Small Business Owners, Here Are 3 Signs You Need an Executive Assistant
If you're an entrepreneur or small business owner, there's a chance you could benefit from some executive assistance. Here's how to tell if you could use an extra hand, plus tips on how to find affordable administrative help.
What exactly is an executive assistant?
Executive assistants do many of the same things as receptionists and administrative assistants, though there are some key differences.
These professionals have ample administrative experience, and they can definitely handle the phones. They also tend to have expertise in project management. Once they’ve been successfully onboarded to a company, they’re pros at working independently.
Executive assistants often work with a company’s top brass, like the founder or CEO. At Intelligent Office, we like to say our Intelligent Assistants are the next best thing to getting a clone.
But do you really need an executive assistant? Here are the top three signs you could benefit from some additional support.
1. You feel overwhelmed.
This is perhaps the most obvious sign that you need an assistant. Their main job is to reduce stress and overwhelm so that you can focus on your core competencies and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
An executive assistant can handle tasks like:
- Setting up meetings
- Printing, copying, and filing
- Preparing, sending, and following up on invoices
- Depositing checks
- Outbound calling to help grow your client roster
- Phone answering, including customer service
If offloading tasks like the ones above would reduce your stress levels, it’s time to consider an executive assistant.
2. Your business is growing.
As your small business grows, you may find yourself juggling an ever-increasing load of responsibilities. Tasks that used to be easy to finish suddenly get lost in the weeds. Before you know it, you feel like you have no control over your workday.
This scenario isn’t uncommon for growing businesses. After a certain point, it doesn’t make sense for a company’s leadership to handle every administrative and operational task — you have other things to worry about.
Hiring an executive assistant means those tasks will be handled by a competent professional, helping you gain more control over your workday.
3. You have the budget to hire an executive assistant.
No matter how stressed they are, some small business owners don’t have the budget to hire additional support.
But, if you’re considering hiring someone due to an increase in business, the ROI of an executive assistant could pay off handsomely.
The secret to finding an affordable and flexible executive assistant
There are a few ways to go about hiring an executive assistant. The traditional route entails posting a job opening, reviewing countless resumes, conducting interviews, and finally hiring.
Fortunately, there’s an easier way to get the support you need: Virtual Intelligent Assistants (that’s what we call our executive assistants here at Intelligent Office.)
These professionals provide a concierge level of executive assistance — think of them as your one-stop solution to service every administrative need. We use an “on-demand” model, which means you only pay for the time you need. It’s an affordable and stress-free alternative to hiring a full or part-time assistant.
Don’t take my word for it, though. Click here to get in touch with an Intelligent Office location near you. Our team will get to know your company and answer any questions, then you can make the best choice for your small business.
