How Experts Can Succeed at Building a Virtual Team
Building your virtual team is like building a satellite office. The trick is to work out what you need based on your revenue.
When I first started my business, I really struggled to get the support that I needed. When I would speak with other people, they would often say, ‘Just get a VA’, or ‘Just go to the Philippines’, or ‘Just get an ex-EA’. Unfortunately, it’s ‘just’ not that easy.
I’ve been through seven VAs and business managers since then. One didn’t show up to work one day, and it turns out that she was off having a baby. But she hadn’t even told me she was pregnant. Another was using the corporate card for all her personal expenses. People suggested virtual assistants, but they didn’t have enough initiative, or ex-EAs but they had the wrong soft of skillset. In fact, all of the well-meaning advice that people were giving me meant that I wasn’t honing in on what I really needed.
Like most experts, I needed someone that I could really trust with my personal branded business. After all, when they’re working in your personal business it is just that – personal – and anyone who’s working in that business will be exposed to a lot. So, I needed someone I could trust, and someone that could do some marketing and some admin and quite a lot of other tasks.
What I Really Needed Was a Virtual Team
It turns out what I really needed was a virtual team. People who could manage marketing and admin and provide expert consulting services and who would really get to know my business. I needed more than just a VA or a business manager – I needed a variety of people, such as SEO specialists, graphic designers and even typesetters – to really help me succeed in my business.
So, I needed to learn how to build a virtual team. And most experts, as they build their practice, will need to do the same.
How Experts Can Succeed at Building a Virtual Team
The problem is, in the early days, most experts also can’t afford to put somebody on full time. So, we put up with mediocre support or lose a lot of time searching for the right person in the wrong places. But building your virtual team is like building a satellite office. The trick is to work out what you need based on your revenue.
What you need based on your revenue
So, if you need a person with a high level of initiative and you’re willing to pay a large wage, you can look to a local business manager. If you need someone who has a fairly high level of initiative but is more reasonably priced, you can look to an offshore agency where there is more supervision. And if you need someone who is more process driven you can either look offshore (such as the Philippines) for someone that is low cost, or pay local wages for an onshore VA.
Each of these options will have their pros and cons. But if you work out what you need, and the best way to get it, then you are on the way to starting your virtual team.
Top 50 ROI Activities to Outsource
First you work out what you need based on your revenue. Then you can work out the best activities for you to outsource.
Outsourcing by Revenue - Downloadable PDF
These 50 ROI Activities will show you the best activities to outsources depending on your revenue level. So, in the beginning, your best return on investment might be outsourcing your newsletters, then as your practice grows you might branch out to social media. The biggest factor is to figure out what you need done and how to prioritise those activities.
Once you figure out what you should be outsourcing, you can start the search for the consultants who can help you do that work.
Embrace the Gig Economy
Even prior to COVID-19, the world was moving towards the gig economy. And freelance and contract workers are expected to rise as high as 40% of Australian workers by 2025. Embracing contracting consultants gives you access to highly driven, valuable talent without hiring them for full time work. These are the professionals that can help you with those items that you are ready to outsource. So, you can build your satellite office on your own terms.
Image via www.zazzle.com
How are you building your own virtual team? I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Jane Anderson is a strategic communications expert, speaker and the author of seven books including the upcoming Catalyst Content. With over 20 years of experience helping people to communicate confidently, she is obsessed with authentic influence and human connection to drive business growth in a world of disruption and automation. She delivers Content Creation Bootcamps (Virtual and Face to Face), Coaching and Keynotes. To inquire about her working with you or your organisation please contact us here.