Growing a Business with Help from a Support Assistant
ActiveCampaign
Want the transcript? Download it here.
Episode breakdown
Do you need a support assistant, and are you ready to hire one? The founder of The Virtual Hub tackles all the big questions around outsourcing the growth of your business.
Barbara Turley has always been passionate about starting her own business, which is what eventually led her to found The Virtual Hub, a company that matches entrepreneurs and small businesses with a highly trained virtual assistant. She talks to Chris Davis about what it takes to grow a business, what she learned in her first year of entrepreneurship, and why a virtual assistant can be such a powerful tool even before you know you need one.
- Barbara talks about her career background
- Talking about process of The Virtual Hub in terms of getting a Support Assistant and clients
- Eradicating overwhelm and solving pain points
- The open culture between Support Assistants and clients
- The importance of having systems and processes
- The onboarding process of The Virtual Hub
- The minumum number of hours you can make use of a Support Assistant
Go in open-minded and truly have a conversation with your audience, and see what is it that you can offer to alleviate what pain is pressing at that moment.
In this episode
00:00 - Introduction & Support Assistant War Stories
Chris Davis introduces Barbara Turley, CEO of The Virtual Hub, to discuss the challenges and opportunities of hiring support assistants in digital marketing. They joke about the “war stories” both consultants and support assistants share, highlighting the common mismatch between expectations and capabilities.
02:20 - From Investment Banking to Entrepreneurship
Barbara shares her background in investment banking and her transition into entrepreneurship via a management buyout. Her experience in systemization and team-building laid the foundation for her own business, where she immediately saw the value of hiring a support assistant.
06:30 - Discovering the Pain Point & Launching the Business
While consulting, Barbara noticed that nearly every client was overwhelmed and lacked time. She began informally recruiting support assistants to relieve pressure, which led to unexpected demand. A successful webinar validated the idea, and The Virtual Hub was born.
08:29 - Solving Real Problems & Building Demand
Barbara emphasizes the importance of solving urgent, real-world problems. Her advice to startups: talk to customers without preconceived ideas and uncover pain points they’re willing to pay to fix immediately.
09:59 - Early Mistakes & Delegation Blind Spots
Barbara reflects on the chaotic first year of business. She assumed clients knew how to delegate, but most didn’t. Many failed, blamed the support assistants, and churned. She realized delegation is a skill that must be taught.
13:10 - Training Support Assistants & Clients for Success
To fix the breakdown, Barbara built onboarding programs for both clients and Support Assistants. Clients learned how to write tasks and build systems; Support Assistants underwent 2–4 weeks of training before meeting clients. This dual-track approach dramatically improved outcomes.
16:54 - Rebuilding the Business & Finding Fit
Barbara fired 70% of her team and some clients, then rebuilt the company with better training and onboarding. She identified that early-stage startups weren’t ideal clients due to cash flow issues and pivoted toward more stable businesses.
19:23 - Creating Career Paths & Stability in the Philippines
Barbara launched a formal company in the Philippines to offer full employment, healthcare, pensions, and bonuses. This investment created a desirable workplace and reduced turnover, aligning with her long-term vision.
22:10 - Niching into Digital Marketing & Platform Expertise
The Virtual Hub narrowed its focus to digital marketing and platforms like ActiveCampaign. They built proprietary training programs for support assistants to ensure near-immediate productivity and backed them with help desks and success coaches.
24:29 - Iterative Problem Solving & Feedback Loops
Barbara shares that each solution unearthed new problems. She built systems to gather feedback from clients and support assistants, including happiness meters and open communication channels, to continuously improve.
26:48 - Cultural Sensitivity & Open Communication
Barbara discusses the cultural challenges of building openness in Filipino teams. She encourages support assistants to speak up about fit and workload, and offers clients alternatives when mismatches occur, fostering trust and retention.
28:42 - Transitioning Support Assistants & Business Continuity
When a support assistant leaves, The Virtual Hub provides a transition plan with two support assistant for 6–8 weeks. The outgoing support assistant trains the incoming one, minimizing disruption and protecting the client’s business continuity.
29:51 - Geographic Focus & Staying Committed
Barbara explains why she’s focused solely on the Philippines. Despite interest from other countries, she’s committed to perfecting the model locally before expanding, citing the complexity and her personal bandwidth.
30:40 - Specialization & Saying No
The company avoids distractions like bookkeeping or accounting services. By specializing in digital marketing and general admin, they’ve improved performance and client satisfaction.
31:27 - Personal Boundaries & Sustainable Growth
Barbara shares her commitment to personal well-being and balance, especially as a new mother. She stresses the importance of building a business that supports—not overwhelms—its founder.
32:08 - Systemization & Embracing Automation
Rather than fearing automation, Barbara welcomes it. She encourages clients to eliminate, automate, and then delegate tasks. Support Assistants are trained to handle high-value work, not repetitive admin.
33:20 - Onboarding Process & Matching Clients
Clients go through a structured onboarding process, including strategy calls, training videos, and interviews with pre-vetted support assistants. The process ensures alignment and sets the foundation for long-term success.
35:07 - Retention & Role Fit
Retention is high, especially for specialized roles like social media. Admin support assistants are trickier due to less-defined processes. Barbara highlights the importance of clarity and fit in delegation.
36:15 - When to Hire a Support Assistant & Strategic Timing
Barbara advises hiring a support assistant early—especially if you’re spending time on busywork like Canva graphics. However, if you’re focused solely on selling, you may not need one yet. She cautions against waiting too long.
37:45 - Commitment & Growth Mindset
Clients who only want 5 hours/week from a support assistant often struggle. Barbara advocates for a minimum of 20 hours/week to ensure commitment and deeper integration. She encourages clients to think long-term and invest in the relationship.
39:25 - Final Thoughts & Always Be Selling
Barbara closes with a reminder: sales solve everything. Delegation, systemization, and strategic hiring are all in service of freeing up time to focus on selling and scaling.
