Joe is a successful small-business entrepreneur. He’s often so wrapped up in the tasks he already has on his plate, he can’t even contemplate the ever-growing projects on his wish list.
But Joe’s idea parking lot is bursting at the seams. He has to-do lists out the wazoo; many balls in the air. And even though he knows he doesn’t have the time bandwidth, Joe can’t help churning out new ideas. Business is growing, but it hasn’t even scratched the surface of his company’s potential.
Stop me when this is sounding familiar.
Welcome to the world of today’s small-business owner. Let’s call it the entrepreneur’s dilemma: so many ideas, but never more than 24 hours in a day.
How many projects do you have parked on your wish list? How many Big Ideas have you sidelined “until you have more time?” Realistically, when do you think you’ll find that time?
Chances are, you won’t: 3, 6 or 12 months down the road, you could ask yourself the same questions and give yourself the same answers. There’s no way to create more hours in the day, but there is a way to set your backburner projects in motion. And I don’t mean by cutting out sleep and meals and weekends!
I’m talking about bringing on a skilled and organized project manager without breaking the bank—a business-grade virtual assistant (integrated into your team) with project management skills to move your projects forward, and get things done.
Get The Project Management Ball Rolling
A business-grade virtual assistant with project management skills makes things happen. She or he leverages whatever time you do have to get down the important details: your vision, your input and the direction you’d like to take toward implementation. Here’s how it works:
First, you’ll have to carve out just a bit of time to prioritize your projects: separate them into short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.
Second, you’ll sit down with your ‘business-grade’ virtual assistant to explain your project(s) and lay out specific standards and guidelines for each project. This is the heaviest time investment you’ll have to make, but it’ll pay itself back many times over – think of all the hours you’ll save by explaining yourself one time, and only once.
Third, introduce your virtual assistant to your team – whether employees or contractors. Fill her in on any insights you have about strengths, and challenges e.g. Greg is a great developer but he needs frequent reminders to stay on track. Let them get to know each other.
Finally, hand over the project/s to your new project management virtual assistant, and get back to the strategic priorities that require your expertise.
A Business-Grade Virtual Assistant Manages Your Projects
Not only can your VA get your projects organized, she can manage their implementation. That’s right: choose the right virtual assistant – that means a business-savvy VA with project management experience– and your projects will get out of the parking lot and onto the highway.
Think of your virtual assistant as your arms and legs with gears: you take one small step, and she takes big strides on your behalf. So what are some of the things she can do? Your project management virtual assistant can:
- Create project budget estimates – and provide real-time bookkeeping to keep your projects on target to meet budget
- Serve as the interface between you and your project team: you’ll only need to handle high-level questions and concerns
- Outline project tasks
- Delegate project tasks
- Identify qualified freelancers or contractors
- Develop project schedules – and maintain those schedules
- Create status reports, to be shared weekly, biweekly, monthly, or another schedule of your choosing
Your virtual assistant can also administer your project management software, or recommend an online solution that best fits your needs: Basecamp, Trello, Asana and others. Don’t worry, you won’t have to do anything; your VA will do the necessary research, make recommendations, and support you in the decision-making process.
The Key: A Business-Grade Virtual Assistant
Finding the perfect project management VA can be as simple as identifying a business-grade virtual assistant company. Established companies like Boldly can assign you a dedicated virtual assistant from their team of professionals, allowing you to save time and get up and running quickly. They’ll match you with a virtual assistant who has the talent you require: organization, professionalism and project management know-how; and the personality that will allow them to fit in to your company culture. Better than that they can give you access to their full team including web developers, designers, and multi-lingual assistants should you need it.
Hiring your virtual assistant through a professional company eliminates your risk. Virtual assistant companies like Boldly test and vet all their VAs, and offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. See how it works.
December 2022 Update: Times have changed, and Virtual Assistants with this level of expertise are now typically called Remote Executive Assistants.
