Owning a business can be really rewarding, but it can also be scary!
No more so than when we’re wanting to move from being a solopreneur to a true business owner.
Which means we have got to hire someone to help us!
What’s even worse is doing it all the very first time, or even attempting to do it a second time, especially after a failed first attempt.
Fear can be crippling to anyone wanting more out of life, or just wanting to make any change, because our brains are wired to keep us safe and steady, to avoid the man-eating lions out there that may kill us if we wander out of the village too far.
Our brains want to keep us in a state of comfort, of staying where we are, no matter how painful it is. Our brains think staying in pain is a better alternative than taking on any amount of risk!
So as you’re considering hiring your first virtual assistant, you’ll be scared. You might be thinking any of these thoughts:
- “How can I find someone good?”
- “Will I really be able to work with them?”
- “What if I hire the wrong person and have to fire them?”
- “I’ve never managed someone or hired someone and don’t know where to start”
- “If I give them access to sensitive information, I’m worried they’ll steal from me. How do I prevent that?”
Yes, your brain is protecting you!
To take the next step forward, you’ve got to overcome the fear of hiring your first virtual
assistant. Here are some steps that will help.
Also, this can really be an article about overcoming any fear, not just when you want to hire a Virtual Assistant for the first time.
So come back to this article when it’s time to address any fear you have!
Step 1: Acknowledge the fear is real
The fear you’re experiencing is real! Not dealing with it won’t help, and in order to deal with what we consider a problem, it has to be defined.
Often our fears are rooted when we worry about what other people think about us, or in this case, when we sense we’re going to give up control over something.
And when you hire someone to help you, you’re definitely giving up control over something, no matter how small it may be, to someone else. And you haven't even met the person!
What’s really happening is your brain is coming up with all kinds of reasons why you should NOT step forward, otherwise known as objections.
Your brain is working to keep you safe, and it’s best to acknowledge it’s objections. Because some might be valid!
Write them all down, and use them as a guide to filter the noise that’s out there.
But also be realistic, realizing that it’s likely for any fear, many other people have done what you’re wanting to do, and are successful, so it’s just a matter of finding out how to do it properly.
So answer your objections by doing your research
Step 2: Talk to people who have done it, who've walked the path, and been successful
This is one of the very best ways to overcome the fear, and actually to get your questions answered.
It’s basically having a mentor and/or coach to give you a proper perspective and to help you be successful.
But don’t talk to your cousin Billy who’s never done what you want to do!!!
Here are some considerations when you’re searching:
- They’ve been successful multiple times. For anything, and especially in the case of hiring a new team member, you want several successes. Because if they’ve done it once, they could have gotten lucky!
- They’ve had a failure or two along the way and haven’t given up. This means the coach or mentor you’re talking with will have actually REALIZED some of your fears and were able to push ahead and get them resolved.
- They’ve done it recently. Just because they may have hired someone five years ago doesn’t mean they can do it again as times and people change.
- They were in your shoes at one point in time. This way they can understand where on the path you are and guide you to what the next step will be for you.
Step 3: Find a proven system to reduce the risks
What you will want is a proven system that other people have plugged themselves into and been successful. Look for testimonials.
You’ll also want to invest in a system that will give you repeatable results as well. Something that works over and over again for different types of people.
In the case of virtual assistants, you may find that you’ll want to hire a second, a third, and so on, for different positions, and a good system will help you do that.
Also, even if your coach and/or mentor was successful, they may have been successful because of their natural talent, or their strengths lend themselves to be successful. In other words, they just rely on themselves or their “gut” to have achieved success.
So you really need to find a system that is repeatable over and over and works for different people.
Step 4: Embrace the fear and Act through it!
Sorry to say, this, but ultimately the fear won’t go away, even after you’ve done the above. It may lessen, but it won’t disappear.
You’ll just have to act in spite of the fear.
Just do it!
Acting doesn’t eliminate the fear; instead, it allows you to become more comfortable with it and to manage it.
In other words, you’ll need to embrace that fear.
I used to referee soccer matches, and I’d get nervous before each one, despite doing hundreds of them. But I learned to cope well with it, and actually that nervousness was a good thing as it kept me on my toes and helped me to be well prepared each time!
And in your case, you’ll experience the same thing.
In summary
If we want to push forward and grow our companies and change our lives for the better, it’s not about the absence of fear; it’s about living with the fear, doing things in spite of the fear we feel, and not being a slave to it.
But you can be smart about it by acknowledging that the fear is real, talking with people who have done it and been successful, finding a proven system to reduce the risks, and finally just leaping ahead and getting yourself into action!