When's the last time you took a vacation? Can you remember the last time you actually stopped working to eat lunch or God forbid, took a sick day? Do you remember your kids' names? Ok, maybe that last one is a bit extreme, but let's face it, as entrepreneurs, there is little time left for life outside of work. Yes, to be successful in starting your own business, you must be driven, even obsessed at times, but at what cost? We lose sleep. We lose time with friends and families.
We most certainly sacrifice such frivolities as hobbies, exercise, relaxation, etc. In the beginning of a new venture, all of these sacrifices are necessary evils. However, far too often, many of us fail to re-assess our level of obsession with our business' actual need to be our solitary focus in life. Often times, we reach a point in the cycle of our venture where it is growing steadily and is quite successful. By no means am I suggesting that this is a time to become complacent, however, I think that many of us are too stubborn to realize that we've reached such a point. We have become our business, and our business has become our life.
We are going through the day with such tunnel vision that eventually something's got to give! This might be a good time to assess our options. Some of us may be lucky enough to be doing well enough to hire on additional staff. This can bring us instant relief.
What if employees aren't feasible for your business yet? Are you destined for a life void of anything outside the realm of your business? The answer is simply no! Many small business owners are discovering a newer, more cost-efficient way of lessening their work load. They are going online into the world of virtual employees. Virtual assistants can be a godsend for those who have occasional projects that require extra manpower. Virtual assistants can handle just about any project or task that an onsite administrative assistant would without the additional costs of actually hiring an employee and with no long term commitment.
Basically, it's one more way small businesses are following the lead of their larger, corporate counterparts. Outsourcing administrative and human resource tasks is a growing trend that can help small business owners take back their personal lives while maintaining their quality of work and the success of their business.
Dana Wallert is the owner of an online virtual assistance company. She has many years experience in sales and marketing, as well as office management. Find more about Dana and sign up to receive her free monthly newsletter at DW Office Solutions
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