If I had £1 for every business owner I meet that’s a swan, I’d be a very rich woman – graceful and calm on the surface, but paddling like mad to stay afloat below the surface.
But it doesn’t have to be like that.
Just think how you’d feel, paddling a little slower while coolly and confidently growing your business.
The answers simple – outsource. And you can never do it too early.
Don’t wait until the Swan Business Model is engrained in your business and you have waterlogged feathers and are half drowning … It’s getting a bit desperate then.
I’m 100% committed to helping business owners ditch the Swan Business Model. That’s why I’ve incorporated the swan into my logo … and maybe just a little bit because Stapenhill is famous for its large swan and I happen to live there!
So how should you go about finding the ideal freelance virtual assistant to help you with all the stuff you don’t want to do?
Well, it’s down to you to start with. Make a list of all the things you do and then identify the tasks only you can do and those you can hand over to someone else.
You’re feeling better already. Right?
Now, schedule some local networking meetings into your diary. No, you’re not too busy – just think of the return on investment. Time wise, I mean.
It could be a double whammy though – you find your ideal virtual assistant to outsource to and get some new customers of your own in the process.
I must admit when I first started out, I thought that as soon as my website launched clients would be queuing up, but what a fool I was. We all know it doesn’t happen like that, don’t we?
Networking has been key for me in growing my business and I’m sure it will be the same for you.
After all, people buy from people they know, like and trust, so get out there, meet other businesses, tell them what you do and build relationships. Don’t expect business to come to you, go and grab it with both hands! And find yourself a virtual assistant to help your business succeed at the same time.
But you don’t just want any old virtual assistant, you want the ideal virtual assistant for your business.
Remember that list you wrote. Well, identify the skills and qualifications you need your virtual assistant to have and keep that in mind while you’re networking.
Some virtual assistants specialise in general admin, some in marketing or social media, some in finance, some in techy stuff – the list is endless. I specialise in helping accountants and HR professionals, so I’m training to be a bookkeeper and will soon have ICB Level 2 and Level 3 Professional including Self-Assessment. I’m also Xero certified and I absolutely love using Xero every day – it makes me very happy!
So, if you’re an accountant or HR professional, let’s meet and chat about how I can help you. You’ll find me at NLB every week and once a month at BIO at The Priest House Hotel in Castle Donington with lots of other highly experienced and knowledgeable business owners, which may just be your potential customers too.
But of course, you could always just call me on 07538 403718 if you prefer.