You’re right: you don’t really need a personal or executive assistant. You’ve made it this far in your career without one. You can do your day-to-day work without an assistant and you can grow your business without an assistant too. The real question is: how quickly and how efficiently do you want to
do those two things?
Entrepreneurs are Jacks (and Jills!) of all trades. Because they’ve built businesses from the ground up, they’re used to stepping in whenever a task needs to be completed: from calling suppliers about delivery delays, to preparing presentations for those hectic quarterly management meetings. Entrepreneurs are driven, competent, and fueled by copious amounts of coffee. There’s just one problem: they’re human. And no human is good at everything. No human has limitless capacity.
Of course, we all know this already. That’s why companies hire Sales Directors, Marketing Directors and HR Directors. A programmer can’t do what a Finance Director does, and vice-versa. And whilst it may appear evident that you should have specialists working in specialised roles, many people overlook the opportunity to delegate administrative tasks to a specialist. Why would you? Let’s see: yes, it can take a lot of back-and-forth sometimes, but you’ve successfully booked your own meetings before. You’ve taken meeting minutes before, even if it meant you weren’t able to contribute much during that meeting. You’re very proud that you single-handedly created your team’s SharePoint or Google Drive (even though finding a time to maintain it is a constant struggle). And so what if you may not have always gotten the best deal? You still booked your own travel in the past. Your email inbox is sort of, vaguely, organised. You’re getting by without a professional assistant, right?
But think about this: how much of your time are you wasting on admin tasks? How much of your valuable, specialist time is being consumed by these types of activities? Ask yourself if you’re genuinely doing those tasks efficiently and correctly. If not, it’s time to consider hiring a specialist. Even if you’re doing them efficiently and correctly, could your time and energy be better or more profitably spent doing something else? Chances are, the answer is yes. Will the additional time and energy you gain with an assistant keep you sharp and focused on your core functions; get things done faster; and help prevent burnout at work? Unquestionably.
There’s a theory about decision fatigue that argues we all have a limited amount of “good” decisions we can make in a day before our brains start getting tired and begin making poorer decisions. Do you believe you should waste your limited “good” decisions on where to take your client for lunch or how best to organize your team’s shared drive or what brand of pens to order for the office? We believe your “good” decisions should be focused on your core role, whether that’s defining your go-to-market strategy, or hiring the right candidates, or analysing your company’s financials.
“OK, you’ve made your point, and I’d consider hiring a PA, but…”
“…I don’t have time to train up someone new.”
A few hours of your time on Day 1 is enough to get a seasoned personal assistant able to start taking things off your work plate, and clearing your schedule. You’ll find that a little time investment goes a long way and you’ll see instant results.
“…I can’t afford someone right now.”
Canopy Group offers high calibre, remote PAs and EAs at a fraction of the cost of an experienced in-house assistant – all without overhead costs or contractual obligations.
“…I don’t know whether having someone remote is exactly what I’m looking for. I think I want something more personal.”
Canopy Group prides itself on pairing you with an assistant whose skills and qualifications are best suited to your business needs. When you have been partnered with a PA/EA, they will meet you on the first day to establish that face-to-face interaction and reassurance early on. We have seen how quickly trust and camaraderie between our clients and their assistants develop, despite the physical distance. The only thing your personal assistant won’t be able to do is bring you your coffee.
“I need a PA”
We know, and we’re here for you.
Contact us to set up a call to go over your specific needs and learn whether we’re right for you.
