You had a dream of running your own business, you worked hard (like all start up’s do) to build your business and you have seen some success. Then suddenly your dream turns into a nightmare: you are working long hours, feeling overwhelmed, you dream of a time when you were in control, and are on the verge of jacking it all in.

Working with a Virtual Assistant could be the lifeline you need and avoid you reaching burn out. VA services are becoming more and more popular, because of their flexibility, affordability and expertise across a number of industries.

From my experience many business owners avoid outsourcing their daily admin work because they don't know how it's going to work. 

Is it quicker if I just do it myself?  How do I know work has been completed properly?

I want to ease these mysteries and tell you my client experiences of working with Spero Solutions. Let me walk you through the process from first enquiry through to every day operations.

  • I receive a new inquiry (YAY!) I reach out introducing myself and organise a meeting or a call. I also provide a free outsourcing checklist to help potential clients identify what areas they need support with.
  • Prior to our meeting or call, I do my homework. I look up the business, see what their customers/clients say. Try to gain a better understanding of what value I can add.
  • We have our initial chat, here I delve deeper into the individuals needs. I pride myself on always being honest and open about the services I can provide. Like many VA’s I have done this many times before so I know the right questions to ask to source all the information I need.
  • If the client is happy to go ahead with the service. We agree on time and cost, I provide a contract detailing all the legalities, confidentiality agreements, and we set a start date.
  • Now the exciting bit starts, I get to know your business and how you work inside and out. With all of my clients we start slowly, and often on a trial period, the client sets a few small tasks and the workload gradually increases. This way we have time to build a trusting relationship and understand each other's working styles.  
  • We live in a time where technology is in abundance, which means finding software to manage workers remotely has never been easier. I use a variety of tools:Project Management software and templates to collaborate and track progress.Time Tracking software to record time spent on individual projects.Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive for storage and collaboration.I am a big fan of Google Suite, so tend to utilise this a lot for calendars,creating documents, databases, forms the list goes on for its capabilities.In addition to the above I use, to name a few, Slack, Loom, Canva, Hootesuite, and Xero.

Alongside all this wonderful software, some clients prefer a weekly catch via zoom or google meetup to discuss workload others ask for a regular report detailing progress. It is of course all dependent on the clients preferences, but the point is that there is an option for everyone in today’s world.

While most business owners have the ability to do each of the tasks they choose to outsource. Finding the right people to work with can often lead to the work being completed a lot better, faster and often cheaper. You can hire an experienced professional to work a certain amount of hours per month without having to commit to their equivalent full time wage or settling with a less-experienced employee.