HIRING EXERCISE - PART 2:

If you're on this page, it means that you've completed the Office Efficiency Evaluation, and have determined that it's time to bring on some clerical support.  The purpose of this part of the exercise is to decide which chores, exactly, your new Assistant will need to have responsibility for.  Bear in mind that this applies whether you are opting for an in-house Assistant or one of our virtual teams - the needs are the same.

1) LIST ALL ROUTINE TASKS:  Using a spreadsheet, or even just a piece of paper, make 3 columns titled "DAILY," "WEEKLY," and "MONTHLY."  Then begin to fill each column with those tasks that you typically perform on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.  If you need some ideas, click here for a list of tasks we typically perform for clients.

a.  At this point, don't worry about the complexity, skills required, time frames/deadlines, etc.  Just make a generic list under each of the categories.  Take your time and include EVERYTHING!

b.  Be sure to include the mundane stuff also because a few minutes here and there can add up to a significant amount of time every month!

2) DETERMINE WHICH TASKS CAN BE DELEGATED:  Obviously there will be certain tasks that only you can and should perform, so now create one more column: "Tasks I MUST perform." Once this column is made, go back to the other lists, review each task and move any that are applicable to the appropriate new column.

a.  Consider each task carefully.  For instance, something like determining fees for proposals is probably something that you must do, but actually filling in the blanks on a proposal template from information you provide and processing it to your customer can be done by your assistant.  You may be more comfortable managing your own calendar, but would there be value in someone answering your phones AND scheduling your appointments, based on criteria you provide?  You get the idea - look over each task and ask the same questions.  Once you've honestly and thoughtfully completed this exercise, you'll have a good idea of which tasks can be outsourced to an employee or a virtual assistant, and which ones you need to hold closely.

Here's a minimal example of how your finished spreadsheet might look like (Column D would be completed after finishing Columns A, B & C).  In a real scenario, there would be many more entries:

As you can see from this minimal example, you'll begin to get a feel for the specific tasks that you'll be hiring either an employee or a virtual team to perform.  The more this is reviewed and tweaked, the better your outcome and satisfaction will be.  Once this is completed to your satisfaction, it would be a good time to create a policy and procedure manual so that anyone your hire (or outsource to) will have a reference to how you expect tasks to be completed.

3) EVALUATE THE COST/BENEFIT RATIO:  The next step will be to determine how much you can afford, based on your budget and the potential value of bringing in support staff.  For instance, if you're a small start-up business and have nothing but time on your hands, then it might not make sense to hire an assistant.  However, if you're putting in 12-16 hour days, spinning your wheels, missing calls and opportunities, and not being able to focus on the important aspects of running your business, then an assistant - whether virtual or in-house - is something to seriously consider.

FINALLY:  DECIDING BETWEEN HIRING IN-HOUSE OR OUTSOURCING TO A DAYBREAK VIRTUAL TEAM: 

a) Most small business owners really only require a limited number of hours of support per week.  It's obviously difficult to find someone willing to work short hours - and you really don't know when you'll need them.  As an alternative, we can provide you with a full support team that will be available whenever you need them during normal business hours - even if it is only a few hours a week.  Daybreak provides a truly virtual staffing solution:  You'll have 40 hours of coverage available on demand even if you only need a few hours - and you'll only pay for what you use.

b) With the exception of physically handling paper, we can provide any task normally provided by in-house staff.  (And if paper is an issue, we can help you go paperless).

c) Our average small business owner pays between $300 and $800 per month for all the front and back-office support they need.  The first two weeks of service is absolutely free so you can orient your new team at no charge (versus hiring an employee that requires a salary while being trained) and you can "kick the tires" to see if a virtual staffing solution is something that can work.  And if you find that you need less coverage, or even no coverage, Daybreak's virtual support resizes with you, and you don't have to worry about paying unemployment taxes.  On the same token if you find yourself in peak period of activity, our virtual staff can provide the necessary coverage immediately.

Finally, if you decide that you really do want on-site staff, we'll be happy to refer you to some excellent on-site temp agencies.

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