Matt and Barbara open the Virtual Success Show by discussing how revisiting past episodes has helped Barbara improve her business processes. They then introduce the main topic: many business owners are curious about what a support assistant can actually do for them, even if they understand the concept.
Why a Support Assistant can be a great investment in your business
Virtual Success Show
Want the transcript? Download it here.
Episode breakdown
In this episode, we take a look at the positives of bringing a Support Assistant into your business and how you need to look at your support assistant as an investment in your business rather than an expense. This episode is full of insights from Matt and Barbara into answering the common question of “Well, what can a Support Assistant do for me?”
- The importance of understanding the value a Support Assistant can add to your business
- Why you need to adopt the mindset of your Support Assistant being an investment rather than an expense
- Accepting that it takes time to transition your Support Assistant into your business
- Tips on speeding up the transition process
If you just continued to do everything yourself, you’d miss out on the dividends of delegation.
In this episode
00:00 - Introduction
01:30 – What can a Support Assistant do for me?
Barbara and Matt discuss common misconceptions about support assistants. Many people expect a “superhero support assistant” who can do everything, from video editing to web design, which creates confusion. They also note that business owners often fear the cost or doubt the return on investment. Barbara suggests evaluating whether the business itself is ready for a support assistant by checking product-market fit and sales, while Matt emphasizes understanding the real value a support assistant brings to avoid setting oneself up for failure.
03:35 – The mindset of ‘Investment vs. Expense’
Matt explains that hiring a support assistant should be seen as an investment, not an expense. By bringing on skilled team members, business owners can focus on what matters most, reclaim their time, and enable consistent growth, rather than being pulled in every direction trying to do everything themselves.
04:34 – Will I get a return on my investment?
Barbara raises the concern that some clients fear they won’t get a return on investment from a support assistant. Matt explains that to measure ROI, you first need to determine the value of an hour of your time. Once you know that, paying a support assistant—even at $8–$20 an hour—becomes reasonable, because offloading tasks frees you to focus on money-making activities, making the return potentially much higher than the cost.
07:30 – Setting your Support Assistant up to win
Barbara highlights that clients often worry about the time spent training a support assistant, especially when their own hourly rate is much higher than the support assistant’s. Matt explains that initially, a support assistant can handle tasks they’re already trained in, and investing consistent time over six to eight weeks allows them to take on more responsibilities, ultimately freeing up far more of the owner’s time. Even if a support assistant works slower at first, the cost-benefit is still significant. Barbara adds that giving her team downtime or lighter projects can refresh them, leading to better productivity and enthusiasm when they resume full work, emphasizing the importance of mindset in managing the transition.
12:26 – Misconception of the super support assistant
Matt emphasizes that hiring a support assistant requires setting realistic expectations, as they are humans with specific skills who will make mistakes and need time to learn. He compares it to writing your name with your non-dominant hand: awkward, slow, and imperfect at first. The point is that delegating and training is a learning process not just for the support assistant but also for the business owner, requiring patience and practice.
14:30 – Speeding up the transition process
Barbara and Matt highlight that having rock-solid processes is key to speeding up the transition when training a support assistant. Clear, documented systems allow anyone to follow them successfully, ensuring faster ROI. Matt compares it to following a recipe—consistent steps lead to consistent results. Future shows will explore these strategies in more detail.
15:45 – A bit about Matt’s book – The Stop Doing List
Matt’s book, The Stop Doing List, focuses on helping business owners leverage and delegate effectively by identifying what to stop doing so they can focus on their “genius.” It provides a system for adopting the right mindsets, documenting tasks, training team members, building processes, and giving them responsibility. Barbara emphasizes its value for clients at The Virtual Hub, noting it addresses “internal leverage” that many other resources overlook. The book is available at stopdoing.com.au, Booktopia, Dymocks, and other retailers.
19:04 – Wrapping things up
Barbara and Matt wrap up the show by encouraging listeners to check the show notes for links, leave comments and reviews on iTunes, and share topics they’d like covered in future episodes. Barbara expresses excitement about implementing insights from Matt’s book, and both emphasize engaging with the audience to address their learning needs.
