In today’s world, getting more done in less time is a key to success. By hiring personal assistants, executives, entrepreneurs and business owners are able to free up their time to focus on what matters most.
In this article, we’ll cover the key reasons why you might need a personal assistant in Los Angeles’ bustling business marketplace. We’ll also cover what a personal assistant’s day looks like, and what the various types of assistants available to you are.
Let’s dive in.
Why you need a personal assistant
There are many reasons why hiring a personal assistant may make sense for you – especially if you’re a busy person who struggles to fit all your activities into your day.
Personal assistants save you time
Firstly, a personal assistant can save hours of your daily time by taking care of administrative tasks such as filing and responding to emails, arranging meetings and managing other aspects of your professional or personal schedules.
These activities would typically consume hours of your busy schedule each week, so freeing up as many of them back into your schedule helps you to be a more productive business owner. With the extra time, you’ll now able to spend that time on higher priority tasks.
As an entrepreneur, this might be improving your product or service, speaking with customers and preparing your next investor pitch. As an executive, this could mean having the time to meet your teams and craft the next 3-year strategic plan rather than drowning in emails. As a business owner, this could allow you to take a step back by automating more of your processes. As a result, you’ll preserve your energy by not letting mundane tasks drain it out of you day after day.
Personal assistants save you money
Secondly, the return-on-investment from working with a personal assistant is relatively straightforward. You can easily model the cost of paying for their time versus the financial benefits it enables (such as producing more work or taking on new clients).
Equally, the rewards may not be solely financial, but also personal: the time you used to spend on administrative tasks can now be freed for family and social relationships.
Personal assistants save you stress
Lastly, having one or a team of personal assistants on your team can help you to scale your business or side hustle. Whether you’re a full-time entrepreneur or starting something outside of a 9-to-5 job, hiring personal assistants are a fantastic way to get more done in less time. A typical use case for a personal assistant here could be to outsource some temporary customer service tasks, so that you can focus on the bigger picture or on your day job.
In the Los Angeles area in particular, based on recent personal assistant job listings, there is huge demand for personal assistants to senior executives and high-net worth individuals.
Now that we’ve discussed some of the key benefits of hiring a personal assistant, let’s have a look at what their typical day might look like.
What does a day in the life of a Los Angeles Personal Assistant look like?
In the words of Tracy Reid, a personal assistant to two directors of a global architecture firm:
“I begin each day by checking the directors’ calendars, then my ‘to do list’. I also check which meeting rooms I have booked that day in case we have had any meetings cancelled. No two days are the same.”
The day of a personal assistant is varied, and often spontaneous – depending on the client’s work and priorities that day, their assistant needs to be flexible to support their needs. This often cuts across both professional and personal aspects of the client’s life.
Of course, how a personal assistant spends their day largely depends on who they work for, and what type of services they provide.
Let’s compare and contrast the different types of personal assistants you can choose from.
David Finkle, businessman and author of ‘The Freedom Formula: How to Succeed in Business Without Sacrificing Your Family, Health, or Life’, cites four types of personal assistants that you should be aware of:
Personal Assistant Level 1 – the Gofer
This is the entry tier when it comes to personal assistants. They require close oversight and are usually not able to perform activities independently.
Each activity needs to be broken down into clear, actionable steps for them. If you’re looking to leverage the full benefits mentioned above, steer clear of this type of personal assistant.
Personal Assistant Level 2 – the Administrative Assistant:
This kind of assistant can handle multiple basic tasks well, so long as they’re familiar with what needs to be done. They’re less comfortable being proactive and taking on activities with no prior experience. Their autonomy is therefore somewhat limited, and they won’t be taking on the chunkier tasks you might need them to otherwise handle.
Personal Assistant Level 3 – the Executive Assistant:
Such assistants can use their own initiative to get more complex tasks done. They don’t necessarily need a complete brief and are comfortable working out the best way to get things done on their own. Executive assistants are therefore highly autonomous and reliable, and they’ll ensure your day runs as smoothly as possible.
Personal Assistant Level 4 – the Chief of Staff:
This last level sits at the top of the personal assistant hierarchy. Able to handle any kind of requests, a Chief of Staff will not only organize your day but make sure that whatever other people are meant to be doing actually gets done. They proactively follow up so you don’t need to worry about things falling through the cracks and can focus on your own priorities.
By now, you should hopefully be convinced of the value a personal assistant can bring. But how do you make sure you’re hiring the right person for the job?
How to hire your first personal assistant
When looking to hire a Personal Assistant, keep in mind the following key criteria, based on Seaside Staffing’s hiring advice:
- Longevity at previous positions (ideally 3 to 5 years).
- Outstanding references from previous employers (ask for 3 to 6 references).
- Excellent command of the English language.
Ready to get started? Contact us today and find the perfect personal assistant for any line of business.
