July 18, 2024 • 29 mins
Are you sabotaging your business by hiring a virtual assistant too soon?
Discover the crucial steps you need to take before making that decision and why having solid business systems in place is non-negotiable. I'll share my personal journey and the mistakes I've made along the way, highlighting why simply hiring a VA without having systems in place is a recipe for disaster. You'll hear a powerful case study of how implementing just one of the six core business systems saved a client $700 a month and significantly boosted their team's efficiency.
We’ll explore how effective delegation can be a game-changer for your business, especially when starting with small, manageable tasks like email and calendar management. Proper delegation not only boosts productivity but also frees up precious time for self-care, helping you avoid burnout.
And be sure to listen in to hear about how a handy resource called the BizOps checklist, can help you evaluate and improve your back-office operations seamlessly.
1:44 Debunking some common myths about hiring a VA
5:14 Why it's important to create your systems before hiring a VA
9:28 Common challenges business owners encounter when delegating
14:27 How you're hurting your business when you don't delegate
20:51 How delegating is actually a form of self-care
References Mentioned In This Episode:
Episode 125: How an Online Scheduler Will Help You Manage Your Time
Grab the Free Biz Ops Checklist
Let me know your thoughts! Click here to send me a text.
Leave a Rating and Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/mindyourtime
Resources Mentioned In This Episode:
Check Out The MY-T Society Membership
Listen to My Free Audio Masterclass
Schedule a 20 Minute Chat with Me
Let’s connect online:
Follow Me On Instagram: @the_shannonbaker
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but hiring a
virtual assistant is not goingto solve the chaos and confusion
your back office is causing.
As a former VA who turned intoa business operations strategist
, I've seen firsthand howimportant it is to have solid
systems in place before youbring a VA into the mix.
(00:21):
That's why, today, I'm going totalk about some of the common
misconceptions that might beblocking your business growth.
By the end of this episode,you'll understand why building a
strong foundation in yourbusiness is the secret sauce to
sustainable growth, and you willknow how to start building that
foundation for yourself beforeyou hire a VA.
(00:43):
So trust me, you don't want tomiss this.
Welcome to the Mind your Timepodcast.
I'm Shannon Baker, yourcoffee-loving host and business
strategist.
Each week, I will sharepractical insights and bold
strategies for six-figureentrepreneurs looking to clean
up their back office and createstreamlined systems.
The weekly episodes will helpyou take control of your time,
(01:03):
scale your business and createsuccess on your own terms.
So grab your cup of coffee oryour favorite beverage and let's
dive into today's topic.
One of the biggest myths thatwe've all heard as business
owners is if you build it, theywill come.
We learned that that's a lie inlike Business 101, right?
Well, that's not the only myththat we're sold as business
(01:27):
owners or entrepreneurs.
There are hundreds of myths outthere about why you need to
hire a virtual assistant or a VA, when to hire them and what to
hire them for.
And I could talk about this forhours, but I'm not going to do
that.
I'll save you.
And I could talk about this forhours, but I'm not going to do
that.
I'll save you, but I am goingto address a few of the myths
(01:48):
that are, my pet peeves beingthat I am a former VA.
So one of the things I've heardmany, many business owners say
and I cringe every time I hearthis is I don't really need to
have systems in place, I justneed to hire a VA.
Well, the internet and too manyof these self-proclaimed gurus
(02:12):
give bad advice.
Like you can work a four-hourweek and earn six figures if you
just outsource all the thingsthat you don't want to do, but
let me tell you, my friend, theydon't tell you about the strong
business infrastructure thatyou need to even attempt to make
this happen.
Hiring a virtual assistantwithout having systems is like
(02:32):
trying to build a house withouthaving a blueprint.
Imagine hiring constructionworkers and telling them to
build your dream home withoutproviding them any plans at all.
That's going to be chaos, right?
Not to mention you're not goingto get what you want, if you
get anything at all.
The same applies to yourbusiness.
Without solid systems in placewhich, by the way, are the
(02:55):
foundation of a successfulbusiness, even the best VA can't
save you from disorganizationand inefficiency.
Systems are the backbone ofyour business operations.
They ensure that tasks arecompleted consistently,
efficiently and effectively, andwithout them, you're just
adding to the chaos rather thansolving it.
(03:18):
Another myth about hiring a VAis that you can hire them to
complete all the things that youdon't like to do as a business
owner.
Yes, you can delegate tasksthat you don't like, like, maybe
, bookkeeping, or it probablyisn't your expertise but
everything's not that simple.
Delegation is an art, andwithout proper systems and
(03:41):
guidelines in place, you'resetting your virtual assistant
up for failure and yourself, andI've talked about this very
topic on the podcast before.
Let me break this down for youas a business owner, your
primary focus should be to havethe time and mental space that
you need to complete the tasksthat directly generate revenue
(04:04):
and drive strategic growth.
These are things like creatingand executing your growth
strategy, building relationshipswith your existing clients and
building your network in closingsales, these tasks specifically
require your unique vision,your expertise and a personal
(04:27):
touch, and those are things thata VA simply cannot replicate.
And, let's be honest, most ofus don't like sales calls.
But you have to make thembecause you need sales to
generate revenue.
So if you hire a VA or build asales team too soon and you just
let them run forward, guesswhat?
(04:49):
You're going to end up withchaos, because think about it,
what happens when they lack thedepth of knowledge that you have
about your product or yourservice?
You will set them up forfailure and you will be missing
out on revenue opportunities.
Not to mention, you're wastingthe money that you're paying
(05:09):
them because they cannot workefficiently or effectively.
But when you have systems inplace, you can delegate
administrative and operationaltasks that can't be automated so
that they free up your time,then this gives you the space
that you need to focus on thoserevenue generating activities
(05:31):
that only you can do.
Then your VA can handlecustomer service inquiries.
