I’m Fine

Under Chapter 02. Life Changes: Ready or Not

Outsourcing has captured the imaginations of most working professionals, especially with the advent of technology and the availability of “virtual” assistants who can work for you through the Internet without your incurring the expense of renting office space. Today, through the Internet, you can create a virtual staff by using the services of individuals or companies that are not necessarily located in your state or even country. You can literally go anywhere online to find the best help for the right price to fit your specific needs and your budget.

According to the International Virtual Assistants Association, almost every business of any size has benefited from using virtual assistants for bookkeeping, writing, editing, graphic design, public relations, media relations, strategic planning, and technical and creative services. You can’t do everything yourself, and trying to do so will create stress, while also diverting your attention from the tasks you do best. That’s why even solo entrepreneurs use the same outsourcing strategies that major international firms do, to boost their bottom line.

dear diva

“I have too much to do and not enough time to do it all. Please help.”

secrets from the de-stress diva

1. Delegate. Make a list of what you do best, and delegate as many of your other responsibilities as possible by outsourcing. Make a “to delegate” list based on what will best free up your time so that you can accomplish your main goals. For example, think of daily activities that you consider tedious and time-consuming as areas where you can use outsourced help. Keep a running list of your outsourced work and your virtual assistants. For example, I have created a form (you can download it at www.destressdiva.com/assistants ) that allows you to keep a list of what each assistant needs to do and also provides an easy way for you to manage what has or hasn’t been done.
2. Create a detailed job description. Before you outsource, create a detailed job description listing the skills and the work you want done. Use this to advertise for outsourced help.
3. Audition your help. Allow candidates to audition for the job by performing a task you want accomplished as their audition, such as writing, analysis of a project, and so forth.
4. Measure their contributions. Create a to-do list for your out-sourced help, and require your virtual staff members to submit a “done” list with each invoice. You’ll be able to better track their progress and will have a resource to analyze over time to determine whether your outsourcing needs are being met or you need to look elsewhere.
5. Be flexible. It takes time to develop an off-site relationship. Allow your outsourced help and yourself enough time to synchronize different time zones, personalities, and styles of delivery to accommodate your needs.
6. Be considerate. The 24/7 availability of the Internet does not mean you can expect 24/7 access to your virtual staff. Keep different time zones in mind. Don’t expect an e -mail that you send at 2 P.M. to be answered at 2:15 A.M. Just as onsite staff members can have emergencies that keep them from the office, so can your virtual assistant. Make sure, however, that these “emergencies” do not happen repeatedly.
7. Protect your intellectual assets. Consult an intellectual assets specialist to ensure that your assets do not become those of your virtual assistant. An attorney can create a contract that protects your trade secrets, methods for accomplishing work, unique products and services, and other intellectual assets.

Glance at Your Calendar

Our calendars are wonderful sources for information. In this case, I want you to start gathering information about how your time is being used.

1. Look at your calendar to figure out how you have been spending your time.
2. Ask yourself, “Is this where I want to be spending my time and energy?”
3. Reflect back on week one and try to remember whether you felt stressed, overwhelmed, or calm and how much high-priority work was accomplished.

Write

Write about what you would like to spend your time doing at work and at home. Just keep writing until you have about three pages of notes. It usually takes two pages before your subconscious desires clearly begin to emerge.

Check Personalities

To lower your stress when working with a virtual assistant, you may want to choose your assistant just as you would any employee, making sure that her or his skills are what you need and that your personalities are compatible.
Breathe
According to the Journal of Human Hypertension , you can potentially lower your blood pressure by slowing your breathing to fewer than ten breaths per minute, for about ten minutes, and this may lower your blood pressure 5 to 10 points.

Laugh

For as little as fifteen minutes a day, you can burn up to 40 calories by laughing, reported the International Journal of Obesity. Laughter also promotes stress relief and strengthens the immune system.

Virtual Assistants Resources

www.craigslist.org is an online area where you can place your ad for the type of employee and work you are looking for.

www.assistu.com is a site where you will find qualified virtual assistants in many different areas of expertise.

daily aspiration “I give myself permission to delegate work today.”

Source: Ruth Klein, The De-stress Diva’s Guide to Life: 77 Ways to Recharge, Refocus, and Reorganize Your Life, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey (2008)

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