Barbara raises a common concern business owners face: what to do if a highly valuable support assistant resigns. She highlights the risk of making team members indispensable and asks Matt, as a business coach, how entrepreneurs can avoid falling into chaos when a key person leaves.
My amazing Support Assistant just resigned …what do I do now?
Virtual Success Show
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Episode breakdown
In this episode, Matt and Barbara discuss the reasons why business owners should never become dependent on any one person in any specific role and the common traps many fall into in this area. This episode focuses on some of the key areas that business owners need to stay on top of to ensure there is minimal impact to their business when that superstar support assistant leaves.
- The need for up-to-date and current systematisation and documentation
- Understanding that you need to slow down, in order to speed up your business
- It is the responsibility of the business owner to build and create the systems to ensure business success
A business is an asset, not just an income stream. If you build it so people can easily slot in and out of roles, it becomes scalable and valuable, even if you never plan to sell it.
In this episode
00:00 - Introduction
Barbara and Matt open the show with some light banter about being busy and the chilly weather in Sydney, before introducing that they’ll be diving into a “hot topic” for the episode.
00:54 - My support assistant just resigned…
02:00 - Creating a turn key business
Matt explains that businesses become vulnerable when knowledge lives only in one person’s head. Instead of documenting systems and processes, many owners simply pass information directly to a team member, which only shifts the risk rather than removing it. He stresses the importance of building a “turnkey business” that can run independently.
02:56 - You must document tasks
Barbara and Matt stress that while great VAs can be game-changers, business owners must still pause to document operations. Barbara notes this prevents chaos if a VA leaves, while Matt adds that any task done more than twice should be documented to protect business continuity. They emphasize that systems and processes—not individuals—should be the foundation, so the business isn’t dependent on one person.
05:05 - Everybody is replaceable, including you
Matt and Barbara emphasize that no business should depend on a single person, since a true business is an asset that should run independently of individuals. Barbara explains that documenting processes and treating the business as a system makes it more valuable and sustainable. She suggests busy owners dedicate even just a couple of hours a week to reviewing tasks and gradually building process documentation, which over time secures the business against disruption.
06:28 - Slow down to speed up
Matt and Barbara stress that slowing down to document and systemize processes creates long-term efficiency, consistency, and scalability, even if it feels tedious. Barbara shares that while most people dislike creating systems, those who commit to it often free up significant time and build stronger businesses. They warn that neglecting documentation can cause chaos if a key person leaves, but with proper systems and training in place, businesses can transition smoothly and avoid setbacks.
10:40 - Key takeaways
Matt and Barbara conclude with three key takeaways: (1) keep systems documented, updated, and actively used; (2) slow down to document roles and tasks to avoid vulnerability when people inevitably leave; and (3) document any task done more than twice so others can easily take over. Barbara emphasizes that while creating processes isn’t enjoyable, it prevents bigger problems later and is essential for building a scalable, valuable business asset that isn’t overly dependent on any one person.
12:57 - Wrapping things up
Barbara and Matt wrap up by stressing the importance of organizing and documenting systems before hiring a VA or team, as bringing someone into chaos only creates bigger problems. They note that the first few months with a new hire are often spent “unpacking your brain” into processes, so business owners should plan for that time investment. They close by inviting listeners to share experiences and join the conversation on their platforms.