Keep your operations runningsmoothly by updating your
existing processes as needed,while you concentrate on growing
your business and generatingrevenue.
Now I think you get the point onthis one and you can begin to
(05:51):
understand why you need businesssystems before you hire a VA,
because really, it's not justabout offloading tasks.
It's about building a solidfoundation that supports
sustainable growth and it freesyou up to focus on what truly
matters.
Think about having a businesswhere everything runs smoothly,
(06:12):
where you can delegateconfidently and know that the
tasks will be completed and youknow that your systems have
stabilized your businessoperations and they support your
team.
That's the goal that we'reworking towards from this
episode forward.
If you have not gotten this inplace yet and I feel very
strongly about this subject, notjust because I started off as a
(06:35):
VA, but when I first started mybusiness, I was working
full-time and handling all thetasks myself.
I believed that if I wanted itdone right, I had to do it
myself.
This led to long hours, missedfamily moments and a constant
state of exhaustion, and itwasn't until I implemented
(06:56):
strong systems in my businessthat I saw a real transformation
, and that took some time.
Honestly, some of them tookyears, but after I had clarity
in my business and the basicsystems were in place,
delegating became a possibility,and that brought relief instead
of being a burden.
(07:16):
And yes, I tried to delegateseveral times before my business
was ready and I failedmiserably, but that's a story
for another episode.
Now, in last week's episode, wetalked about the importance of
evaluating and improving yourbusiness systems to ensure
sustainable growth, and howhaving streamlined systems can
(07:36):
help you focus on what'simportant.
Not to mention, systems aregoing to keep your operations
running smoothly.
So if you missed that episode,I highly recommend you go back
and listen to it, becauseunderstanding how to build a
solid foundation in yourbusiness is really crucial
before you move on to the nextstep, which is building a team
(07:58):
and effectively outsourcing.
Now, despite popular and wrongbelief, a VA can't create the
structure your business needs.
They thrive when they can workwithin the structure or systems
that you've already established,and systems aren't just about
organization.
They're about creating asustainable workflow that
(08:20):
supports your business growthand stability, supports your
business growth and stability.
And once you have thisfoundation in place, hiring a VA
will actually amplify yourefforts rather than creating
more work for you.
Not to mention, you're notgoing to be wasting resources
because you will know exactlywhere to use them, which is any
place that steps can't beautomated.
(08:41):
Now many entrepreneurs believethat hiring a VA is going to
magically solve theirorganizational challenges.
However, without streamlinedsystems in place, a VA can only
do so much, because, again,systems are the backbone of any
efficient and scalable business,because they ensure consistency
, improve productivity and makeit easier for you to delegate
(09:03):
tasks effectively productivityand make it easier for you to
delegate tasks effectively.
Now, once you've built thatstrong foundation, you can start
thinking about how you canbuild on that.
But if you don't pause andthink about how you can work
smarter, then you're going toburn out, and that is where
outsourcing comes in.
But again, it's a strategicmove.
In addition to getting yourbusiness ready, you have to get
(09:26):
yourself ready mentally.
So let's talk about some commonchallenges that I've seen that
business owners make in thisarea, and I've seen people make
this mistake when starting out,and even among experienced CEOs.
All of us have to pretty muchdo everything ourselves when we
start out, and that's for anumber of reasons and sometimes
a number of years Having to workthis way, because you haven't
(09:49):
generated the revenue.
You need to invest in someautomation tools or even in
people, is common.
I've been there myself.
I worked my business for many,many years while working either
a full-time or a part-time job,so that I can have stable,
consistent income until mybusiness grew to where I could
(10:12):
leave my business because it wasself-sustaining and that just
happened a few months ago.
So there is nothing wrong withbootstrapping in your business.
I did it for years.
My goal when I started growingmy business was to make sure
that it was self-sustaining.
I started it that way and ithas continued to be that way
(10:34):
over many, many years.
So that meant at first I had touse the free version of a lot
of the tech tools and I onlypaid for the things that I
really needed those plusfeatures.
And then, as my revenue grew, Iwas able to upgrade my tech
stack and build out my processesfor more automated efficiency.
(10:57):
But again, that took some time.
So if that's where you are inyour journey right now, you can
see it's okay.
You can still build out yoursystems, especially those
related to customer service andcustomer care, because the
experience that you can providecan make or break your business,
because it has a direct impacton your brand, and I'm not
(11:18):
talking about you know, justyour logo, because that's what a
lot of people still think isyour brand.
No, I'm talking about howpeople feel when they hear your
name or the name of yourbusiness, but that also includes
what they say about you whenyou're not in the room.
The next part of my message isfor the business owner who feels
(11:40):
that they have to do everythingthemselves in order for it to
be done right.
Well, again, I have been heretoo, and that's why you'll hear
me say I'm a perfectionist inrecovery.
Now this sounds like the bestway to operate, but this mindset
leads to burnout, missedexperiences in life, sleepless
(12:01):
nights and a sense of beingoverwhelmed.
Now, when you try to controlevery aspect of your business,
it is very easy to get caught upin hustle mode.
You start working longer hours,which is often late into the
night, or you get up early inthe morning because you're
trying to keep up witheverything.
You're exhausted, so yourproductivity drops.
(12:22):
This makes it even harder foryou to stay on top of things, so
stuff starts to fall throughthe cracks.
Now, beyond the physical andmental exhaustion, there's an
emotional toll as well, becausewhen you're working more than
you're actually living.
You miss out on important oncein a lifetime events like
dinners with your family, yourchild's games or performances,
(12:44):
or you simply miss out onquality time with your family,
your child's games orperformances, or you simply miss
out on quality time with yourloved ones.
And because you're missing outon so many different things,
you're burdened down with guiltand regret, which adds to your
stress levels, and that's veryimportant to think about,
especially if you're listeningto this episode when it airs,
which is in the summertime.
