I realized this is not unlike an entrepreneur deciding to work with a Virtual Assistant.

As a small business owner, you have goals for your business that you probably know how to reach, but just don’t have the time or knowledge necessary to take the steps that must be taken to reach them. When you work with a Virtual Assistant, you have someone in your corner with a vested interest in seeing that you reach those goals and the professional know-how it takes to get you there.

Just like my personal trainer created a plan for me in accordance with my fitness goals, your Virtual Assistant can draft a plan in accordance to your business goals. In most cases, this VA can also do what needs to be done to get you there.

Most of us start our businesses intending to do everything it will take to make us even more successful, but life can get in the way and when we’re lucky enough to get very busy with clients and customers it becomes very difficult to do what it takes to reach higher levels of success. A Virtual Assistant will be there for you when this happens and s/he will ensure that you stay on track.

Just like my personal trainer was a sound investment in my physical health, a Virtual Assistant will be a sound investment in the long-term health of your business!

                          

For example (I have no scientific data to back this up) I believe most entrepreneurs get bored at some point. Bored with their own businesses. You live, breathe, sleep and eat your business and some days it’s hard to find the motivation to do it another day. Sometimes you feel like you’ve become complacent, and that you’ve already “done it all” when it comes to your marketing – that there’s nowhere else to go. Of course, I believe this is just a symptom of burnout.

One thing that many of my clients have complimented me on is my ability to get them excited about their businesses. As a Virtual Assistant, I have worked with dozens of entrepreneurs and they all do things a little differently. I have a large pool of experiences to draw from because I’m learning from so many different people. Don’t get me wrong here – I don’t run around giving away confidential information or spilling top secret marketing tactics, but I can’t help but learn.

I only work with people who have businesses that I can get excited about and my life is richer for it. I can’t help but share ideas and research my clients’ industry to learn as much as I can. This all spills over into the VA/Client relationship and it’s one of the most rewarding parts of partnering with a good Virutal Assistant. (I have my own Virtual Assistants who help keep me excited about my enterprise!)

Are you excited about your business? Are your feet hitting the floor every morning eager to get your day started, or does your stomach turn with that 5:00 Sunday evening dread that most of us felt back when we had j.o.b.s?

If you’ve lost your ‘mojo’ so to speak, see if you can find yourself a Virtual Assistant. Look for someone who matches your personality, who you think can lift you up and inject some new life into your business. When you find the right person, I promise you won’t regret it.

In essence, what I’m saying is that you can even delegate motivating yourself to a Virtual Assistant!

                          

A couple of months ago, I was on the phone with a potential client who came around to the rate question and when I responded with a figure, I was told that my rate sounded fair and that he refused to work with VAs who charged too little.

Things didn’t work out with that client for different reasons, but that’s the right attitude to have. (I hope that both VAs and clients of VAs really think about this!)

Still think you would rather work with the cheapest VA you can find?

There are a couple of things you should think about. First of all, a little disclaimer: I’m not in any way-shape-or-form saying that less expensive VAs turn out a lower quality of work, and if you need a one-off project completed, by all means, go for the lowest bidder.

But here’s where you have to be careful. Pretend for a moment that you found a wonderful VA to help you out with a couple of small projects. She charges $30 less per hour than the industry average and you are feeling very good about your investment. You’re getting such a good deal that you decide to enter into a retainer agreement with her, and your rate gets even lower! Good deal for you! Right? Well…

You are loving this arrangement. She’s at your every beck and call, she’s efficient, she’s learning all about your business. You increase her hours – you’re making more money with her help! This is working! You are becoming dependent on this VA. You have evenings and weekends free while she works hard to keep you on top of everything. What would you do without her?

Meanwhile, your VA realizes that she’s charging too little. She’s very busy with your projects, in fact, she’s busy enough that she decides to raise her rates for new clients since she doesn’t really need that much more work. Then she gets a project at that higher rate and it feels good to get paid closer to what other VAs make. So, she decides to market a bit more so she can get more projects at her new rate, and they start coming to her.

The new rate she’s charging is closer to what she’s worth, and she’s attracting clients who will pay that rate.

How long do you think your perfect VA can stay with you without a rate increase when her other clients pay twice as much as you’re paying?

Or…if she never raises her rate and is booked solid on that lower rate, how long will she be able to afford to stay in business? Probably until her taxes are due and she realizes how expensive and time consuming it is to operate a business and she doesn’t have enough hours in a day to make what she has to at that rate.

Partnering with the lowest bidder is absolutely your decision of course, but it’s not without its risks and I hope you think about that when you decide to start working with a VA.

                          

The problem is, you’re too busy for that. When you’re working in your business you don’t have time to spend on things like “twittering“! Do you even know the benefits of networking online? Perhaps you’ve heard you should be, but have no idea why!

There are scores of Virtual Assistants who can help you create a social networking plan, set up profiles for you at the sites which will benefit you the most and your VA can even help you maintain your accounts.

If you’re not spending any time networking online, you’re missing out on some of the easiest money you can make. Partner with a VA, one of us can help!

