3 Signs It's Time to Pull the Trigger on Hiring a VA - Priority VA

3 Signs It’s Time to Pull the Trigger on Hiring a VA

It’s Monday morning. You’ve had your coffee, or at least poured yourself a cup. Though now, you’re probably wondering where you set it, and if it will need another warm-up zap in the microwave. You’ve sat down to get your work-week started, but become completely overwhelmed and have no idea where to start.

Between the piles of receipts, bills, and paperwork that needs to be sorted, the backlog of emails that need to be read and possibly replied to, and the lead list of new clients you need to pursue, you are completely buried beneath your to-dos.

Once upon a time this business was a vision of passion for you. It was a dream-come-true when you were able to launch your career as an entrepreneur. Recently, however, the work required to keep it afloat has become a bit of a nightmare.

My mom used to always say, “if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.” While her intentions were pure in trying to teach me a valuable life lesson, it isn’t one that sticks in all situations. If you own a business, and you want something done right, it’s okay to have someone else do it. I recommend it, in fact.

When the work overtakes the wonder and the tasks drown out the tenacity, it’s easy to find yourself floundering in the overwhelm. And while it’s completely normal and expected, it’s also unnecessary. Your life – and your life’s work – are mere steps away from becoming what you always dreamt they would be. Today, I’m going to share 3 (of the many) signs it’s time to pull the trigger on hiring a VA.

Sign#1: Jack-of-all-Trieds

Perhaps you thought you’d be saving yourself some money, or maybe you even figured you could just learn that new software quick and have the project rolled out in no time. The problem is, in trying to learn all the bells and whistles of the programs and tools that make your business click, you’ve done clacked and reached the end of your rope.

Instead of a Jack-of-all-Trades, you’ve become a Jack-of-all-Trieds. And fails. The time you’ve spent trying to get the hang of tools and programs that aren’t your strength, has completely eaten into the time you could have spent doing the things you actually know how to – and are really talented in.

If you’re a photographer, you’re probably great at staging, taking, and editing your photos. You’ve got an eye for light, props, and complimentary colors. You know how to make people smile, and you thrive on capturing moments as they happen.

If you’re spending your days trying to figure out how to format website content, customizing mailing list properties, or managing support contact for online shopping cart issues, you’re going to spread yourself too thin over areas you know too little of. Not to mention, you’ve just lost out on mother nature’s window of natural light for the day. It’s a counterproductive move for counterintuitive work.

Stop trying to meddle in the fringes, and focus on the trade you’re called in.

Sign #2: You Need More Time

“I just need more time.”

“If only the day had 32 hours instead of 24…”

“If only I could function on four hours sleep!”

If your to-do list outnumbers the hours in a day, you need to hire a VA. We’re all given the same amount of time each day, week, month, and year. We can only accomplish so much in that time, and we always have to leave margin for the unexpected. You can’t do it all, and really, you should stop trying.

Breaking up the work, delegating tasks to people who can do them well, and having a team of people accountable to one another is a dramatic game-changer. Having double the manpower cuts the work load in half, and therefore, no time is spent wishing for more time!

If your to-do list, or your work pile, is rapidly outgrowing your ability to keep up, you need to bite the bullet and call for reinforcement. Admitting you can’t do it all is in no way a weakness. It’s a sign your business is succeeding to the point you need to keep it running like a well-oiled machine. Be proud of that. And care for it intentionally.

Sign #3: You’ve Become a Stranger

I’ve seen it happen far too many times. You work so hard, for too many hours, and you start to live solely to work. You’ve become the antithesis of who you were when you started this venture in the first place.

Your family misses you. Your friends miss you. You haven’t seen the sunshine in days and  you can’t remember if it’s Thursday or October. (It’s Monday, by the way.)

You can do a lot. You can pour a lot of time and effort into your business, and as a result, you can take it to new heights. But if you’re trading relationships for potential profits, the trade-off isn’t in your favor.

Being busy is one thing. We all have our busy seasons. Setting our productivity ahead of our personality, however, is another situation altogether.

If you’re working so much you have nothing left to give to anything – or anyone – else, you’re doing it wrong. There is a better way. You need to hire a VA, work with a set of talents that complement yours, and get back to living.

With your renewed energy and refreshed perspective, you will be able to accomplish more by doing less. And everybody wins!


I’ve been doing this a long time. I can see the signs from a mile away, and my guess is, some of you reading this today are having a hard time reconciling the truth in what you’ve just realized. It’s time to pull the trigger. It’s time to hire a VA.

The good news is: you’ve done a great job getting yourself this far. The better news is: a VA can help you get further in your business, and back into living your life.

Test me on this one. Let me shed some light on how a VA can rock your work world. Contact me here, and we’ll take the first step in chasing your dream all over again.

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