This is really when mostfamilies are going on vacation,
(13:07):
having beach trips, etc.
Because the weather is warmer.
So if you're missing out onthose special once-in-a-lifetime
moments, or while everyone isenjoying themselves, you are
still head down behind yourlaptop.
Then it's definitely time tore-evaluate what's going on
behind the scenes Now.
(13:30):
I previously mentioned that Iwas working a full-time job when
I started my business and,honestly, I was juggling way too
many tasks because I wasworking long hours.
I would work all day.
I would come home, cook dinner,you know, clean up the kitchen,
help my daughter with herhomework.
Then I will still have to spendlike one to two hours on my
business tasks.
(13:50):
Now, while I didn't sacrificesleep.
I did sacrifice quality timewith my family.
So, as I mentioned, I will bephysically present, but more
often than not I was either onmy cell phone or sitting behind
my laptop working, and I thoughtI was being efficient, but in
reality I was spreading myselfthin and my family paid the
(14:14):
price for it.
So the truth is, holding on toevery task prevents you from
focusing on what truly matters,that's, growing your business,
but also being able to spendtime with your loved one.
By not delegating, you're stuckin the weeds, having to handle
tasks that could be automated orthat others could manage just
(14:36):
as well, if not better.
So here's what happens when youget your systems in place and
you start to let go of controland delegate effectively.
You have increased productivitybecause when you delegate
routine tasks that can't beautomated, you get more time in
your day, and that way you canfocus on more high-level
(14:59):
strategic decisions that moveyour business forward.
You also have better work-lifeintegration because when you
delegate, you can reclaim thattime and use it to focus on your
priorities again, and thisreduces stress and it definitely
improves your overall wellbeing.
Not to mention, you can slip insome self-care, which we all
(15:20):
need, but you also empower yourteam when you trust others with
important tasks.
This not only lightens yourload, but it gives them the
ability to take ownership, whichwill improve your company
culture, and your business willthen thrive because of it,
because they will be investedjust like you are.
(15:41):
And the biggest perk you'llexperience business growth when
you have more time and energy tofocus on your strategy and be
innovative.
Your business grows at asustainable and efficient rate.
So now let's talk about how youcan get used to delegating
without having a panic attack.
(16:01):
Small steps matter, so do notforget that.
Start small, like letting yourVA handle your inbox sorting,
and then, over time, let go ofmore tasks as the trust builds
up In this process.
Minimum amount of time is 90days, because you have to get to
(16:22):
know each other in order forthis to start coming together.
But go into it with the rightmindset.
Having a VA by your side islike having a reliable partner.
The right one will make surethat important tasks are handled
efficiently and criticalmessages are never missed.
So let's talk about why emailmanagement, or your inbox, is a
(16:44):
great place to start.
Well, if you're like mostbusiness owners, your inbox is
probably overflowing withmessages, many of which are junk
, that you don't need to begetting anyway.
Sorting through these emails tofind the important ones can be
time consuming, but a VA can oneunsubscribe you from the
unnecessary email lists and oneunsubscribe you from the
unnecessary email lists, filteryour inbox, sort your messages
(17:09):
and then that will leave onlythe critical messages that need
your attention.
Not only does it save you time,but it ensures that you don't
miss important communicationfrom clients, strategic partners
, opportunities or anyone oranything else.
Now, calendar management isanother area where a VA can be
invaluable, but I am not talkingabout having someone play
(17:32):
volleyball.
To get your meeting scheduledCatch up to the times, no matter
what, you should have an onlinescheduler in place.
This is one of the six corebusiness systems that I've
talked about on the podcastbefore.
But even when you have ascheduling system, things happen
, and this is where a VA comesin.
(17:54):
Here's an example you get anemail message that someone wants
to meet to discuss yourservices after meeting you at an
event or they were simply areferral, which is great at an
event, or they were simply areferral, which is great.
So your VA sees the email.
They send your standard replyusing your template and that
(18:15):
contains a link to your calendarfor them to schedule the call.
The link is connected to yourcalendar, shows your
availability in real time,because your VA can keep your
calendar up to date, along withyour assistants, but they email
you back and say they can't finda day in time that works for
them and they're getting readyto go on vacation in two weeks
but really, really want to speakto you before then.
Well, on this occasion, your VAcan handle this scheduling
(18:39):
conflict and get that meeting onyour calendar.
If they need to move a meetingfor you, they will discuss it
with you and handle that as well.
This kind of support isessential for maintaining
professionalism and it ensuresthat you can focus on those
high-level activities.
Let me give you a real-lifeexample of how this works.
(19:02):
One of my clients wasstruggling with getting meetings
scheduled and with having theirinbox managed.
They were paying a VA to handleevery step of this process
manually.
This often meant that emailswere getting missed or there was
a delay in setting up meetings,even though they had an online
(19:23):
scheduler in place.
It just was not being usedefficiently and the process was
not documented and Buildout toinclude a person.
So when their VA resigned withshort notice, they panicked, but
I saw this as an opportunity toimplement a more efficient
(19:44):
process.
So we automated the parts ofthe scheduling process that were
needed, but it still has apersonal touch.
So this makes setting upmeetings much more efficient and
it saves them a significantamount of money.
Previously, they were paying aVA for 10 hours a week, and five
(20:07):
hours or more of that was spenton scheduling and rescheduling
meetings.
By streamlining this one system, they have saved $700 per month
and the process is moreefficient.
So tasks that were previouslybeing handled manually by a VA
were reassigned to team memberswho should have been handling
(20:30):
those steps all along.
So not only did this save themmoney, but it has improved their
overall customer relations,productivity and morale, because
this is a membership.
