Running a small business is very rewarding, but it’s never easy. Invoices, calendar management, and even travel arrangements can be a major time suck. An administrative assistant can be a valuable asset to a small team, and in many cases, can be necessary for real growth. How do you know if it’s time to bring an assistant onboard? Here are some telltale signs to look for.

1. 5 Signs
Y O U M I G H T
N E E D A N
A S S I S T A N T

2. Running a small business is very rewarding,
but it’s never easy. Invoices, calendar
management, and even travel arrangements
can be a major time suck. An administrative
assistant can be a valuable asset to a small
team, and in many cases, can be necessary for
real growth.
How do you know if it’s time to bring an
assistant onboard? Here are some telltale
signs to look for.

3. 01
YOU ARE
AVOIDING TASKS

4. Being passionate about your business is
important, but that doesn’t mean that
you’ll enjoy everything that comes with
being a small business owner. If
inputting the numbers and sending out
invoices isn’t getting done because you
prioritize the things you enjoy over the
things you don’t, then you should
consider getting someone who can
handle those things for you. Some things
that you really can’t ignore are:
Invoicing
Financial tracking
Content marketing
Scheduling

5. 02
YOU ARE TOO
BUSY FOR NEW
WORK

6. Being busy is a great
problem for a business to
have, but if you are too
busy to take on new
clients then you are doing
the business a disservice.
If you are working like
crazy, but you still find that
not everything is getting
done, it’s time to rethink
your strategy.

7. "An assistant can take on the
things you don’t want to be doing
or don’t have time to do properly
so everything will run more
smoothly and you can
concentrate on making your
small business a big player."

8. 03
YOU AREN’T
USING SOCIAL
MEDIA

9. It’s 2015, how can you possibly not be
using social media right now? The
importance of social media for small
businesses can’t be stressed enough.
Everyone already knows who Expedia
and Pampers are, and utilizing social
platforms is one of the best ways to get
your business exposed to the masses. If
you don’t have the time, energy, or
enthusiasm to keep up with social
media, you’re missing out on a big
opportunity.
Seriously.

10. 04
YOU DON’T HAVE
ALL THE SKILLS

11. Well, of course you don’t have all the
skills! No one does. The first step to
growing your business is recognizing
that you can’t do it all, and effective
leaders look for team members who can
do it better than they can.

12. 05
YOU JUST CAN’T
KEEP TRACK

13. There’s something to be said for an
assistant who knows your small
business so well that they can
manage your calendar for you. Do
you know how much time you
spend each week scheduling
meetings for yourself or answering
emails? It’s probably accurate to
say a whole bunch of time. If you
need to set alarms for yourself and
keep a bunch of lists around to
manage your time, you may have
better luck having an assistant take
over.

14. What Small
Businesses Should
Look For...

15. Experience is always a big plus, but the most
important things to look for in a new assistant
is passion, commitment, and skill. The best
way to manage invoicing and calendar
management can be taught, but a love for
content management and social media
cannot. Pick someone who fits in with the
company culture and who can meet their long
term goals by joining your team.

16. P R E S E N T E D B Y :
D E R E K P A L I Z A Y
NEED HELP GROWING
YOUR BUSINESS?
CONTACT DEREK PALIZAY & ASSOCIATES
WWW.DEREKPALIZAY.COM >>
WRITTEN BY:
SHAUNA ARMITAGE
DIRECTOR OF
INBOUND MARKETING