What If You Can’t Afford Them?

For many young entrepreneurs, wearing every hat in the business is just part of the hustle. You're the CEO, the customer service rep, the marketer, and the accountant—all rolled into one. But as your to-do list grows and your hours stretch longer, the idea of hiring help starts to sound less like a luxury and more like a necessity.

That’s when they make the mistake of asking a friend to help, or a lady from church, or a friend who needs extra money.

And when that produces more work, more training time and more effort than it does profit, the young entrepreneur ends up with a false sense of what value delegating can bring.

And then when someone suggests you hire a virtual assistant, the fear that you’d never make enough to pay them enters the situation.

Let’s unpack that fear, and see how you can make a smart, confident decision.

The Catch-22 of Growth

Here’s the truth: many entrepreneurs can’t grow because they’re spending all their time on low-value tasks—answering emails, posting to social media, managing invoices. The very fear of not making enough is often tied to the fact that they think they don’t have enough time to focus on profit-generating activities.

And often times they don’t really know what to focus on.

That’s when a professional virtual assistant can save the day.

Hiring a VA helps break that cycle. When you delegate those time-consuming tasks that a VA already knows how to do, you gain back hours you can spend on business development, sales, or product creation—the things that actually move the needle.

And VAs that have worked for other entrepreneurs can help you understand what kinds of activities they’ve been assigned in the past, and which activities helped other clients make money.

Start Small and Scale Up

You don’t have to jump in with a full-time VA. Start with just a few hours a week. Many VAs offer flexible packages—10 hours a month, or project-based pricing—so you can test the waters.

Ask the VA: What are the 3 tasks you can do every week that will revolutionize my productivity?

Start by outsourcing just those.

For your first tasks you can choose tasks that take something off your plate so you can focus on productivity. But that is often hard for entrepreneurs because they feel like they have a special way to get everything done.

Even outsourcing something like paying bills can put pressure on an entrepreneur who thinks it needs to be done they way they have done it.

But there is a second option. You can have a virtual assistant do things that will assist your revenue generating goals. If speaking gigs make you money, then while you’re doing your own accounting have them research 100 new events that are accepting speaking proposals.

Then the moment you start working, you’ve aread

Choose the Right VA for Your Budget and Goals

Not all VAs are the same. Some specialize in admin, others in tech, content creation, or customer service. Finding someone whose strengths match your biggest bottlenecks ensures that your investment has impact.

But more importantly, a virtual assistant agency has a bunch of virtual assistants and can help provide the one you need based on the skills required meaning you can quickly scale up and scale down as work demands.

Also, be clear about your budget upfront. A good VA will help you prioritize what you can outsource so you get the most value for your money.

Focus on ROI, Not Cost Alone

Instead of asking “Can I afford a VA?”, try asking:

👉 “If I had 5–10 extra hours a week, how could I turn that into revenue?”

Maybe you could land one more client, launch that course that’s been on the back burner, or follow up with warm leads that keep slipping through the cracks. Those missed opportunities cost your business more than a VA ever would.

You’re Not Alone in This Fear

Almost every entrepreneur who’s ever hired help has felt nervous before doing it. But the most successful ones see it as a business decision, not a personal risk. They know they don’t have to go it alone, and they realize that asking for help doesn’t mean they’re failing—it means they’re building something bigger than themselves.

In Closing

Hiring a virtual assistant can feel scary, especially when your income isn’t consistent yet. But with a thoughtful approach—starting small, focusing on ROI, and choosing the right person—it can be one of the most freeing and powerful decisions you make for your business.

You’re not expected to do it all. And you don’t have to.