Now, another reason thatdelegation is important is
because it opens up time in yourschedule so that you can
(20:50):
practice more self-care, and Italked about this a little bit
earlier, but now we're going toreally get into it.
Self-care is not a luxury, it'sa necessity.
And, yes, delegation is a partof self-care.
It allows you to focus on whatyou do best while your VA
handles the rest.
Not only does this help preventburnout, but it helps you
(21:14):
maintain a healthy work-lifeintegration.
Proper delegation enables youto fill your cup so you can
continue to pour into yourbusiness and your personal life.
I mean, think about it this wayIf you're constantly working
late, missing family events andfeeling exhausted, your business
is going to suffer.
You can't pour from an emptycup.
(21:35):
Delegating tasks to a VA freesup your time and energy and
allows you to recharge and be abetter CEO.
It's an investment in yourwell-being and the success of
your business.
Now, in a previous episode ofthe podcast, I talked about the
power of self-care in business,and in that episode, I shared
(21:55):
practical strategies to help youreally integrate self-care into
your daily routine, and I talkabout how this can transform the
way your business operates.
One key takeaway from thatepisode was the idea that
self-care is not just aboutbubble baths and relaxation,
because it's not.
It's really about settingboundaries, saying no when
(22:16):
necessary and delegating tasksso that you can focus on your
core strengths, and that's notjust in your business, that's
also in your personal life.
So I'm going to put a link tothat in the show notes as well.
Now let's talk about how youcan start building the six core
business systems.
Well, the first step is youneed to evaluate the current
(22:36):
status of your back office, andthis may not be your area of
expertise, and that's perfectlyokay.
That's one of the reasonsyou're listening to this podcast
, right?
But that's also why I createdthe BizOps checklist, because
it's a valuable resource that,at first, was available only
inside the Mighty Societymembership, but I wanted
(22:57):
everyone to have access to thischecklist.
So go to the show notes, clickthe link and grab your free copy
today.
I made this available toeveryone in my community because
my mission is to help as manysix figure entrepreneurs like
you as I can get your backoffice cleaned up and create
streamlined systems.
(23:18):
By aligning your business withyour values, you can take
control of your time, scale yourbusiness and create a life that
truly supports what you want,without leaving you feeling
overwhelmed.
Now, if you're thinking well,shannon, I don't have any
systems in place.
Well, girl, it's okay, becauseI'm confident that you have more
(23:39):
in place than you realize, butwe need to focus on getting them
out of your head and into adocumented format.
So documenting your processesis essential so that you can
identify bottlenecks,redundancies or inefficiencies
because they're holding you back.
So those processes that arestored in your brain, we gotta
(24:00):
get them on paper, and I mean ina digital format, and then you
can build systems which aregonna spark the change necessary
for growth, and this is not apart of the entrepreneur journey
that you can skip.
So if you haven't reached thebreaking point already, believe
me, you're going to get thereeventually.
And because you're listening tothis episode, it lets me know
(24:21):
that you have reached a pointwhere you need assistance.
It's a natural part of theevolution that we all go through
as solopreneurs.
To avoid burnout, delegation isthe key.
It lightens your workload andit allows you to have the mental
space and room in your scheduleto focus on the things that
(24:42):
drive strategic business growth.
However, you have to createsolid business systems before
delegating.
I cannot say that enough, butthis is where the Mighty Society
membership comes in.
As a member, you gain access toa wealth of resources, not only
the BizOps checklist, but thereare other resources in there
(25:05):
that are designed to help youbuild and refine your business
systems.
There are detailed roadmaps andtemplates that you can
customize, bite-sized videotutorials to help you use your
tech tools.
The Mighty Society membershipprovides the tools and support
that you need to createefficient systems so that your
(25:25):
VA can perform at their best aswell.
Plus, you'll have access to acommunity of like-minded women
who are also working onstreamlining and growing their
businesses.
So go to theshannonbakercom,forward, slash membership and
check that out.
(25:45):
So let's recap what we've talkedabout today.
So let's recap what we'vetalked about today.
Well, main point you need tobuild your systems before you
hire a VA.
Effective delegation andsuccessful outsourcing requires
this solid business foundation.
But if you don't havewell-defined systems and
processes in place, even thebest virtual assistant cannot
(26:07):
perform at their best orcontribute to your business in a
positive way.
We also talked about the factthat delegating is important for
business growth and for yourwell-being.
When you delegate routine tasks, this will help increase your
productivity, improve yourwork-life integration, it
(26:28):
empowers your team and itfosters a system or a atmosphere
where your business can growsustainably, because you're able
to focus on those high levelstrategic decisions while
investing in yourself, whichbenefits your business.
And then the third thing wetalked about was some resources
(26:51):
that you can use, which areinside of the Mighty Society
membership, but you can startwith the BizOps checklist
Remember, a link is in the shownotes for you to grab that and
then you can join the MightySociety membership to give you
access to the other tools andresources that you need to build
and streamline your businesssystems.
So if you're ready to transformyour business systems,
(27:14):
streamline your operations, joinus inside Again.
Go to theshannonbakercomforward, slash membership or
click the link in the show notesto get started and you'll get
access to those resources andthe support that you need from
me to start getting your systemsin place so that you can
effectively and efficiently hirea virtual assistant.
(27:38):
So I want to thank you fortuning in today.
Remember, it's not aboutworking harder, it's about
working smarter.
So build your systems, delegateeffectively and create the
business and the life that youdeserve.
And until next time, keep calmand streamline.
Thank you for tuning in thisweek.
(27:59):
Remember, just listening tothis episode will not get you
better results.
So I challenge you to break themold and take action today.
If you're unsure where to start,book a call with me to get your
questions answered about theMighty Society membership or
anything else that I mentioned.
A link to my calendar is in theshow notes.
(28:19):
Not ready to take that step yet?
No problem, be sure to connectwith me on Instagram, at the
underscore Shannon Baker.
