| When you picture a business professional's typical | | | | business owner. |
| office scenario, what comes to mind? | | | | So, let's look at our list above again and see how |
| A classy man or woman, dressed in a high priced | | | | many of those tasks can be accomplished by |
| business suit, an overflowing briefcase sitting on | | | | someone off-site; and who would be the best |
| the corner of the desk, dictating memos and | | | | person or business to help you out. |
| delegating tasks to a very overworked | | | | Of the 10 items listed above, only two need to |
| secretary? | | | | be handled, or at least started, by the business |
| How about a home-based business owner, sitting | | | | owner. |
| in their basement office, kids pulling at their pant | | | | #3 - (Prepare Quote) This task should be |
| legs while they are spending far too much time | | | | developed by the business owner. Now, this |
| dealing with their correspondence and other | | | | doesn't mean they have to do it all. They can put |
| administrative tasks? | | | | together the specifics of the quotation and then |
| Either of these sound familiar? | | | | have a Virtual Assistant format and produce the |
| Well, these may be true but, with our | | | | final outcome. |
| ever-changing business environments and with the | | | | #10 - (Networking) Again, this is something that |
| ease of using the Internet, more and more | | | | can't be outsourced, although, if the company is |
| business professionals, especially small business | | | | large enough, a representative can attend the |
| owners, are altering how they conduct their daily | | | | meeting in the place of an owner. |
| activities. | | | | #2 - (Accounting) This task is a perfect candidate |
| Sure, they still have their offices, sometimes in | | | | for outsourcing. There are many companies that |
| their homes, but they also have more time to | | | | provide exceptional bookkeeping services. If you |
| spend on generating revenue or to be with the | | | | are lucky enough, you can find one that can take |
| kids than ever before. | | | | care of all of your accounting tasks, right down to |
| How, you ask? Well....they outsource some or | | | | your yearly income taxes. |
| most of their non-core tasks to professional, | | | | #7 - (Clean office) Once again, this can be handled |
| reliable fellow small business owners who take | | | | by a reputable office or house cleaning service, |
| pride in helping other businesses succeed by | | | | and for relatively cheap. |
| providing them with a helping hand. | | | | #6 - (Update website) This is something that can |
| These days, almost any normal (or even not so | | | | be accomplished by an experienced web designer, |
| normal) task that a small business owner usually | | | | and usually by way of a contract or retainer |
| does, can be accomplished by an outside source. | | | | agreement for ongoing maintenance. |
| Let's take a look at the typical daily (or so) tasks | | | | #4, 5 & 9 - (Flowers, tradeshow, seminar |
| that are usually needed to be done: | | | | arrangements) These are all best handled by a |
| | | | professional concierge service. They can take |
| 1. Read and respond to incoming mail and email | | | | care of everything from booking a limousine to |
| 2. Enter account payables and receivables into | | | | arranging hot air balloon rides to corporate event |
| accounting software program | | | | planning. |
| 3. Prepare a quotation for a potential new client | | | | #1-10 - Except for #10 (which is best handled in |
| 4. Order flowers for the spouse's birthday | | | | person), and #7 (which is not something that can |
| 5. Reserve a spot in the local industry trade show | | | | be done from afar), the remaining tasks can all be |
| 6. Update pages on the company website | | | | handled by a Virtual Assistant (VA). Now, not all |
| 7. Clean the office | | | | VAs provide all of these services but, more than |
| 8. Update your contact database | | | | likely, they can either recommend someone who |
| 9. Book airline tickets and make hotel reservations | | | | can or get the details from you and ensure that a |
| for an upcoming seminar | | | | fellow colleague will do the work according to your |
| 10. Attend a networking breakfast | | | | needs. |
| This list gives you some idea of the many tasks | | | | As a fellow small business owner, being able to |
| that need to be done each day by most small | | | | provide a full-service benefit to a client is |
| business owners. And, this is only a portion of | | | | something that most VAs take pride in. If they |
| what is usually required to be done. | | | | do need to subcontract work to someone else, |
| Some of these small business owners run their | | | | they make sure that the contractor is aware of |
| businesses from their homes, which means there | | | | their level of professionalism and that it is the |
| is the added activities of dealing with "around the | | | | VAs reputation that is at stake, something most |
| house" things (that everyone seems to think you | | | | will go to great lengths to ensure is held in the |
| have all the time in the world to do), running | | | | highest regard. |
| errands (ditto), tending to the family, and | | | | Outsourcing is a relatively new concept to most |
| accepting those calls from telephone solicitors who | | | | business professionals but, as more and more of |
| somehow know you are at home to answer the | | | | them begin to realize the benefits that they can |
| phone. | | | | take advantage of by utilizing the off-site services |
| It's all kind of like a math equation... the tasks | | | | of Bookkeepers, Concierge services, Virtual |
| ADD up, which SUBTRACTS from running your | | | | Assistants, and more, the more successful and |
| business smoothly, which EQUALS a less | | | | less stressed out or overworked our business |
| successful business and a more stressed out | | | | communities will be. |