How to know when to Hire a personal/administrative assistant

Being an entrepreneur is a lot of work. Between planning, phone calls, emails, and execution, it can get overwhelming. A vital step to help you stay sane as an entrepreneur would be to get all the help you need.

Hiring a personal or administrative assistant may seem ‘unimportant.’ Still, it is beneficial, as personal assistants play different roles in reducing your workload by helping you with tasks.

Who is a Personal Assistant and What Do They Do?

Based on the name, a personal assistant is someone you hire to “assist” you with an agreed set of tasks, helping you be more productive with others.

They may help with either basic and personal stuff or administrative or executive duties.

A personal assistant carries out assignments you don’t have time for or need to be adequately equipped for. They are efficient in organizational, time management, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Depending on your needs and the agreement between an employer and the employee, personal assistants can function in different roles and capacities. When they take on these responsibilities, they help you to stay sane as an entrepreneur.

Personal assistants perform duties ranging from running errands like picking up your laundry and helping you order lunch/dinner to managing your calendar and daily activities, making and taking calls for you, setting up meetings, making reservations, bookings, inquiries, and so on. 

They do anything to make your life easier and reduce the stress you might encounter as an entrepreneur by ensuring things work smoothly. 

They are a crucial part of any business.

When Should You Hire a Personal Assistant? 

Although there are factors to consider before you hire a personal or administrative assistant, you should not wait till your sanity is affected. Your workload starts to take a toll on your health and personal life.

When you notice the following at the same time or intervals while running your business, it’s a sign that you need to hire a personal assistant.

1. Reduced productivity on your part

Does it look like Time is never enough for your everyday tasks? Are the items on your to-do list piling up rather than being ticked off? Do you need help with tasks and ways to complete them?

If your answer to these questions is yes, you need to hire a Personal or Administrative Assistant. 

When the 24 hours in your day start to look like 2 hours 40 minutes, with all you have to do staring at you and gathering momentum to knock you out, preventing you from resting as well as you should hire a personal or administrative assistant to help.

Read also: Why you need content marketing for your business

2. Strained work-life balance

Do you always find your “work-life” working its way into your personal life? Are you almost always exhausted and drained, with little or no time for personal needs?

Are there times when you find yourself thinking about work when you should be resting or spending Time with friends and family?

If this is you, it just shows that your work life affects your personal life, causing pressure on both ends. And you need to find enough help, so you can easily create a healthy balance.

Hence, an assistant.

Read also: Benefits of remote hiring as an entrepreneur

3. Forgetfulness 

Do you forget necessary appointments and meetings even when you swore not to forget?

Do you need help keeping track of your schedule because of your workload?

These are indications that an administrative assistant has to come to your rescue.

Do not lose prospective clients or customers due to your absent-mindedness and lack of help; hire a personal assistant.

4. Lack of specific skills needed for specific tasks

One can’t be an expert in EVERYTHING. You may be good at writing plans and leading your team, but you may prefer to avoid reading and responding to emails. 

So, getting someone that can complement your weaknesses or inadequacies is essential, enabling a sound output.

A good personal assistant could go through your emails, filter them and respond appropriately. This is where you hire a personal or administrative assistant.

Read also: Things every company ownner must do to succeed

But before you decide to hire one, you need to give thought to a few things;

1. Know what you can and cannot delegate. It would help if you didn’t hand over all your work to your assistant.
2. Be sure you are okay with allowing someone to handle your tasks.
3. Be specific with your requests and instructions; effective communication is critical.
4. You need to be patient enough to train someone to do your work to your liking.

Benefits of Hiring a Personal Assistant

1. Makes life easier

Hiring a personal assistant would make life easier for you and enable you to focus on the important stuff in your business. 

2. Helps you to be more organized

A vital job description of a personal assistant is the ability to organize. This is done by managing the day, appointments, tasks, and assignments. With your whole day mapped out, being organized would be fine.

3. Saves Time

Hiring a personal assistant also saves you Time since someone handles some of your tasks. Two heads are indeed better than one. (Just be sure the other head is a good head)

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4. It helps you to be more productive

Instead of trying to multitask and getting stuck, personal assistants would take responsibility for the tasks you delegate. This would help you focus on the demanding ones, enabling you to do your best.

Conclusion

If you have contemplated hiring a personal assistant, this article should give you the go-ahead to pursue that. Hiring a personal assistant helps you remain sane, as your workload has been reduced, leaving you with an organized few.

Likewise, with a competent assistant, your mind is at peace, knowing that your business is in safe hands.

Insight Tip: How to Manage Your Online Business Effectively. You can also join our whatsapp community to know when we launch a course on whatsapp marketing and other digital skills.

About Author

Gee

I am a student of Obafemi Awolowo University. A Gen-Z and advocate for the Soft Life. I spend most of my leisure time as a freelancer, creatively curating content and telling relatable stories. I am also passionate about quality lifestyle.

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