You can ask me your questionsthere or let me know that you
enjoyed the episode by taking ascreenshot, sharing it and
tagging me Now, if you haven'talready grabbed my free audio
(28:40):
masterclass, why don't you juststart there?
It's a great first step toassess your back office on your
own, and this masterclassprovides valuable insights and
practical steps to help youorganize your processes, reduce
chaos and improve efficiency.
Go to theshannonbakercomforward slash audio masterclass
(29:04):
Now.
If you haven't left a reviewfor the podcast yet, please do
so.
I would love to hear from you,and it's an easy way to show
some love to the podcast andhelp me reach more small
business owners who are ready todefy the status quo.
I can't wait to hear from you.
So until next time, keep calmand streamline.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but hiring a
virtual assistant is not goingto solve the chaos and confusion
your back office is causing.
As a former VA who turned intoa business operations strategist
, I've seen firsthand howimportant it is to have solid
systems in place before youbring a VA into the mix.
(00:21):
That's why, today, I'm going totalk about some of the common
misconceptions that might beblocking your business growth.
By the end of this episode,you'll understand why building a
strong foundation in yourbusiness is the secret sauce to
sustainable growth, and you willknow how to start building that
foundation for yourself beforeyou hire a VA.
(00:43):
So trust me, you don't want tomiss this.
Welcome to the Mind your Timepodcast.
I'm Shannon Baker, yourcoffee-loving host and business
strategist.
Each week, I will sharepractical insights and bold
strategies for six-figureentrepreneurs looking to clean
up their back office and createstreamlined systems.
The weekly episodes will helpyou take control of your time,
(01:03):
scale your business and createsuccess on your own terms.
So grab your cup of coffee oryour favorite beverage and let's
dive into today's topic.
One of the biggest myths thatwe've all heard as business
owners is if you build it, theywill come.
We learned that that's a lie inlike Business 101, right?
Well, that's not the only myththat we're sold as business
(01:27):
owners or entrepreneurs.
There are hundreds of myths outthere about why you need to
hire a virtual assistant or a VA, when to hire them and what to
hire them for.
And I could talk about this forhours, but I'm not going to do
that.
I'll save you.
And I could talk about this forhours, but I'm not going to do
that.
I'll save you, but I am goingto address a few of the myths
(01:48):
that are, my pet peeves beingthat I am a former VA.
So one of the things I've heardmany, many business owners say
and I cringe every time I hearthis is I don't really need to
have systems in place, I justneed to hire a VA.
Well, the internet and too manyof these self-proclaimed gurus
(02:12):
give bad advice.
Like you can work a four-hourweek and earn six figures if you
just outsource all the thingsthat you don't want to do, but
let me tell you, my friend, theydon't tell you about the strong
business infrastructure thatyou need to even attempt to make
this happen.
Hiring a virtual assistantwithout having systems is like
(02:32):
trying to build a house withouthaving a blueprint.
Imagine hiring constructionworkers and telling them to
build your dream home withoutproviding them any plans at all.
That's going to be chaos, right?
Not to mention you're not goingto get what you want, if you
get anything at all.
The same applies to yourbusiness.
Without solid systems in placewhich, by the way, are the
(02:55):
foundation of a successfulbusiness, even the best VA can't
save you from disorganizationand inefficiency.
Systems are the backbone ofyour business operations.
They ensure that tasks arecompleted consistently,
efficiently and effectively, andwithout them, you're just
adding to the chaos rather thansolving it.
(03:18):
Another myth about hiring a VAis that you can hire them to
complete all the things that youdon't like to do as a business
owner.
Yes, you can delegate tasksthat you don't like, like, maybe
, bookkeeping, or it probablyisn't your expertise but
everything's not that simple.
Delegation is an art, andwithout proper systems and
(03:41):
guidelines in place, you'resetting your virtual assistant
up for failure and yourself, andI've talked about this very
topic on the podcast before.
Let me break this down for youas a business owner, your
primary focus should be to havethe time and mental space that
you need to complete the tasksthat directly generate revenue
(04:04):
and drive strategic growth.
These are things like creatingand executing your growth
strategy, building relationshipswith your existing clients and
building your network in closingsales, these tasks specifically
require your unique vision,your expertise and a personal
(04:27):
touch, and those are things thata VA simply cannot replicate.
And, let's be honest, most ofus don't like sales calls.
But you have to make thembecause you need sales to
generate revenue.
So if you hire a VA or build asales team too soon and you just
let them run forward, guesswhat?
(04:49):
You're going to end up withchaos, because think about it,
what happens when they lack thedepth of knowledge that you have
about your product or yourservice?
You will set them up forfailure and you will be missing
out on revenue opportunities.
Not to mention, you're wastingthe money that you're paying
(05:09):
them because they cannot workefficiently or effectively.
But when you have systems inplace, you can delegate
administrative and operationaltasks that can't be automated so
that they free up your time,then this gives you the space
that you need to focus on thoserevenue generating activities
(05:31):
that only you can do.
Then your VA can handlecustomer service inquiries.
Keep your operations runningsmoothly by updating your
existing processes as needed,while you concentrate on growing
your business and generatingrevenue.
Now I think you get the point onthis one and you can begin to
(05:51):
understand why you need businesssystems before you hire a VA,
because really, it's not justabout offloading tasks.
It's about building a solidfoundation that supports
sustainable growth and it freesyou up to focus on what truly
matters.
Think about having a businesswhere everything runs smoothly,
(06:12):
where you can delegateconfidently and know that the
tasks will be completed and youknow that your systems have
stabilized your businessoperations and they support your
team.
That's the goal that we'reworking towards from this
episode forward.
If you have not gotten this inplace yet and I feel very
strongly about this subject, notjust because I started off as a
(06:35):
VA, but when I first started mybusiness, I was working
full-time and handling all thetasks myself.
