8 questions to ask yourself before you hire an assistant in 2025
If your to-do list is never-ending and you worry you're not making progress, STOP!
You might think hiring an assistant is the quickest solution to your to-do list woes. And you’d be right.
But an assistant isn’t always the best option for everyone. And I’m saying this as an assistant!
Before you hire help, take a moment to answer the following eight questions with yes or no.
Need time to create/grow
1. Do I need more time to focus on new ideas, developments, and business growth? Yes/No
Missing deadlines or events
2. Have I missed too many deadlines or events because I’m so busy? Yes/No
Procrastinating tasks
3. Do I put off tasks I can’t do or don’t enjoy? Yes/No
Too much administrative work or repetitive tasks
4. Do I spend too much time tackling admin or the same tasks over and over again? Yes/No
Ready to scale
5. Am I ready to scale up my business within the next twelve months? Yes/No
Making too many mistakes
6. Am I regularly making mistakes in spelling, grammar or emailing the wrong information? Yes/No
Overwhelmed
7. Are the extra hours, stress, and endless hustle becoming too much? Yes/No
Financial stability
8. Do I have enough money for a business investment that will reduce my to-do list and my stress? Yes/No
Results
If you’ve answered ‘no’ to most of these questions, breathe.
You’re still busy, but you’re managing.
Perhaps you still need an assistant.
If you answered ‘yes’ or know you need an assistant, you can skip to I need an assistant.
If you want an alternative to hiring an assistant, keep reading.
How to manage without an assistant
Going through the questions one by one, here are alternatives to hiring an assistant.
1. I need time to create/grow
Look at how you are spending your time.
Without impacting your downtime or reducing your rest, reallocate some time to focus on those growth goals. A few hours a week fully focused on creative endeavors adds up, and you’ll be making progress in no time. But if making time is a problem, keep reading.
2. I need more time to hit deadlines and attend events
Time management is a skill we can build.
If you keep missing deadlines, here’s a quick guide to managing your time on projects.
Split the task into smaller, manageable tasks.
Organize each new task chronologically.
Give each task a set amount of time to complete.
Add a bit more time to each task. We all underestimate how long tasks can take, especially when life can be unpredictable.
Give each of those tasks a deadline.
Complete that task before moving to the next.
Make sure the final deadline you set is before the actual deadline.
The time between your self-improsed deadline and the actual deadline is time you can use to edit or seek feedback before sending off the final version. Or to catch-up if time got away with you.
If you feel like you’re missing out on events, here’s another time management technique.
Choose events that offer the most benefits to you.
This is a personal decision based solely on what you find important. It could be events that offer networking opportunities with folks in your industry. Or it could be a chance to meet like-minded individuals with whom you could build mutually beneficial relationships. Maybe you miss attending events that inspire you.
Don’t choose too many, just one or two a month to see how you go.
Now, make them a priority. Because these events are important to you, they are a priority. Sometimes, just moving something from ‘nice to have’ to ‘need to have’ changes how we think about it. Now it’s a priority, you will make time to make it happen.
3. I procrastinate tasks I don’t like or don’t do well
There are always tasks we don’t like or feel we can’t do well. The only fix is to get them out of the way or learn how to do them better.
Some folks like to get all the tasks they don’t like out of the way first. If this sounds like you, give yourself a set amount of time to get through a set amount of tasks. Take a break where you need to, ideally after an hour. Or promise yourself a treat after the tasks for the day are all done. An alternative is to alternate the tasks you don’t like with those you do like throughout the week.
If you don’t like a task because you’re not good at it, remember: you’re not good at it yet.
Give yourself grace and time. You will get better.
4. I have too many repetative tasks
Repetative tasks that are necessary but take up too much of your time can be automated. Sure, it will take time to set up automation, but eventually, you’ll be saving time.
Here’s an example. If you find yourself answering the same questions from customers, stop.
Create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section for your website. When folks ask the same questions, you can copy/paste the answer or direct them to your FAQ section.
Be proactive and anticipate the need by including a link to your FAQ in your email signature.
5. I’m ready to scale my business
When a business is ready to scale, hiring staff or finding support is a usual part of the planning process.
If hiring isn’t an option, could you scale down some areas of your business?
Would improving time management and adopting automation be better than a new hire?
Don’t limit the tasks to those that exist now. Once you’ve scaled, there will be more work to do.
Think about what future work you could automate and start implementing it now.
6. I make too many mistakes
We all make mistakes. These mistakes can lead to growth and a better understanding of where we need to improve. If the mistakes you keep making are simple fixes, like spelling mistakes, give yourself time to edit. Use a spellchecker for spelling and grammar. Don’t press send on that important email before you’ve read it through. Let it rest in your draft folder while you have a break, then come back to it with fresh eyes.
If you are making bigger mistakes that are impacting how you are perceived, either professionally or personally, this can impact your business. What can you do to avoid these mistakes? If it’s something you can learn, take the time you need for some Personal Development. Make learning development part of your business planning and personal goals.
7. I feel overwhelmed and have thought about quiting
Running a business is tough. If it were easy, everyone would do it because the perks are great. But there are times when running your own business can feel overwhelming. This is normal. What is not normal is feeling overwhelmed all the time and not feeling anything else.
Looking after your health, including your mental health, is vital. Even though you are busy, you need to take time to rest. During these breaks, our brains have time to reflect on our problems and come up with solutions. We can also reflect on what made us choose our business in the first place.
Are we doing what we dreamed of doing most of the time or has the dream turned into a nightmare?
Do we have a business worth saving? Or is it time to move on to something that will work better for us?
These are the hard questions we need to answer. If there are alternatives that would better serve your life plans, consider them. Or it could be that you really need an assistant.
I need an assistant
Your to-do list before and after hiring a creative virtual assistant
So you need an assistant.
Yes, it's an investment. You're investing your time in areas of growth and creation while paying an expert to take care of the rest.
You're also investing in YOU.
your time
your wellbeing
your future
your dreams
Look at your To-Do List. What tasks are the things only you can do?
Now, look at the other tasks. Those are your time-takers, your extra pressures, your needs but not wants.
Those are the tasks you will delegate to your assistant.
The different types of assistants you can hire
There are different kinds of assistants. Some are experts in certain fields, whereas others have transferable skills that can support a wider range of businesses.
Knowing what tasks you want to delegate will give you a better understanding of the skills your future assistant needs to have.
If there are only admin tasks to delegate, a Personal Assistant who specializes in office administration would be ideal.
If you need help with social media content creation, a Creative Assistant could support the more creative aspects of your business. Ideally if they have a design and/or copywriting experience.
If you need help but don’t have office space, you could hire a Virtual Assistant who would work from a different location.
If the work isn’t enough for a full-time position (a full-time job), you could benefit from a Freelance Assistant. A freelance assistant is a self-employed individual who runs their own business supporting other businesses. You can hire them to support your own business part-time or on certain tasks throughout the month.
There will be other considerations, such as skills, abilities and experience.
Where you look will depend on what you need. There are companies that provide assistants for specific industries. Freelance assistants will advertise through their own social media and website. Look on sites such as LinkedIn to discover professionals looking for work.
If you are looking for a freelance creative virtual assistant who can support your business with admin, copy and content, you’ve found one already.