I used to belong to the school of thought that believed personal assistants were only hired by rich business people. Mainly because I figured they were the only type of person who could afford to pay a full-time assistant’s salary.

My perspective started to change when I discovered virtual assistants and how cheap hiring one can be.

A virtual assistant can cost just $4 per hour.

The idea that hiring someone else to do life’s grunt work in order to focus on the more interesting stuff is pretty enticing.

Especially if it costs so little.

Plus it has the potential to free up time to make more money or spend more time with family.

Are you overwhelmed in your personal and professional life? Do you wish you had someone on your side to handle the mundane tasks that eat up your time?

Me too. Although I haven’t hired a virtual assistant yet these are some reasons I think it may be time to go for it. See if you’re experiencing any of these signs:

You spend more time researching than doing.

If you’re like me, you put a lot of thought in the decisions that you make. You weigh all of your options and compare them before making any decisions.

Although scrutiny is a positive virtue it takes up a lot of our time. Research like comparing car prices before purchase, finding a real estate agent, or looking through job boards are productivity killers.

And they’re all things that someone else could be doing for us.

Just think – $12 in exchange for 3 hours of free time away from compiling a list of comparisons? I’ll take that any day.

You don’t see direct money or fulfillment from the tasks that you’re doing.

This point is especially important for freelancers, consultants, and solopreneurs. Not every task that you do directly makes money. Like marketing, finding leads, billing, or posting on social media.

If someone else could do the administrative tasks there’s more time to conquer projects that bring home the bacon. If you’re spending too much time on tasks that aren’t affecting your bottom line, it may be a sign that you need a helping hand.

You want to take on more.

There are only so many hours in the day. We aren’t super heroes. If our family’s plan to take on more work, passion projects, or activities we’ll need some help.

A virtual assistant is an easy and affordable way to get that help without burdening friends or family. They can write emails for you, manage your calendar, remind you of bills coming up, or maintain your budget. All the things that may fall on the back burner when you get busy while handling the daily operations of running a household.

What’s your take?

I’m still in the decision-making phase when it comes to hiring a virtual assistant. There’s no doubt that I need one. I simply can’t get over my superwoman complex.

Yet I know that having this attitude will lead to nothing but burn out.

Do you have a virtual assistant? Do you have advice to share about hiring a virtual assistant? Do you think you need one too?