As a writer, the one thing I want to concentrate on the most in my work is the actual writing side of things.

However, as anyone will tell you, writing on a freelance basis involves many of the practicalities of running a small business, if for no other reason than to keep the tax man happy.

Accounts, taxes, emails, phone calls, invoicing, chasing up bad debts and looking for more work are just some of the non-writing tasks we face each day.

While keeping the ‘business thinking cap’ on, it might be a good idea for you to think about outsourcing some or all of these tasks which eat up your time. Thus leaving you with more time to actually write and earn money.

The Virtual Assistant

You might be wondering how you would go about outsourcing your admin work and making it a profitable decision. Well, it’s not really all too hard. All you have to do is look to a closely related cousin of the fully fledged freelancer; the VA or Virtual Assistant.

These are people (much like ourselves) who have numerous admin skills and offer them via the Internet. So for example, I have outsourced all of my book keeping to my virtual assistant. I used to hate keeping track of the money in my business because it was tedious and boring. Now, I have reclaimed those hours and can use them for more profitable work.

There are thousands of VAs available and you can use them in whichever way you like from one-off jobs to full-time VAs that will act as your personal assistant in both your personal and business life.

Finding a VA

The first step on your quest to a less-stressful, more profitable writing business is finding a VA that suits you. One website that is good for one-off jobs is Elance. However, there are tons of free job-boards available which can be found by running a quick Google search. You could also try an established VA company such as Brickwork India which was recommended by Tim Ferris in what is now considered a modern bible on outsourcing, ‘The Four Hour Work Week’.

For basic admin, expect to pay a VA in a far-eastern country between $3 and $4 per hour. Bookkeeping, accounting, email, and job searches are all great tasks to outsource. If you have another business rather than writing, a VA can also deal with customer service, orders and whatever else you find that saps your time when you could be working on the actual business!

For more complex tasks where the VA may work exclusively for you, and will form an integral role in your company, expect to pay above $7 per hour. It may be wise to consider a VA located nearer to you (in your time-zone) with a local degree relevant to your business so you can contact them immediately and you know they’re up to the task.

Letting Go - Learn to Deligate and Relax

The whole point of a VA is so you can delegate work to them, leave them to it and get on with your own important work. Not so you can delegate work, and then email them once every ten minutes asking for an update and sitting on the edge of your seat getting nothing done, as you await their work.

Once you’ve found a VA that works well for you, allow them to work with you, not just for you.

Letting go of some of the responsibility in a business you’ve built yourself and run every day can be hard, but it’s key to your expansion. What great novelist or journalist chooses to handle their own invoicing when they could be happily typing away?

When hiring a VA you only need to keep one thing in mind - and that’s your business. If you’re at a stage where you have enough tedious tasks that are worth outsourcing, and in doing so you would reclaim enough time which would allow you to work and earn more per hour than the VA, then it’s worth it! Plus, you get to do more of what you love with all the coolness that goes along with having your own assistant!

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Dean has 6 post(s) at Free Writing Center