Hiring an Admin Assistant: Introduction and the 2 Biggest Problems
What’s covered in this learning:
You can’t do it all yourself, and productivity hacks and systems will only take you so far. In this first lesson, there is a brief overview explaining why this is such a critical piece for moving your business into momentum, and then there’s the teaching that explains the two biggest problems micro business owners have with hiring, and how to figure out what you really need.
The first lesson videos.
The intro video is just under 4 minutes, and explains why this course is so important.
The second video is almost exactly 16 minutes, and covers both the two biggest problems folks in your position face in attempting to hire, and a process to figure out what you really need.
You may want pen and paper, other ways of taking notes and recording insights. Pause as much as you need to!
Here are the PDFs that go along with these. The videos have information that is more than are in the PDFs, so make sure you watch or listen to the video and read the PDFs.
Click here: PDF for the Intro.
(or click on the image.
Questions and Answers
- What is accounting and bookkeeping help? Why do I need it? How much might it cost?
2. I need help on the tech side and on strategy about marketing- what do I need?
3. I’ve been burned- this would be my fourth virtual assistant. My main pain point is around marketing- I love to write, but posting the content, and sending out the emails is exhausting. How do I get marketing support that works?
4. I restarted a clinical practice a year ago, my intention was one day/week. I have a full time job that I enjoy. My practice has unexpectedly taken off. When I find an assistant, how do I know if I’m a client of theirs? How do I know if they have an owner mindset?
5. Right now I have more income than I was expecting, but will it last? If I hire an assistant, will I be overcommitting myself?
6. I’ve been paralyzed because 5 years ago I hired an employee, when I really needed a VA, and when things changed, it went sideways, I felt terrible.
7. I’m thinking of inclusivity in hiring of my team, and how to reach out past my mostly white networks?
Your assignment:
- Watch the two videos, and read the two PDFs.
- Listen to the Q&A call recording.
- Take the time to find your own relationship to hiring an administrative assistant.
- Answer the questions.
You might find it helpful to open up a Google Doc, or another file, or even in a paper notebook (gasp!) and answer the questions there, so you can track your progress.
Questions:
- Knowing about overhiring, how can you meet any needs you have for partnership or collaboration before you hire an administrative assistant?
- Make a list of the repetitive tasks that you do, and designate whether they are done daily, weekly, or monthly. Consciously, doing your best to not underestimate, identify about how much time each takes.
- Make a list of discrete projects for the business that you are either in the middle of, or that you’ve been meaning to get to. These are one-time projects, like setting up a system, or creating a workflow, or something like that. As much as you can, describe the scope and time involved in completing them.
- Go through both lists again, being honest in your heart, identify how emotionally burdensome each is. You can use a scale like, “easy to get to” “moderately uncomfortable” “terrible, I hate it or am overwhelmed considering.”
- Any other insights or learnings?