                          

We had a lot of discussion around that and before our chat, I hadn’t realized what a mental block that could be for many people who could really benefit from the services of a Virtual Assistant.

We all know who Sam Walton is and in case you don’t, he’s that guy who founded Wal-Mart. Do you think Wal-Mart would be a household name if Mr. Walton was managing stores, working as a cashier, stocking shelves and greeting people by himself?

Obviously that would never work. He has fleets of people who do the work it takes to keep the chain of stores running. Does that make him any less of a visionary business man? Is he any less successful because he has so many people working at all of his Wal-Marts?

Of course not.

If you choose to partner with a Virtual Assistant to unload your administrative burdens, you won’t be any less of an entrepreneur than if you were doing it all yourself. You’ll just have more time to dream up more business ideas or go to the movies once in awhile! Don’t be stubborn! Let go!!

                          

While this alone might not be enough to excite you as someone interested in (or currently) working with a Virtual Assistant, check out what the judges (who included Adam Lowry, co-founder of Method Products, Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks North America and John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing in addtion to StartupNation staff) had to say about us:

“Boomers are a whole different ball game than the 20-somethings of today, and that’s partly why they make great assistants. They’re wise, dependable, and professional, have a pre-dotcom work ethic, and have just enough work experience under their belts to know that working from home rules.

VAnetworking.com is a boomer-run business whose success is undeniable. Tawnya Sutherland, based from home of course, has created the world’s largest online social network for Virtual Assistants to gather, learn, share, and grow successful virtual assistant practices.

With outsourcing, time management, and home-based business being hot trends of the day, VAnetworking.com fills a great big need and was a clear stand-out winner for the 2008 Boomers Back in Business award.”

Of course that’s not to say that someone younger or older than Boomer age wouldn’t be a perfect VA for you! The point is, Boomers are Back in Business at VAnetworking.com and we think that’s worth blogging about!

                          

The last time you met someone interested in your business while you were standing in line at the coffee shop, did you get their card and actually get in touch with them again?

How many website leads do you get but never reply to? What about those contacts you forward information to after they request it. Do you let them go off and be forgotten, or do you get in touch with them again?

Follow up is such a crucial part of business, yet so many people hate it and therefor don’t do it.

This is another simple task to delegate to a VA. You can either send them names and contact info via phone, fax or email or courier your business cards to them. Your VA can take the next step for you and follow up with these precious leads! Each business card you collect should be respected and treasured – not stuck underneath a coffee mug on your desk to be forgotten.

Delegate your follow up. It’s very easy…trust me!

                          

“I’m ready to put a shopping cart on my website, I should really learn how to do that.”

“I know I should be putting out a newsletter but I don’t know where to start.”

“As soon as I get a minute to figure out Facebook, I’ll put up a profile.”

“I’ll get my bookkeeping straightened out when I get around to learning how to use QuickBooks.”

In all honesty, are you ever going to get around to learning how to do all those things while you’re working in your business? Maybe, but at what cost?

If you have a Virtual Assistant already, have you thought about asking them if they would learn how to do any of these things? Or have you thought about asking for referrals for other Virtual Assistants they network with who already know how to do the things you keep “meaning to get around to.”

If you’re actively searching for a Virtual Assistant, keep in mind that a lot of VAs would be very happy to learn a new skill for you. You don’t necessarily have to find one person who can do all 30 things you want to delegate. It’s kind of tough to find someone who can do everything. But I’ll bet you can find a person who can do 15 things, learn how to do a couple more, and help hook you up with someone great who can do the rest!

Stop putting all those important things off. Outsource learning a new skill. Hey, why not?!

                          

Did you realize that when you work with a Virtual Assistant, you have someone to make sure your holiday cards are ordered on time. That VA can also sign, stuff, seal, stamp and mail your cards for you. (I know how much time that can save cause I’ve done it for several clients in the past.) A VA can research gift ideas and make purchases on your behalf so you’re not stuck shopping in the days leading to Christmas.

A VA can also call your clients and customers to invite them to holiday events or tell them about a seasonal promotion.

If you start thinking about all the things that make your life hectic during the holiday season, think about the things that could be outsourced. You deserve to enjoy the holiday too! Find yourself a VA!

                          

I decided to get a goldfish and put him in a bowl with some blue gravel. I named him ‘Biz’.

At first I thought about all the great little taglines I could use in front of Biz’s bowl:

Too busy to keep your goldfish alive? Time to partner with a VA!

Feel like a fish out of water when it comes to Internet Marketing?

Are you using the right bait to catch the clients you want?

And so on and so forth. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized Biz was bigger than all that!

Biz is a small little goldfish and as long as I keep him in a small glass bowl he will remain small. But, if I were to move him to a large tank he would grow much bigger. If I put him in a pond he would grow bigger still. The potential in this little fish can only be realized when he’s put in different surroundings. If he swam around this small glass bowl for the rest of his life, he would probably never know what’s possible for him.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

How big is your bowl?

Partner with a virtual assistant to help you expand into new markets, take your business online or to free up your time so you can develop new ideas.