We all know an Executive Assistant can do things like handle your email and calendar, but are you aware of all the other ways they can make your life easier – and your business more profitable?
As a business coach, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “I know I need an Executive Assistant, but how do I work with them? What do I delegate? How do I train them?” (Ok, that’s three questions, but they’re usually asked all at once!)
I firmly believe that every business owner needs an EA, and that your EA should be one of your first hires. A lot of business owners question whether they can afford one…my answer to that is that you can’t afford not to have one.
Here are three reasons why.
#1: They’ll Help You Skyrocket Efficiency and Productivity
If you have ever heard me talk about my EA, the phrases you’ve probably heard me say include “superstar”, “essential”, and “she’s my right hand.”
These aren’t just nice things to say – they’re the truth. I can function without my EA, but not nearly to the level that she helps me reach.
As a business owner, I started out the same way most of us did – by doing just about everything myself. I had a small virtual team that helped me with some marketing and tech tasks, but just about everything else landed in my lap.
About a year in, I hired my first EA, and she’s still with me 3 ½ years later. She’s held several different positions in my company and now runs a department herself.
Since then, I’ve hired a few other EAs, and I lean on them for a lot. I do spend time training them so they can learn to anticipate my needs (this is essential), but because I have strong systems and training materials in place, I’m able to focus on the personal side of training rather than how to triage my email or how to format a calendar appointment.
Now, you might be thinking…it really doesn’t take that long to organize email or keep your calendar in good shape. Is the payroll for an EA really worth it?
It might only be 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, but throughout the day, those little pockets of time add up. Throughout the week, this adds up to several hours – and throughout the year, your EA can save you hundreds of hours of work.
That’s hundreds of hours that you could be spending running your business, following up with clients, looking over your numbers, or having a life.
That’s not just “worth it” – that’s irreplaceable. That’s what a great EA brings to the table.
Scaling and Growing Your Business
I’m not saying that an EA can single handedly scale your business, but they can both free you up and help you manage projects that will allow you to scale.
Think of all the little interruptions throughout your day: the phone calls, the “hey, do you have a minute?” pop ins, the emails and messages from salespeople trying to grab a moment of your time.
These are distractions that add up. Some of them actually do need your attention, but you can take care of them on your terms, during a time that works best for you. Others…well, they’re just unnecessary distractions. (Yes, cold emails with bad grammar, we’re looking at you.)
Your EA is not only the person who keeps you organized, they’re also your gatekeeper. They’re the superstar who handles all the little distractions and keeps you on track for optimal productivity. They keep you updated and schedule you with the people you need to talk with (or the tasks you need to handle) while keeping all those unnecessary distractions at bay.
This is necessary if you want to grow and scale. You only have so much time and mental bandwidth. If it’s spent running in 12 directions at once, you’ll never be able to build the company you dream of.
This is just the beginning, though. Think of how many tasks you do throughout the day that you don’t really have to be doing – and then think of how focused you could be if you could just get those tasks off your plate.
This is the power of a great Executive Assistant!
Creating Brand Success
Your brand is everything.
It’s not just your colors and your fonts. It’s not just your key phrases. These are important (and they’re what we think of when we hear “branding”), but your brand is your reputation, your publicity, and your track record. It’s your internal and external culture.
This is not something you can manage by yourself. Trust me on this one. You need the support of your team to keep a strong brand.
Your Marketing Assistant will do a lot to help you handle the external branding, though your EA still has a big hand in this.
Think of how your emails are handled and answered, how organized and ready you are for calls with clients and other professionals, and the calm, prepared mindset you have going into each day.
These all affect your brand – and they can all be managed by a superstar EA.
However, your internal culture also has a lot to do with your brand. How cohesive is your team? How quick are they to collaborate? When a new project comes up, who is your brainstorming team and who are your doers? (Yes, both are necessary!)
From client satisfaction to team culture, your EA plays a large role in nearly every aspect of your business. Don’t put this decision off – if you’re ready to reclaim your time and scale your business, you need a quality EA!