I believed that if I wanted itdone right, I had to do it
myself.
This led to long hours, missedfamily moments and a constant
state of exhaustion, and itwasn't until I implemented
(06:56):
strong systems in my businessthat I saw a real transformation
, and that took some time.
Honestly, some of them tookyears, but after I had clarity
in my business and the basicsystems were in place,
delegating became a possibility,and that brought relief instead
of being a burden.
(07:16):
And yes, I tried to delegateseveral times before my business
was ready and I failedmiserably, but that's a story
for another episode.
Now, in last week's episode, wetalked about the importance of
evaluating and improving yourbusiness systems to ensure
sustainable growth, and howhaving streamlined systems can
(07:36):
help you focus on what'simportant.
Not to mention, systems aregoing to keep your operations
running smoothly.
So if you missed that episode,I highly recommend you go back
and listen to it, becauseunderstanding how to build a
solid foundation in yourbusiness is really crucial
before you move on to the nextstep, which is building a team
(07:58):
and effectively outsourcing.
Now, despite popular and wrongbelief, a VA can't create the
structure your business needs.
They thrive when they can workwithin the structure or systems
that you've already established,and systems aren't just about
organization.
They're about creating asustainable workflow that
(08:20):
supports your business growthand stability, supports your
business growth and stability.
And once you have thisfoundation in place, hiring a VA
will actually amplify yourefforts rather than creating
more work for you.
Not to mention, you're notgoing to be wasting resources
because you will know exactlywhere to use them, which is any
place that steps can't beautomated.
(08:41):
Now many entrepreneurs believethat hiring a VA is going to
magically solve theirorganizational challenges.
However, without streamlinedsystems in place, a VA can only
do so much, because, again,systems are the backbone of any
efficient and scalable business,because they ensure consistency
, improve productivity and makeit easier for you to delegate
(09:03):
tasks effectively productivityand make it easier for you to
delegate tasks effectively.
Now, once you've built thatstrong foundation, you can start
thinking about how you canbuild on that.
But if you don't pause andthink about how you can work
smarter, then you're going toburn out, and that is where
outsourcing comes in.
But again, it's a strategicmove.
In addition to getting yourbusiness ready, you have to get
(09:26):
yourself ready mentally.
So let's talk about some commonchallenges that I've seen that
business owners make in thisarea, and I've seen people make
this mistake when starting out,and even among experienced CEOs.
All of us have to pretty muchdo everything ourselves when we
start out, and that's for anumber of reasons and sometimes
a number of years Having to workthis way, because you haven't
(09:49):
generated the revenue.
You need to invest in someautomation tools or even in
people, is common.
I've been there myself.
I worked my business for many,many years while working either
a full-time or a part-time job,so that I can have stable,
consistent income until mybusiness grew to where I could
(10:12):
leave my business because it wasself-sustaining and that just
happened a few months ago.
So there is nothing wrong withbootstrapping in your business.
I did it for years.
My goal when I started growingmy business was to make sure
that it was self-sustaining.
I started it that way and ithas continued to be that way
(10:34):
over many, many years.
So that meant at first I had touse the free version of a lot
of the tech tools and I onlypaid for the things that I
really needed those plusfeatures.
And then, as my revenue grew, Iwas able to upgrade my tech
stack and build out my processesfor more automated efficiency.
(10:57):
But again, that took some time.
So if that's where you are inyour journey right now, you can
see it's okay.
You can still build out yoursystems, especially those
related to customer service andcustomer care, because the
experience that you can providecan make or break your business,
because it has a direct impacton your brand, and I'm not
(11:18):
talking about you know, justyour logo, because that's what a
lot of people still think isyour brand.
No, I'm talking about howpeople feel when they hear your
name or the name of yourbusiness, but that also includes
what they say about you whenyou're not in the room.
The next part of my message isfor the business owner who feels
(11:40):
that they have to do everythingthemselves in order for it to
be done right.
Well, again, I have been heretoo, and that's why you'll hear
me say I'm a perfectionist inrecovery.
Now this sounds like the bestway to operate, but this mindset
leads to burnout, missedexperiences in life, sleepless
(12:01):
nights and a sense of beingoverwhelmed.
Now, when you try to controlevery aspect of your business,
it is very easy to get caught upin hustle mode.
You start working longer hours,which is often late into the
night, or you get up early inthe morning because you're
trying to keep up witheverything.
You're exhausted, so yourproductivity drops.
(12:22):
This makes it even harder foryou to stay on top of things, so
stuff starts to fall throughthe cracks.
Now, beyond the physical andmental exhaustion, there's an
emotional toll as well, becausewhen you're working more than
you're actually living.
You miss out on important oncein a lifetime events like
dinners with your family, yourchild's games or performances,
(12:44):
or you simply miss out onquality time with your family,
your child's games orperformances, or you simply miss
out on quality time with yourloved ones.
And because you're missing outon so many different things,
you're burdened down with guiltand regret, which adds to your
stress levels, and that's veryimportant to think about,
especially if you're listeningto this episode when it airs,
which is in the summertime.
This is really when mostfamilies are going on vacation,
(13:07):
having beach trips, etc.
Because the weather is warmer.
So if you're missing out onthose special once-in-a-lifetime
moments, or while everyone isenjoying themselves, you are
still head down behind yourlaptop.
Then it's definitely time tore-evaluate what's going on
behind the scenes Now.
(13:30):
I previously mentioned that Iwas working a full-time job when
I started my business and,honestly, I was juggling way too
many tasks because I wasworking long hours.
I would work all day.
I would come home, cook dinner,you know, clean up the kitchen,
help my daughter with herhomework.
Then I will still have to spendlike one to two hours on my
business tasks.
(13:50):
Now, while I didn't sacrificesleep.
