Is your list overwhelming?

You had this great idea, turned it into a business and now you make money from it. Well done! In reality though, a lot more hard work goes into making any business successful and the behind the scenes work can often get overwhelming but money is tight and you just can’t afford to take anyone on or add to the team.

If that scenario is familiar then why not consider outsourcing? There is good business sense in freeing up your time to concentrate on the activities that make you money and spend less time on the actions that do not.

As a virtual assistant, I often see people commenting on Twitter or their blogs about how busy or overwhelmed they are and wondered how much on your To-Do list you could delegate to free up valuable time?

This is a list of activities that I’ve been asked to do recently;

• Create a slideshow on Powerpoint for a job interview.
• Merge spreadsheets containing a list of names and email addresses into one usable document.
• Create a CSV file for outlook from a collection of business cards.
• Create a HTML email for a small business wanting to let their contacts know they had moved.
• Proofread a study outline for a PhD Student.
• Take notes at the AGM of a small charity, produce the minutes and distribute.
• Confirm appointments for a small sales team and follow up with a thank you “email”.
• Research the relevant contact names for local media business correspondents.
• Credit control letters for overdue accounts.
• Liaise with printers and research prices for advertising materials.

Take a look at your list, if you feel overwhelmed by it what could you outsource?