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In this episode of the Social PR Secrets Podcast, host Lisa Buyer talks with Nathan Hirsch, the founder and CEO of Outsource School, a platform helping busy online public relations pros, digital marketers and entrepreneurs get more done while working less. For a $1000/year membership, clients get his exact hiring process and are guided in implementing it, learn all about RSOPs and marketing, and receive a software, sharable SOP, and support. Outsource School isn’t Nathan’s first successful business. Last fall, he sold his VA marketplace platform, FreeUp, which he founded and led for five years. Listen to get Nathan’s tips and better understand how your business can grow by hiring virtual assistants.
Nathan’s outsourcing journey started in college. As a student, he started selling textbooks online for side money. He learned about an up-and-coming company called Amazon and became a seller with them. However, Nathan quickly realized he could not keep up with the demand. So he hired one, then two, virtual assistants. But with no previous hiring experience, it was a fiasco. After years of trial and error to set up a good hiring model, his business exploded. However, he didn’t like any of the outsourcing marketplaces. They were usually too slow or complicated and he wanted to streamline the process. That’s when FreeUp was born. Started as a $5000 project, FreeUp brought in $4 million of revenue after four years.
We’re telling Nathan’s story because many entrepreneurs find themselves in similar situations. Maybe your business has been plateauing because you can’t handle more work. Or you’re having difficulties innovating because your time is taken up by bookkeeping and emails. In most cases, hiring VAs might be the solution to your problems. But once they’ve gotten to that realization, most entrepreneurs start worrying. Nathan has answers to all their questions.
According to Nathan, when considering hiring VAs, most people lack trust. His answer is three-fold.
Being an entrepreneur is all about risk. When your business hits a plateau because you’re swamped with work, you need to take a risk. In almost all cases, the risk of hiring a VA will be rewarded with instant returns.
One can hire followers, doers, or experts. Followers are usually people outside of the US. They’re cheap labor who follow your product, your system, and your instructions. Doers are hired to work on a particular project. They’re working for you, but you are not training them. Experts are high-level consultants who bring their own strategies and systems. Nathan’s tip? Hire followers first. With them, the risk is much lower. You’re not spending a lot of money, yet the returns will be big.
In Nathan’s experience, virtual assistants care more about their jobs than jeopardizing your company. What’s more, FreeUp teaches you how to lower the risk when hiring VAs. They also let you know how to get started to take minimum risks while making maximum gains.
If you’re thinking about delegating some work, you might be interested in hiring VAs. According to Nathan, your first two hires should be a bookkeeper and someone who can handle your inbox. Both tasks are time-consuming and need to be done well. By hiring VAs for a few hours a week, you will gain valuable time you can then invest into growing your business. In the episode, Nathan gives invaluable tips on how to train a VA for inbox and schedule management.
When it comes to PR agencies, Nathan says virtual assistants can do it all! From working on marketing and scheduling your podcast appearances to reach out to clients, VAs might be what your business needs. OutsourceSchool has playbooks for influencers, teaching your virtual assistants how to reach out to them and creating a personalized influencer page on your website. They also have a partnership playbook training new hires on how to pitch the media, do research, and set up content swaps.
How can PR agencies hire virtual assistants? How can you measure success when it comes to VAs? What to look for in a business partner? Nathan Hirsch and Outsource School are here to make entrepreneurs save time and money by cutting out trial and error when hiring. Grab a free membership trial here!
“You need to understand that hiring is the only way to grow your business” - Nathan Hirsch
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