I did sacrifice quality timewith my family.
So, as I mentioned, I will bephysically present, but more
often than not I was either onmy cell phone or sitting behind
my laptop working, and I thoughtI was being efficient, but in
reality I was spreading myselfthin and my family paid the
(14:14):
price for it.
So the truth is, holding on toevery task prevents you from
focusing on what truly matters,that's, growing your business,
but also being able to spendtime with your loved one.
By not delegating, you're stuckin the weeds, having to handle
tasks that could be automated orthat others could manage just
(14:36):
as well, if not better.
So here's what happens when youget your systems in place and
you start to let go of controland delegate effectively.
You have increased productivitybecause when you delegate
routine tasks that can't beautomated, you get more time in
your day, and that way you canfocus on more high-level
(14:59):
strategic decisions that moveyour business forward.
You also have better work-lifeintegration because when you
delegate, you can reclaim thattime and use it to focus on your
priorities again, and thisreduces stress and it definitely
improves your overall wellbeing.
Not to mention, you can slip insome self-care, which we all
(15:20):
need, but you also empower yourteam when you trust others with
important tasks.
This not only lightens yourload, but it gives them the
ability to take ownership, whichwill improve your company
culture, and your business willthen thrive because of it,
because they will be investedjust like you are.
(15:41):
And the biggest perk you'llexperience business growth when
you have more time and energy tofocus on your strategy and be
innovative.
Your business grows at asustainable and efficient rate.
So now let's talk about how youcan get used to delegating
without having a panic attack.
(16:01):
Small steps matter, so do notforget that.
Start small, like letting yourVA handle your inbox sorting,
and then, over time, let go ofmore tasks as the trust builds
up In this process.
Minimum amount of time is 90days, because you have to get to
(16:22):
know each other in order forthis to start coming together.
But go into it with the rightmindset.
Having a VA by your side islike having a reliable partner.
The right one will make surethat important tasks are handled
efficiently and criticalmessages are never missed.
So let's talk about why emailmanagement, or your inbox, is a
(16:44):
great place to start.
Well, if you're like mostbusiness owners, your inbox is
probably overflowing withmessages, many of which are junk
, that you don't need to begetting anyway.
Sorting through these emails tofind the important ones can be
time consuming, but a VA can oneunsubscribe you from the
unnecessary email lists and oneunsubscribe you from the
unnecessary email lists, filteryour inbox, sort your messages
(17:09):
and then that will leave onlythe critical messages that need
your attention.
Not only does it save you time,but it ensures that you don't
miss important communicationfrom clients, strategic partners
, opportunities or anyone oranything else.
Now, calendar management isanother area where a VA can be
invaluable, but I am not talkingabout having someone play
(17:32):
volleyball.
To get your meeting scheduledCatch up to the times, no matter
what, you should have an onlinescheduler in place.
This is one of the six corebusiness systems that I've
talked about on the podcastbefore.
But even when you have ascheduling system, things happen
, and this is where a VA comesin.
(17:54):
Here's an example you get anemail message that someone wants
to meet to discuss yourservices after meeting you at an
event or they were simply areferral, which is great at an
event, or they were simply areferral, which is great.
So your VA sees the email.
They send your standard replyusing your template and that
(18:15):
contains a link to your calendarfor them to schedule the call.
The link is connected to yourcalendar, shows your
availability in real time,because your VA can keep your
calendar up to date, along withyour assistants, but they email
you back and say they can't finda day in time that works for
them and they're getting readyto go on vacation in two weeks
but really, really want to speakto you before then.
Well, on this occasion, your VAcan handle this scheduling
(18:39):
conflict and get that meeting onyour calendar.
If they need to move a meetingfor you, they will discuss it
with you and handle that as well.
This kind of support isessential for maintaining
professionalism and it ensuresthat you can focus on those
high-level activities.
Let me give you a real-lifeexample of how this works.
(19:02):
One of my clients wasstruggling with getting meetings
scheduled and with having theirinbox managed.
They were paying a VA to handleevery step of this process
manually.
This often meant that emailswere getting missed or there was
a delay in setting up meetings,even though they had an online
(19:23):
scheduler in place.
It just was not being usedefficiently and the process was
not documented and Buildout toinclude a person.
So when their VA resigned withshort notice, they panicked, but
I saw this as an opportunity toimplement a more efficient
(19:44):
process.
So we automated the parts ofthe scheduling process that were
needed, but it still has apersonal touch.
So this makes setting upmeetings much more efficient and
it saves them a significantamount of money.
Previously, they were paying aVA for 10 hours a week, and five
(20:07):
hours or more of that was spenton scheduling and rescheduling
meetings.
By streamlining this one system, they have saved $700 per month
and the process is moreefficient.
So tasks that were previouslybeing handled manually by a VA
were reassigned to team memberswho should have been handling
(20:30):
those steps all along.
So not only did this save themmoney, but it has improved their
overall customer relations,productivity and morale, because
this is a membership.
Now, another reason thatdelegation is important is
because it opens up time in yourschedule so that you can
(20:50):
practice more self-care, and Italked about this a little bit
earlier, but now we're going toreally get into it.
Self-care is not a luxury, it'sa necessity.
And, yes, delegation is a partof self-care.
It allows you to focus on whatyou do best while your VA
handles the rest.
Not only does this help preventburnout, but it helps you
(21:14):
maintain a healthy work-lifeintegration.
Proper delegation enables youto fill your cup so you can
continue to pour into yourbusiness and your personal life.
I mean, think about it this wayIf you're constantly working
late, missing family events andfeeling exhausted, your business
is going to suffer.
You can't pour from an emptycup.
(21:35):
Delegating tasks to a VA freesup your time and energy and
allows you to recharge and be abetter CEO.
It's an investment in yourwell-being and the success of
your business.
