Thomas Edison was once asked why he had a team of twenty-one assistants. He replied, “if I could solve all the problems myself, I would.”

Many entrepreneurs these days know the value of having a virtual assistant. But what about multiple VAs? Perhaps Mr. Edison was onto something. Now, I’m not suggesting you go out and get twenty-one assistants, however there is a plus side to having more than one VA.

Strength In Numbers
Not all VAs are created equal. Some offer a wide variety of services while others specialize in one or two specific areas. One person might love bookkeeping while another loathes it. It’s important to know when searching for a VA not only what types of services a she offers but also which ones she is good at and enjoys doing. You may find that you partner with a VA for certain projects and later decide that you would like her to do other projects as well. That’s great but she may not enjoy doing those new tasks or even know how to do them. Could she learn? Sure, but time is money and you need the work done sooner rather than later. This is why having multiple VAs that specialize may be beneficial.

A Team of Experts Means Peace of Mind
I have one client who has a team of six or seven VAs including myself. Does she do it to brag? Not at all although she is very successful at what she does and consistently tells the world she couldn’t do it without the support team she has in place. Part of her criteria for seeking the services of a VA is that they need to specialize in a particular area. She wants any person she partners with to be good at a lot of things but great at one thing. This is because when she delegates a project she wants to trust that it is being done correctly and efficiently without having to worry about it. She knows it is being handled by an expert in that area and she can willingly hand it over and move on to the next thing.

More Is Less
Is it costing my client any more money to have so many assistants? Absolutely not! Remember she is only paying for the work that is done and it would cost her the same amount of hours for her various projects to have one person do it than it does to have multiple people. Perhaps even less since each person is specialized in their area of expertise, there is less back and forth, correcting mistakes and waiting for questions to be answered which means she could actually be saving money by having more people on her team.

Is a VA Team Right For You?
Having a team of VAs can be a great asset to your business but it’s not for everyone. If you are not good at managing priorities or people then it might not be in your best interest to have a VA team. Having more than one VA may also not be for you if you’re not good at communicating. Communication is key when working with one person much less a multitude of people. It is essential to have regular team meetings via phone or other means as well as to have individual conversations with your VAs. Doing so will ensure that everyone is on the same page with your business objectives and everyone clearly understands what they need to do.

Your business is your baby and you want it handled properly. Putting together a team of highly skilled individuals who have your best interest at heart might be just what you need to take your business to the next level.