#228 She Hired a Virtual Assistant and Her Business Scaled – Here’s How She Did It
Do you ever feel like you’re trying to do everything at once?
That’s not a good sign, m’dear.
When you’re trying to run a business and handle everything by yourself, it quickly becomes overwhelming and you end up drowning in the day-to-day tasks that aren’t actually moving your business forward.
That’s why the third pillar of the Desired Brand Effect is “Delegate to Elevate,” because being overwhelmed is no way to live.
I sat down to chat with Krista DeJoseph, someone who really took “Delegate to Elevate” to heart.
As the creative behind Queens Metal, Krista has been at the helm of her company for over a decade. Designing and fabricating jewelry is her passion, and nothing makes her happier than smashing the heck out of a piece of metal.
When Krista decided she wanted to take winters off to travel, she knew she needed someone to keep an eye on things while she was gone. This led her to “stumble into” (her words) hiring a virtual assistant.
But she never expected what happened next…
Her brand totally elevated! With some of the weight lifted off her shoulders, she’s able to focus on the big picture and actually scale her business effectively.
Plus – she has less stress and more time to live the life she wants!
Krista noticed how many designers are nervous to take the leap and hire a virtual assistant, so she came on Thrive by Design to answer some FAQs and talk about what she’s learned.
Click here to download the show notes
Start With a Brain Dump
“What if I don’t have enough work to keep my virtual assistant busy?”
If this doubt has crossed your mind, you’re off to a good start – it’s a valid concern to have. But you probably have more work on your plate than you realize…
Before you even consider hiring a virtual assistant, start with a good ol’ brain dump. Write down everything that needs to be done to run your biz. It may help to make four lists: daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly tasks, and quarterly tasks.
Which items on the list can be outsourced to a part-time virtual assistant? Probably a lot, right?
Let Your VA Grow With Your Business
Shortly after the hiring process, Krista began to recognize her virtual assistant’s diverse skill set and saw it as an opportunity to get her involved in more areas of the business.
This is a crucial part of building any team: recognizing people’s individual strengths and giving them room to grow into the roles that fit them best.
Krista’s assistant started by shipping orders while Krista was away. Now, she’s a full-time employee who can tackle anything from website updates to advertising.
Learn to Let Go…
Creative visionaries tend to feel very possessive of their art. This is part of what makes your jewelry great, but at some point, you have to let go – just a little bit!
Sort out which tasks are the most important to you, and keep an open mind to delegating.
With clear expectations and effective systems in place, you can still be in control of your biz without being directly involved in everything.
Still have questions about how to find the right virtual assistant for you? Listen to the full episode of Thrive by Design for more tips and guidelines.
Until next week, m’dear!
xo, Tracy
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Links:
The Desired Brand Effect Book!
