Launching your own business can be a hugely exciting and rewarding experience, albeit quite nerve wracking too. Last year saw over 660,000 new start-ups in the UK alone, so we are not short on budding entrepreneurs by any means. Statistics have shown that an amazing 64% of the workforce aspires to set up in business themselves.
Unfortunately 20% of start-ups don’t make it past their first year and a huge 60% proceed to fail within the first three years. So starting a business isn’t always a breeze and compromises need to be made as time is at a premium.
You need to have a vision, a clear business plan and a back-up plan too. Not having these could determine whether a business will sink or swim early on. There are so many things to consider, cash flow, the amount of tasks at hand, are you prepared to become a multi-tasking juggler?
If you’ve found yourself overwhelmed and struggling to cope with the sheer volume of tasks as a new business owner, there is a solution that can help set you up for success and it comes in the form of a VA. But how can they help your new business get off the ground?
Setting Up…
When you’re just starting out there are systems that need to be put in place to get the process going. You’ll need email accounts created, accounting, filing and reporting systems set up and meetings scheduled. These jobs are vital, however they can be very time-consuming, taking you away from the work that ultimately only you can do.
A good VA will take care of this launch process for you and set up everything that needs to be in place – meaning you can do your job as a new business owner, and not spend valuable time on admin. They can then keep on top of the everyday tasks that crop up as the business grows, such as managing your diary and inbox, even if this is simply letting you know where and when you need to be to make sure you don’t miss anything important.
Your VA has their own business so will know how you’re feeling and what needs to be done. They can offer advice where/when needed and fast become your right hand person.
The All Important Website…
For a new business today, a website is essential, but again, it is something that takes time to sort out. While you’re juggling everything else, creating a website means you have to project manage a web developer, designer and copywriter, when actually you could hand this task over to a Virtual Assistant to manage for you. You just let them know the vision for your website then approve and sign off on important milestones, but the day-to-day, nitty-gritty work of moving the project along can all be managed by your VA. You can also find Virtual Assistants who are great at creating compelling content themselves. They can tweak and refresh content for your website, craft and draft blogs and source images that’ll complement your copy.
Once your website is set up and running, your VA can then continually update it and keep things ticking along to guarantee a great user experience for both existing customers and new sales prospects. They can maintain a regular feed of new blog posts to keep readers engaged and add new products to your e-commerce platform.
Your First Customers…
Hiring a Virtual Assistant to help you convert customers can be invaluable when just starting out. They can not only set up your CRM, manage all of your sales enquiries and strengthen your new business pipeline, but they can build your customer relationships and onboard new ones too. They will also be able to stay on top of your customers’ needs and feedback.
Be Social…
Having an active social media presence is a must if you want your business to be successful, but many business owners aren’t familiar with social media or don’t have the time to dedicate to it. A VA will happily spend time each week managing your social media, writing posts and monitoring engagement. They can create a content plan for you and help you to execute an effective social media strategy to grow your audience and keep them engaged.
Talent Scouting…
Once you’re up and running and ready to grow, your Virtual Assistant can also take the hassle out of the recruitment process. Placing job adverts, screening candidate’s CVs, arranging your interviews to help you find the best team. Once you have found the right people, they can coordinate training for your new team members, so that a good work standard is created from the get-go.
Finally…
Your business is going to change as you grow and having a Virtual Assistant on hand to implement changes quickly and efficiently really will make an enormous impact. A VA can keep track of all the important processes and systems you need in place, identifying where and when improvements are needed in order to ensure you succeed. The more growth you experience, the more reporting and overseeing you’ll need!
And that my friends, is exactly how having your own Virtual Assistant can help you and your start-up to well, start up.
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