| Every single person, from CEOs of large | | | | that's an expensive option. Granted, you'd get to |
| corporations to the fledgling entrepreneur, has one | | | | maintain complete control and dictate how the |
| thing in common. All have exactly the same | | | | work is to be done; however, you'd also have to |
| amount of time: 24 hours per day, 7 days per | | | | contend with salaries, benefits, work space, and |
| week and 365 days per year. While the CEO has | | | | keeping an employee fully occupied to make the |
| a multi-layered staff to enable him to make the | | | | hire worthwhile. It's an option many sole |
| most of his allotted time, what about the sole | | | | proprietors simply can't afford. |
| proprietor or small business owner? | | | | There is another solution: the virtual assistant |
| No one will dispute that starting a business or | | | | (VA). When using a VA, you continue to maintain |
| venturing out on your own requires a substantial | | | | control and dictate how the work is to be done. |
| time commitment. In fact, that's how many | | | | Although the VA's hourly wage is typically higher |
| successful CEO began. However, there is a point | | | | than what you'd pay an employee, you are free |
| of diminishing return on the time you spend | | | | from the hassles of payroll, benefits, and |
| starting and growing your business. There is a | | | | withholding taxes. There is no time spent |
| point at which your time commitments and | | | | reviewing resumes, hiring, firing or the need to |
| sacrifices begin to add up, creating a "something's | | | | provide work space and a computer. Unlike having |
| gotta give" scenario. Either you devote every | | | | an employee, you don't pay the VA for breaks, |
| waking moment to your efforts or accept the | | | | lunch or time off. Most importantly, however, |
| fact that you don't have time to leverage your | | | | while you pay only for the hours you use, you |
| expertise and grow your business. Neither choice | | | | get 40 hours per week coverage. What's more, |
| leads to success, does it? In reality, those aren't | | | | VAs are entrepreneurs like you, so they share a |
| your only two choices. | | | | lot of your thinking, attitudes and approaches to |
| There are only 168 hours in any given week. | | | | success. |
| Typically, the sole proprietor devotes sixty of | | | | It probably sounds too good to be true. There is |
| those hours to the business. Another sixty hours | | | | a catch. A VA might cost somewhat more per |
| are devoted to sleeping, eating and other physical | | | | hour than full-time hourly employees, and because |
| needs. That only leaves 48 hours for family and | | | | VAs work for several clients, it may be a good |
| personal time (community, religious and other | | | | idea for you to plan projects ahead of time. |
| similar activities). Without administrative help, the | | | | Admittedly, that's not the worst thing that could |
| sixty hours for business can easily grow to eighty | | | | happen. Planning ahead leads to organization and |
| or more, so where does the entrepreneur | | | | time saved, and saving your valuable time is the |
| "borrow" the extra twenty from? Generally, it's | | | | single greatest benefit of the virtual assistant. |
| either from sleep or personal time, and neither is | | | | The hours you save by delegating various |
| a long-term solution. | | | | administrative business tasks to a VA are huge. |
| What are some of the tasks that cause sixty | | | | Think about what you can do with twenty extra |
| hours to grow to eighty? They include things like | | | | hours a week: spend more time with your family, |
| answering the phone, scheduling appointments, | | | | get a better night's sleep, market and prospect |
| maintaining data bases, administrative work, | | | | for new clients to grow your business... and be |
| bookkeeping and research. Many, if not all, of | | | | more successful. Now isn't that exactly why you |
| these tasks can be delegated, but to whom? | | | | went in to business in the first place? |
| You could hire either full- or part-time help, but | | | | |