5 Signs You May Need An Assistant

I’d like to think that I am Superwoman. I can leap tall buildings in a single bound dressed in high heels and a pencil skirt while saving the world before I’ve had my AM cup of coffee. But the truth is far from that. I do a lot to maintain my business and projects, that’s for sure, and I work hard. But with all that is on my plate including this blog, working on my book, planning this year’s Show Me the Blog Social Media and Blogging Conference, taking care of my family, freelancing, consulting, et al, things do fall through the cracks.

That’s when I knew I needed an assistant to help me with my tasks.

At first, I thought that getting an assistant meant that I wasn’t handling my business well. I should be able to do it all, right? Wrong. Handling your business means that you know your limit, and understand when it is time to bring someone in to help you with your goals.

So that’s what I did. I hired Jen from JR Professional Services to help me do what I couldn’t do. And after almost two weeks of having her on my team, I already feel my load lighten.

Hiring an assistant doesn’t mean you give them work you don’t want to do. It means being able to delegate the tasks that you don’t necessarily have to do to make room for things that you must do to grow your business and your brand.

Here are 5 Signs You May Need An Assistant:

1. You are working harder, not smarter- The pile is getting bigger, not smaller, and the quality of work is beginning to suffer because of it.

2. You have no free time- Even the POTUS takes a vacation every now and then. And if HE can, then so can you. And if you feel you can’t, then you probably need an assistant to help you.

3. You have to turn down work you know you can do because you can’t get it done in time- Turning down work that you want to do but can’t is a sure sign that you need an assistant on hand.

4. Your health is suffering- Are you suffering from more headaches and migraines than normal? If your blood pressure high? Your body usually indicates your stress and health level, so if you aren’t as healthy as you should be , it could mean that you are working too hard.

5. People tell you to get an assistant- I’ve been told for months that I needed someone to come on board and help me a few hours a week. It finally hit me that I did.

There are different types of assistants you can hire. Some colleagues of mine have hired college interns who earn college credit for working a set amount of hours. You can also hire a VA (virtual assistant), which is a person who works remotely from their home or office. I currently have a VA and because of technology, we are able to accomplish everything we need to via the computer, email, DropBox, Skype, smartphone, etc.

I am still getting the hang of delegating, but I feel so much better knowing that I have help! Gifting yourself an assistant may be the 2nd best thing you’ve done for your business!

Now, honestly—do you need an assistant?