No Office? No Problem! Manage Your Business From Anywhere.

One of your greatest worries, as an entrepreneur, is probably how to run your business without physically being in the office. Factors such as profit loss, reduced productivity, as well as employee misuse of business equipment may keep you up at night. However, by micromanaging, you might be ignoring other crucial areas that could help your business grow, add innovative changes, or even develop new strategies.

Focusing on growing the business and seeking new opportunities becomes effortless with the appropriate delegation and hiring of an Administrative Assistant (AA), Personal Assistant (PA), or a Secretary. Luckily for you, this new approach allows you to be more hands off and gives you the time to steer the company in the right direction.

The Difficulties of Running the Company Without Your Supervision

Outsourcing some of the functions of your company may raise some questions. Is my team able to carry out the necessary business changes without outside help? What happens to my salary? What effect does my absence have on routine tasks and overall productivity? It is also possible that other employees are not as productive as you, which can be a source of stress as well.

Not hiring an assistant means that you are micromanaging the entire process. By doing so, you’re preventing yourself from any new innovations and strategies on how to grow your business. Solving this problem could mean that you first get hired an assistant whose work you can undoubtedly trust. This will free up some of your time, allowing you to make huge decisions for your business.

Types of Assistants: EA, PA, Assistant, Secretary

Once you figure the size and nature your business will take on, you can choose to hire from among the following options:

 Executive Assistant (EA)

An EA is considered as a top-level position and works side by side with people in top positions such as the Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer. An EA usually takes charge in significant meetings with clients, makes strategic calls, and manages employment in the absence of their boss. Some of the activities that an EA can handle include:

• Decision making in the absence of a manager
• Managing strategic business projects
• High level management of clients

For instance, your EA can conduct important client meetings and make decisions that you would in your absence.

 Personal Assistant (PA)

A PA has a more encompassing and detailed-oriented job. They are in charge of updating their manager’s calendar by making appointments, communicating, and even booking trips. The PA’s goal is to give the manager a better chance to think about the strategy needed to grow the business.

A PA’s job varies greatly, but here are some common tasks:

• Scheduling appointments and meetings
• Communication with clients and their files
• Office and travel arrangements

 Secretary

A secretary is a position that is usually a level above junior office administrator and entails such clerical responsibilities at the office like managing documents. A secretary does these tasks: answers calls, responds to emails, books appointments, and keeps office paperwork in order.

Main responsibilities of a secretary include but are not limited to the following:

• Receiving and making phone calls
• Office emailing management
• Meeting scheduling and client appointments booking
• The Benefits of Having an Assistant for Smaller Businesses

As the owner of a new small business like a dental office or a retail shop, you may think that there is no reason to hire an EA, PA, or even a secretary. Nevertheless, every size of business has admin work, and making sure there is someone to do the menial tasks will give you, the owner, more time to grow the business.

If your company is smaller, you can start hiring a full-time Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, or Secretary after your business has reached a certain level. Until then, you can assign select responsibilities to trusted staff members. For example, a PA can assist with appointment scheduling, client correspondence, and other daily administrative activities.

Process of Recruiting an EA, PA, or Secretary

To achieve an optimal performance in your business from a distance, below is an ordered process to recruit an assistant.

Make a to-do list: List down everything you do for your business, no matter how trivial. Make sure you cover all the bases e.g., following up with clients, managing files, organizing office supplies, and scheduling meetings.

Assign responsibilities: Figure out what tasks can be passed onto others. Whether you have an office assistant, secretary, or any other dedicated staff member, delegating responsibilities like email response management and meetings scheduling should be simple.

Select the position: Depending on the size of your company determine whether you need an Executive Assistant, a Personal Assistant, or a Secretary. For higher level responsibilities in larger companies, an Executive Assistant will be ideal. For smaller companies, a Personal Assistant or Secretary can work.

Evaluate performance: It is important to monitor the performance of your business assistant regularly. Check in with your assistant every couple of days, weekly, or once a month to see how they are doing.

How to Hire an EA, PA, or Secretary

There are options given below to help you hire a suitable candidate:

Speak to HR leaders and experts: No matter if you are in the nearby vicinity or in big cities, the metropolitan HR consultants will be able to help you source candidates for the available position.

Job websites: Competent employees can be found on various websites such as LinkedIn and Naukri.com, where you can either create job listings or look for particular set of skills.

Their expectation of pay may vary depending on the role:

EA (Executive Assistant): Most of the time they’re a postgraduate degree holder or MBA and have at least 5 to 6 years experience. They take care of senior level duties, and thus, receive higher compensation than others. In some cases, these individuals are granted shares through ESOPs.

PA (Personal Assistant): At least a bachelor’s degree with 3 -4 years of working experience. They assist in scheduling and performing various administrative tasks. They are paid less than an Executive Assistant does and they normally do not get ESOPs.

Secretary: Degree holder with 1- 2 years of experience or freshers who know the basics of computers. The salary is dependent on the level of multitasking, but it is almost always lower than both EAs and PAs.

Massive Action Plan: Proceeding with Implementation

•  Record all activities undertaken in the business.
•  Pinpoint activities that can be assigned to someone else.
• Depending on the size of your business, you should consider recruiting an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, or Secretary. A larger firm would require an Executive Assistant, whilst a small business would do well with a Personal Assistant or Secretary.
•  Start supervising their performance as soon as they are recruited. You can do it after 3 days or on a weekly or monthly basis.
• Make sure you have a new system put in place within 15-30 days, and you have started to get your assistant to do other tasks.

Final Thoughts:

Achieving More Without Working Harder and Giving it to a Virtual Assistant

Simply put, the best way to manage a business remotely without being physically present in the office is to allocate responsibilities to different people. This way by engaging the services of a EA, PA, or Secretary enables you to concentrate on activities that benefit the company, such as decisions that tilt the company towards growth, expansion activities, and so much more.

It doesn’t matter if you have a small retail shop, a dental or medical clinic. Having the relevant assistance from the right type of admin can assist you greatly. While you are not present on the business, make sure that it does not decline. So begin today by delegating in order to concentrate on the important aspects of the future of the business.

Categories: Busyness To Business