How did you do on Chicago Agent's quiz? Are you ready for an assistant?

How did you do? Find out!

1. Do you think that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself?

Correct Answer: No

If you are so busy that you don’t have time to do everything, but you don’t believe someone else can complete a few tasks to your expectations, you’re in trouble. To work effectively with an assistant, you must realize that others can help you meet your goals even if they take a different path. You must realize that the key to building a team is to understand that there are many different ways to get things done — and sometimes your way isn’t the most efficient way.

2. You know you need help running your business, but are not sure which tasks to delegate.

Correct Answer: No

A thorough job description and a clear-cut list of tasks should be written before you hire an assistant. These things will make it easier for you to interview a person with the right skills, and will help this person know what to expect on the job. You’ll also be able to track your assistant’s progress more effectively.

3. Your schedule is organized.

Correct Answer: Yes

Solid time management skills are essential when working with an assistant. With an organized schedule, your assistant will know where you are and how to get a hold of you. Start by finding a good contact management system and/or calendar so you can start writing down appointments.

4. You organize listings and keep track of ongoing transactions.

Correct Answer: Yes

A clearly-defined system can help all team members stay on track and avoid overlapping work. Before you even consider hiring an assistant, it’s vital that you build a system so transactions flow seamlessly.

5. You have already thought about the feedback for your assistant, and how you should deliver it to them.

Correct Answer:  Yes

When you hire a personal assistant, you must transition from managing only yourself to somebody else. For some people, this can be a big change. Have regular performance reviews with your assistants so that they can understand what is expected of them and how they can improve.

6. You expect people you work with to have the same high regard for their work as you do yours.

Correct Answer: Yes

It is important to expect the people with whom you work to share your passion and work ethic. But you also must be realistic with your demands. It’s good to expect your assistants to do quality work; it’s another thing to expect them to be perfect.

7. Your ideal assistant would be like you, with similar skills, career aspirations and expectations of work.

Correct Answer: No
While you might think it’s best to hire an assistant who is greatly similar to you, it’s generally better to find someone whose skills complement yours. Not only should you be open to the idea of hiring an assistant with different strengths, you should make it a priority. Your least-desired tasks — whether it’s preparing marketing materials, filing, or managing your website — are just the things that your assistant should be able to tackle with enthusiasm.

8. You know how profitable your business is on a monthly basis.

Correct Answer: Yes
You should have a firm handle on your income and budget before deciding whether hiring an assistant is the best use of your dollars. Yes, your assistant will free up your time to spend on business development, but your return on investment doesn’t happen overnight, and bills must be paid. Calculate how much it will cost to secure ample office space and/or to purchase technology, if that’s necessary, and if it will cost anything to train your assistant.

9. You have managed a person or people before.

Correct Answer: Yes

Ideally, it will be easier to manage an assistant if you’ve managed a person or team of people before. If you haven’t managed anyone, read up on effective management, how to delegate tasks and monitor progress, and how to effectively give feedback. This will better prepare you for having an assistant…you can’t just have them do work for you, you need to let them know when they’re doing a good job so they keep it up, as well as the areas they need to improve.

10. You have maybe 10 minutes each day available to train an assistant.

Correct Answer: Yes

Every little bit counts when it comes to an effective training program for your assistant, but ideally, a minimum of an hour per day starting out will help train him or her to succeed. Transactions can fall apart, software programs can crash, and systems can get out of whack quickly if the person helping you isn’t trained extensively. Remember; this person is representing you and your business, so helping him or her get up to speed will help your profitability. Once you know which tasks you’ll delegate, you can begin laying out your training plan.

11. You need to be in constant communication with someone who is doing tasks for you to make sure they’re getting things done.

Correct Answer: No

There needs to be a level of trust when you’re leaving several tasks to someone else to complete, and not only complete, but complete them at a high-quality level. Try not to micromanage your assistant – let them have time to complete what you ask them to, then check back in when they let you know they’ve completed it. A domineering managerial style won’t allow your assistant to get much done!

12. You often get last-minute appointments or phone calls that throw your schedule off.

Correct Answer: No

If last-minute changes in your schedule throw you off, you might not be able to handle an assistant managing your schedule for you, even if you’re kept up to date on what your assistant adds to it. Make sure you have a

13. You need help following up on leads.

Correct Answer: Yes

Having someone who can readily respond to prospective client inquiries within a few hours is someone who can help your business; if you have a slow response to prospective clients, you run the risk of losing them.

14. In order to keep your business moving forward, you need certain things, or a certain amount of things, done each day.

Correct Answer: Yes

Each day, if your goal is to respond to all prospective clients who find you online, or to update your Twitter feed, Facebook page or website at least three times, you should look into hiring an assistant to help you accomplish these daily goals. Remember, your assistant does not need to be full-time; if part-time assistance is what you need to help with daily tasks, then look into the cost of a part-time assistant.

15. You have trouble completing tedious tasks, like paperwork and answering emails.

Correct Answer: Yes

If you have trouble completing tasks that are tedious but need to get done, you should hire an assistant to help you complete them. Just make sure you devote the time necessary to train an assistant how to complete these tasks!