Last week we had a lively discussion about Virtual Assistants on our Facebook group, Share…Support…Grow. Eliza Fayle of Silver and Grace emailed us her thoughts and we decided they were perfect for a post. Enjoy!
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As a project manager in a large government department, I have witnessed the financial cost of trying to save money. I realize that is an odd statement, but a very true one. By attempting to combine roles and skill sets to save money, large amounts of money are wasted.
Sadly, we cannot control how our tax dollars are spent. We can, however, make wise decisions with our own business dollars. This involves hiring the right roles and skill sets for the tasks we need completed. However, sorting out who does can be confusing. To help you assemble the best team for your business, here are the key roles and skill sets that I would hire for my own business, Silver & Grace.
Virtual Assistant
The role of virtual assistant has become more than administration and bookkeeping. Most of us have an online presence that requires ongoing maintenance. When we start up, chances are we are sorting through our own inbox, keeping the finances up to date, and engaging with our clients from start to finish. But we also have to keep our blogs running smoothly. A VA can take all this over, including tasks such as:
- moderating comments and emptying out spam
- posting articles including selecting images
- researching and making recommendations on plugins to meet evolving business needs
- setting up the plugins and modifying widgets
- backing up your website or blog
Webmaster
For more complicated setup of a website and ongoing maintenance, I would hire a webmaster. You want an IT professional who stays up to date with ever evolving technology, and can keep your website running smoothly. If you are using your own servers it is very important to hire someone who keeps them backed up and safe from crashing.
Marketing Expert
I have read everything I can get my hands on about marketing. However, for a large product or service launch I would hire a marketing expert. This is someone who has demographic studies at their fingertips and understands the psychology of your target client. You want someone who can say with confidence “we WILL sell your product and service based on this campaign.”
Public Relations Expert
The role of a public relations expert is to keep you in the public eye at all times. This involves knowledge of day to day marketing techniques, such as the use of social media, but it is more than that. The public relations expert is your community builder, both with your potential clients and other businesses.
Branding Expert
I left this to the last, but I consider it the most important skill to hire. I realize branding is an over used term, but if you are not properly branded, you will never have to worry about hiring any of the other people I mentioned above.
I worked with Wendi and Deb for a full year to bring clarity to what Silver & Grace is. Wendi, through her Creative Clarity Coaching, helped me zero in on exactly what my message is. Deb, through Blue Sun Studio Inc., then took that message and breathed visual life into it. Every written and spoken word of Silver & Grace repeats the same message. Every visual component of Silver & Grace echos that message in look and feel. My clients know exactly what Silver & Grace is. They never have to guess.
As business owners, we want to maximize our revenue and minimize our expenditures. We may be tempted to hire someone who says they can do it all. Maybe they can. But they cannot do it all well. In the end, this will cost you money, not save money.
When it is time to assemble a team of professionals, save yourself time, money and frustration. Hire the right person for the job.
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Eliza Fayle is an international intuitive mentor and psychic. She believes that all women over forty are fun, sexy, intelligent and real. Through Silver & Grace she offers a wide range of products and services to enhance those qualities.