Are You a Business Owner or Does Your Business Own You?
It’s hard out there sometimes for a business owner, I get it! But guess what? You do know that you don’t have to do it all on your own, right? I’m not exactly sure what brought you here to this blog - perhaps you’re wondering if this is a sign that it’s time to hire a Virtual Assistant or maybe you’re just a curious business owner who’s open to discovering new ways to enhance their company. Either way, I’m here to give you some tips!
I’ve taken the time to create a quick quiz that is intended for you to one, be honest with yourself while answering. Two, come face to face with reality and own it! And three, find out what the next steps I suggest that you take.
Good luck and see you on the other side!
Instructions: As you read through the questionnaire, truthfully answer every question. Rate each response on a scale of 0-2 (0 is not true, 1 is somewhat true, and 2 is very true). At the end of the quiz, add up your points. Once you’ve tallied up your score, continue reading below to find out my take on you as a business owner and my advice for you.
Do You Need a Virtual Assistant?
1. You spend more nights burning the midnight oil just to finish up tasks that have been long overdue for weeks now.
2. Your off days have now turned into your “catch up” days. Your inbox is flooded with unread emails, your social media accounts have days-worth of unchecked notifications, and you have yet to organize your meetings for the month in your calendar.
3. You no longer have time for yourself. You find it difficult to make time to head over to the gym, spend a day with the family or a night out with your friends, read a full chapter of a book, meditate to the soothing sounds of rain falling in the background… sleep?
4. You can’t find time to engage in activities that specifically reset your mind. Walking in nature, listening to your favorite podcast, watching reruns of Will & Grace or Judge Mathis, gardening.
5. Deadlines to finish tasks and projects are becoming more and more unrealistic and unbearable.
6. You have problems setting and abiding by your own boundaries. Meaning that you’re not able to call it a day if a task is not fully complete and simply resume the following day.
7. You haven’t found any inspiration lately on creative ways to take your business to the next level.
8. Your workload is so piled up that you haven’t had the chance to read an article on “50 Simple Ways to Revamp Your Business” or watch a YouTube clip from your favorite influencer who is also a creator in your craft.
9. The projects which you do manage to actually complete are no longer up to par to the quality of work that you’re used to producing.
10. You find it difficult to ask for help because you want things done your way. And to justify feeling this way, you tell yourself, “This is my business after all, and therefore my vision. So why have someone else handle the tasks if they’re not going to do it the same, exact way that I would”?
Points 0-4: Way to go! You’ve got things under control!
Well look at you! Not only are you a business owner, but you are the MASTER! You’ve figured out a formula that not only works for you but also serves you. A lot of business owners fall victim to becoming flooded and tied down with projects, tasks, appointments, meeting deadlines, and so forth. But not you! You’ve managed to maintain a balanced work life and social life.
There’s not much to say to you other than, if it’s not broken then don’t fix it! Continue doing what you’re doing!
But hey! Even though you may not need a Virtual Assistant, perhaps you know another business owner who does. So pay it forward and send them this way!
Points 6-14: Staying afloat, but barely. It might be a good idea to start considering a Virtual Assistant.
It's no fun living paycheck to paycheck, and neither is living just day to day. What do I mean by this? Living paycheck to paycheck is simply just getting by without having enough money left over to actually enjoy some of the nicer things. And here you are, perhaps not living paycheck to paycheck, but living day to day - simply doing just enough to accomplish the day’s tasks, but what time do you have left over to enjoy life?
You may not be at the point to where you are overwhelmed with the workload, but as the weight gets heavier or the longer your shoulders have to bear the weight, something is going to eventually give. So don’t wait for that time to come before you realize it’s time for a change.
Start now to begin thinking about getting your time back! Do the homework now and and start searching for a virtual assistant so that by the time you actually need the help, you would’ve already found the perfect candidate!
Points 16-20: Stop what you're doing and hire a Virtual Assistant now!
As the old saying goes, “Choose your battles wisely”. And this battle just isn't for you, so stop what you’re doing, drop the pencil & pad, and slowly back away from the computer. After you’ve wisely taken these instructions, simply woo-sah for about 3 minutes, regather yourself, and call it quits for the day. When the day breaks tomorrow, I want you to start scouting for a virtual assistant.
You’ve done your best so far, but now it's time to find some extra leverage by getting some help. I know you like things done your way but sometimes what molds someone into being a great leader is also being a great follower. So let go of the wheel and get an Uber driver. Not literally, but you know what I mean. Allow someone else to take the initiative and pick up the slack in certain areas of the business. You’d be surprised at how many new and valuable things you might learn from them.
Part of being a good business owner is being able to make good decisions, so go ahead and make the move!
So, how’d you do? Have you gotten it all figured out, that having a virtual assistant just doesn’t seem necessary right now? Or have you gotten yourself so caught up behind deadlines, that hiring a virtual assistant just might be the way to go? Or maybe you’re somewhere in between? Well, wherever you happen to be, I hope this quiz helped place some things into better perspective for you. My goal is to make sure that you don’t overwhelm yourself to the point where you no longer recognize the person in the mirror.
Before you start taking care of business, take care of self, first!
As I said before, being a business owner is already hard enough and a heavy crown to wear, so don’t subject yourself to doing it all alone. When your mind becomes so weighed down, what freedom does it have to be creative and innovative? How will all the fresh ideas be pouring out or how can you have the discernment to easily find solutions to problems? Do yourself a favor and don’t hesitate to to get some help when you need it. Your future self will thank you!
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