Now, in a previous episode ofthe podcast, I talked about the
power of self-care in business,and in that episode, I shared
(21:55):
practical strategies to help youreally integrate self-care into
your daily routine, and I talkabout how this can transform the
way your business operates.
One key takeaway from thatepisode was the idea that
self-care is not just aboutbubble baths and relaxation,
because it's not.
It's really about settingboundaries, saying no when
(22:16):
necessary and delegating tasksso that you can focus on your
core strengths, and that's notjust in your business, that's
also in your personal life.
So I'm going to put a link tothat in the show notes as well.
Now let's talk about how youcan start building the six core
business systems.
Well, the first step is youneed to evaluate the current
(22:36):
status of your back office, andthis may not be your area of
expertise, and that's perfectlyokay.
That's one of the reasonsyou're listening to this podcast
, right?
But that's also why I createdthe BizOps checklist, because
it's a valuable resource that,at first, was available only
inside the Mighty Societymembership, but I wanted
(22:57):
everyone to have access to thischecklist.
So go to the show notes, clickthe link and grab your free copy
today.
I made this available toeveryone in my community because
my mission is to help as manysix figure entrepreneurs like
you as I can get your backoffice cleaned up and create
streamlined systems.
(23:18):
By aligning your business withyour values, you can take
control of your time, scale yourbusiness and create a life that
truly supports what you want,without leaving you feeling
overwhelmed.
Now, if you're thinking well,shannon, I don't have any
systems in place.
Well, girl, it's okay, becauseI'm confident that you have more
(23:39):
in place than you realize, butwe need to focus on getting them
out of your head and into adocumented format.
So documenting your processesis essential so that you can
identify bottlenecks,redundancies or inefficiencies
because they're holding you back.
So those processes that arestored in your brain, we gotta
(24:00):
get them on paper, and I mean ina digital format, and then you
can build systems which aregonna spark the change necessary
for growth, and this is not apart of the entrepreneur journey
that you can skip.
So if you haven't reached thebreaking point already, believe
me, you're going to get thereeventually.
And because you're listening tothis episode, it lets me know
(24:21):
that you have reached a pointwhere you need assistance.
It's a natural part of theevolution that we all go through
as solopreneurs.
To avoid burnout, delegation isthe key.
It lightens your workload andit allows you to have the mental
space and room in your scheduleto focus on the things that
(24:42):
drive strategic business growth.
However, you have to createsolid business systems before
delegating.
I cannot say that enough, butthis is where the Mighty Society
membership comes in.
As a member, you gain access toa wealth of resources, not only
the BizOps checklist, but thereare other resources in there
(25:05):
that are designed to help youbuild and refine your business
systems.
There are detailed roadmaps andtemplates that you can
customize, bite-sized videotutorials to help you use your
tech tools.
The Mighty Society membershipprovides the tools and support
that you need to createefficient systems so that your
(25:25):
VA can perform at their best aswell.
Plus, you'll have access to acommunity of like-minded women
who are also working onstreamlining and growing their
businesses.
So go to theshannonbakercom,forward, slash membership and
check that out.
(25:45):
So let's recap what we've talkedabout today.
So let's recap what we'vetalked about today.
Well, main point you need tobuild your systems before you
hire a VA.
Effective delegation andsuccessful outsourcing requires
this solid business foundation.
But if you don't havewell-defined systems and
processes in place, even thebest virtual assistant cannot
(26:07):
perform at their best orcontribute to your business in a
positive way.
We also talked about the factthat delegating is important for
business growth and for yourwell-being.
When you delegate routine tasks, this will help increase your
productivity, improve yourwork-life integration, it
(26:28):
empowers your team and itfosters a system or a atmosphere
where your business can growsustainably, because you're able
to focus on those high levelstrategic decisions while
investing in yourself, whichbenefits your business.
And then the third thing wetalked about was some resources
(26:51):
that you can use, which areinside of the Mighty Society
membership, but you can startwith the BizOps checklist
Remember, a link is in the shownotes for you to grab that and
then you can join the MightySociety membership to give you
access to the other tools andresources that you need to build
and streamline your businesssystems.
So if you're ready to transformyour business systems,
(27:14):
streamline your operations, joinus inside Again.
Go to theshannonbakercomforward, slash membership or
click the link in the show notesto get started and you'll get
access to those resources andthe support that you need from
me to start getting your systemsin place so that you can
effectively and efficiently hirea virtual assistant.
(27:38):
So I want to thank you fortuning in today.
Remember, it's not aboutworking harder, it's about
working smarter.
So build your systems, delegateeffectively and create the
business and the life that youdeserve.
And until next time, keep calmand streamline.
Thank you for tuning in thisweek.
(27:59):
Remember, just listening tothis episode will not get you
better results.
So I challenge you to break themold and take action today.
If you're unsure where to start,book a call with me to get your
questions answered about theMighty Society membership or
anything else that I mentioned.
A link to my calendar is in theshow notes.
(28:19):
Not ready to take that step yet?
No problem, be sure to connectwith me on Instagram, at the
underscore Shannon Baker.
You can ask me your questionsthere or let me know that you
enjoyed the episode by taking ascreenshot, sharing it and
tagging me Now, if you haven'talready grabbed my free audio
(28:40):
masterclass, why don't you juststart there?
It's a great first step toassess your back office on your
own, and this masterclassprovides valuable insights and
practical steps to help youorganize your processes, reduce
chaos and improve efficiency.
Go to theshannonbakercomforward slash audio masterclass
(29:04):
Now.
If you haven't left a reviewfor the podcast yet, please do
so.
I would love to hear from you,and it's an easy way to show
some love to the podcast andhelp me reach more small
business owners who are ready todefy the status quo.
I can't wait to hear from you.
So until next time, keep calmand streamline.
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