or she is -- an |
| clearly you have!), you probably have a tendency | | | | administrative assistant could complete the work |
| toward being a control freak. I know the feeling | | | | in less time than you can. Best of all, you only hire |
| well -- "No one can do it as well as me, so I'll just | | | | them when you need them -- so if you have a |
| do it all!" While this may seem to be more | | | | slow week, you cut back on their hours. Looks |
| efficient than trying to bring someone else in to | | | | like a win-win situation to me! |
| help out, it's actually more time-consuming in the | | | | YOUR ASSIGNMENT |
| long run. | | | | As you are working your way through all those |
| See if this scenario is familiar -- you find that you | | | | action items this week, create a "not-to-do list". |
| can't see as many clients as you would like, | | | | For every item you come across, ask yourself if |
| because you have to spend at least one day | | | | it has to be done by you. Your list might include |
| each week catching up on paperwork. You spend | | | | making follow-up phone calls, updating your |
| nearly 6 hours that day on administrative work -- | | | | contact database, entering all of your expenses |
| filing, writing letters, sending out mailings to clients, | | | | into Quickbooks, and sending out a mass mailing |
| and staying on top of your bookkeeping. You feel | | | | to all of your clients -- those jobs could very |
| efficient, because at least you get it done. But is it | | | | easily be taken on by someone else. |
| really work that YOU need to do? Most of the | | | | Once you've decided that you aren't integral to |
| time-consuming, labor-intensive administrative | | | | the process, ask yourself who could do it for you. |
| duties that accompany business ownership don't | | | | Could be an administrative assistant, web |
| have to be done by the head of the company. | | | | developer, accountant, or the teenager next door |
| Filing? Anyone could do that, provided they | | | | -- and if you don't already have connections with |
| understand how your system is set up. | | | | professionals who can take over these |
| Bookkeeping? Mailings? Same thing. We just don't | | | | responsibilities for you, start asking around. Talk to |
| think to hand these duties over to someone else | | | | clients, colleagues, and other professionals that |
| because we feel we have to do it all --- it's our | | | | you know -- someone is bound to have a few |
| business, so it's our responsibility. | | | | suggestions for you. Try to come up with at least |
| WHAT'S THE OPTION? | | | | one name for each job on your list. The last step |
| There is almost no reason to hire permanent | | | | is to contact those folks and start negotiating a |
| staff members anymore. You may not realize | | | | deal. By the end of this next month, you should |
| that you can hire freelance contract employees | | | | be able to clear at least a few tasks from your |
| to handle many of these administrative tasks. | | | | plate. |
| "Virtual office assistants" can tackle any task -- | | | | GET YOUR PROCESSES DOWN |
| from mass mailings to database management to | | | | The key to letting someone else take over a |
| document preparation -- without ever setting foot | | | | portion of your work is not just handing them a |
| in your office. Other administrative outsourcing | | | | job, but giving them the tools to do the job right. |
| professionals will take care of standard office | | | | I'll give you an example of how I managed to |
| duties onsite -- such as filing and bill-paying. | | | | free up four full days a month with the help of a |
| And you can find freelancers to take on just | | | | virtual office assistant. I looked around my office |
| about any other non-administrative project you | | | | and realized that I was spending an awful lot of |
| can think of -- designing your website, writing a | | | | time publishing my online newsletter -- a service |
| business plan, sending out press releases, you | | | | which I consider incredibly valuable to my clients, |
| name it. Finally, many professionals you work with | | | | but which doesn't directly earn me any money. So |
| already may be able to help you with some of | | | | I spoke with a friend of mine -- who has worked |
| your concerns. Your CPA may offer bookkeeping | | | | on websites before -- about giving her these |
| services at a reduced rate. Your printer might be | | | | tasks to do. I decided that I still wanted to be in |
| able to handle your graphic design needs. And you | | | | charge of selecting the content for my |
| could talk your attorney about looking over your | | | | newsletters, but that Jackie should take over |
| business plan. It never hurts to ask. | | | | formatting the pages on the web. The most |
| WHY HIRE SOMEONE ELSE? | | | | important preparation was setting down the |
| So you say, "What's the point in hiring someone? | | | | exact procedures she would follow to complete |
| If I'm going to have to pay them to do the work, | | | | the newsletter each month -- step by detailed |
| I might as well do it myself!" Not always true. The | | | | step. |
| problem occurs when you begin spending your | | | | This was a bit time-consuming on the front end, |
| time on issues that could be done by someone | | | | but it has saved us both countless hours over the |
| else for less money. What is your hourly rate? | | | | past 6 months that Jackie has been doing my |
| Let's pretend that you earn $50 an hour. Now ask | | | | website. Now that she knows what to do and |
| yourself how much your "administrative days" are | | | | how to do it (without asking me!), she almost |
| costing you. If you normally work a 6-hour day, | | | | works on automatic pilot. And all I have to do is |
| you could be making an additional $300 each | | | | e-mail her my content and wait for the message |
| week if you spent that time seeing clients. | | | | that my newsletter is complete. And because we |
| If you were to hire an administrative assistant to | | | | hammered out all of the details up front, I know I |
| come in for 6 hours a week, at $25 an hour (a | | | | can count on a consistent, quality, professional job |
| very reasonable rate for such services), it would | | | | each month. Best of all, Jackie's rate is less than |
| only cost you $150 a week. You still net an | | | | half of mine, so I can spend those days working |
| additional $150 a week -- that's an extra $7200 a | | | | with clients and still come out ahead! So what |
| year, if you work a standard 48-week year like | | | | projects are you ready to outsource? |
| most people do. And it is quite likely that -- being | | | | |