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By: Melanie Colusci

I was reminiscing the other day about the time when I was considering hiring my first staff person/assistant. I remember feeling SO nervous because if felt like such a big undertaking both financially and logistically. I’m pretty sure I went back and forth 5 million times in my mind on whether or not I should do it. I think I asked myself these questions probably 50 times or more:

• Can I afford it?
• Can I afford not to?
• Will I keep them busy enough?
• What do I really need them to do?
• Why do I want to hire someone?

I finally told myself that it wasn’t an option and that I HAD to hire someone. I realized the most compelling answer was coming from the last question I asked which was why. I realized my business had grown enough that I was now getting bogged down in a lot of administrative tasks and duties that were taking me away from the core activities of my work.  I took some time to evaluate how much time I was spending on administrative tasks versus that with my clients. What I found out was I was actually spending anywhere from 1/3 to closer to 1/2 of my time on administrative tasks! The results were shocking to me!

While the time I was spending on administrative tasks was a very compelling reason just by itself as to why I needed to hire someone I had to clearly answer the financial questions I was asking as well. It was pretty easy ultimately to conclude that I could afford to hire someone and that it was in reality something I had to do right away.  My conclusion of needing to hire someone right away, and it being more affordable than I thought, was I had calculated my hourly rate. I had determined the hourly rate I would pay an assistant was significantly less then what I was earning so by hiring someone it would free up my time to focus more on my core business activities.

Bringing an assistant (whether virtual or in person) on board does take some work. It’s important to train them on your systems and processes and make sure they will be representing your company appropriately. The training period can take some time but if you have everything written out it can help reduce the ramp up time. Here are some of the pieces to have ready for your new assistant:

• Job duties/description
• Written systems and processes they will be responsible for
• Expectations for your working relationship – i.e.
  • Hours a week they are expected to work
  • Scheduled communications with you
  • How best to communicate with you (phone, text, e-mail)

I love that with the advancement of technology the staffing world has expanded to now include virtual assistants. There are many benefits to working with a virtual assistant.  I know as one of the From Start-Up to Success team members lives in Montana!  Here are just a few:

• They are independent so no payroll reporting is needed
• Can already be trained in several activities they would support you in – i.e. social media
• Flexible schedule – you can start with smaller hourly packages and work your way up for additional hours as you grow

Whether you hire a virtual assistant or one that will be on-site, you will still want to be prepared for them to start working with you.  Take the time to go through the steps to bringing on this staff person I listed above, and you will find they will be up and running in no time.

I can’t believe how different my business looks now than the day I brought my first assistant on. I truly don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have the help and support of the team. I am ever grateful and appreciative for all of them!

Make sure to check out our website at www.fromstartuptosuccess.com for the details on our upcoming events. I am so excited about the Marketing Masterclass we will be offering in October. You won’t want to miss this one! Also, make sure to stay connected with us on Facebook and Pinterest and you can also sign up for our e-newsletter (click below), you’ll be happy you did!

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