If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur, chances are, you’re no stranger to stress. The endless to-do list, tight deadlines, and constant pressure to succeed can be pretty overwhelming.

In fact, a study by Gallup found that 45% of entrepreneurs report feeling stressed, compared to 42% of other workers. Entrepreneurs are also 12% more likely to have “worried a lot.” These differences may seem minor, but they still highlight the harsh reality of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs.

The trouble is, stress isn’t just a highly unpleasant feeling, it can seriously impact your business growth. Because let’s face it, it can be tough enough to stand out and deliver exceptional service on a good day, let alone when your body and mind are being consumed by stress.

But what if I told you there’s a secret weapon that can help you lighten the load, reclaim your time, and breathe a little easier each day?

Enter the virtual assistant (VA)—a skilled ally who helps streamline the daily chaos of a busy professional’s life and keeps things running smoothly from behind the scenes.

Let’s look at how hiring virtual assistants can help you reduce stress, unlock a healthy work-life balance, and pave the way to long-term success.

1. Role overload

One of the major causes of stress for business owners is role overload—when the demands of your role exceed your time, energy, and capabilities to meet them.

A recent survey found that the average business owner needs an additional four hours in the working day to complete their admin. But where can this extra time be found when the day is already packed with important meetings, client calls, and business tasks?

The reality is that it often can’t be. So what do you do? Do you leave things unfinished, or do you work some late nights, early mornings, or weekends to get it all done?

Let’s face it, no matter which option you choose, neither is a winner.

This is where a virtual assistant can be a game-changer in stress management. While there’s no denying that all these repetitive administrative tasks need to be done, they don’t need to be done by you.

VAs are skilled professionals who can handle a wide range of routine admin tasks, such as:

• Managing emails in your inbox
• Managing your calendar and scheduling appointments
• Handling customer inquiries and support
• Conducting market research and competitor analysis
• Creating and scheduling social media posts
• Updating your website and blog content
• Organizing and managing your files and documents
• Creating invoices and chasing late payments
• Making travel arrangements
• Data entry and updating records.

Without the burden of administrative tasks weighing you down, you’re free to put your specialized skills and expertise to use where they matter most. If you want to know just how much (or how little!) of your workload actually needs to be done by you, simply enter your regular task list into our free to-do list optimizer.

2. Work-life balance

It’s not just role overload itself that causes a great deal of stress for entrepreneurs, it’s the repercussions, too.

As we mentioned above, if you always have more work to do than time to do it, your options are fairly limited. 43% of business owners choose to take their work home with them, leaving them little time to unwind, spend quality time with family, or pursue hobbies and interests.

But when you’re constantly “on” and unable to disconnect from work, the consequences can be severe:

Decreased productivity and decision-making abilities: Chronic stress and fatigue can impair your focus, concentration, and decision-making skills, leading to poor quality business decisions and a decline in overall productivity.

Strained personal relationships: When you pour all your time and energy into work, there’s little left over to nurture your personal connections. This can result in feelings of neglect and frustration among loved ones, ultimately creating tension and misunderstanding.

Mental and physical health issues: The negative impacts of stress on our bodies and minds have been well-documented, so it’s hardly surprising to hear that the relentless demands of entrepreneurship can increase the risk of burnout, depression, anxiety, and even physical ailments.

Reduced creativity and innovation: If you want to develop new products and services that set your business apart from competitors, creativity should be among your top priorities. But when you’re constantly in “work mode,” your ability to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions can be stifled, limiting the growth and development of your business.

With a virtual assistant in your corner, you can leave work at a reasonable hour with fewer responsibilities to check off your list. Not only that, but you can also be more present during your free time as you won’t have the niggling guilt of unfinished tasks hanging over your head.

See: How A Virtual Assistant Can Help Transform Your Work-Life Balance

3. Financial worries

When cash flow problems are the biggest killer of small businesses, it’s no wonder that one of the most significant sources of stress for business owners boils down to finances.

The constant worry about meeting financial obligations can be draining, and, often, the personal financial stakes involved in running a business can amplify this stress. Many business owners invest their own savings into their ventures, creating a direct link between the success of the business and their personal financial security.

When 63% of small business owners report suffering from stress, anxiety, or depression due to late payments and can spend the equivalent of 20 days per year chasing overdue invoices, this is where an assistant can be worth their weight in gold.

With an experienced virtual assistant handling financial administrative tasks such as invoicing, making online payments, and tracking expenses, you can rest assured that you’re always on top of these crucial processes while saving the time and stress of doing it yourself.

The cost-effectiveness and overhead costs of virtual assistants

The responsibility of financial decision-making can also weigh heavily on business owners. Every investment, from marketing campaigns to new equipment, runs the risk of not yielding the expected return, potentially jeopardizing the business’s stability.

As a result, many small business owners struggle to justify the cost of hiring extra help, especially when they don’t need full-time administrative support. And they’d be right. Hiring someone for eight hours a day can take a big bite out of your budget, and this is why so many will try to do everything themselves.

But while they may save money, they’ll ultimately pay for it with their work-life balance, quality of work, or progress toward their goals.

If you want to reduce stress while also keeping operating costs low, hiring a virtual assistant can often be a much more cost-effective solution compared to a full-time, in-house staff.

This is because you only pay for a VA’s productive time completing your tasks, as little or as much as you need. Using the example that the average full-time employee is only truly productive for 2 hours and 58 minutes each day, this productive time with an in-house assistant would cost you around 57% more than a virtual assistant.

And don’t forget, when you hire full-time employees, you don’t just have to pay their salary. Before they even clock in on their first day, you have to set them up with everything they need. Usually, this includes equipment, supplies, and suitable office space for them to work—the latter being the second-largest overall expense and the single-largest fixed cost your business will accrue over time.

Because virtual assistants work remotely, you don’t need to worry about providing office space or equipment. And because they are independent contractors, you don’t need to provide any employee benefits, either. In total, hiring a virtual assistant could save you up to 90% on your staffing costs!

See: 5 Financial Admin Tasks To Delegate To A Virtual Assistant

4. Overwhelming communication

In today’s world, there’s no escaping the endless barrage of communications flooding your inbox, phone, and various messaging platforms.

In fact, research conducted by Bain & Company has revealed just how overwhelming this influx of messages has become over the years. In the 1970s, the average executive received around 1000 incoming messages annually. Today, that number has skyrocketed to over 30,000 per year!

The pressure to keep up with the constant flow of communication can be a major source of stress. The fear of missing important messages or opportunities can make you feel the need to respond to emails, texts, and instant messages at all hours, blurring the lines between work and personal life.

Not only that, constantly switching between tasks to respond to incoming messages can lead to a phenomenon known as ‘attention residue,’ where your focus and cognitive resources are divided between multiple activities. This fragmentation of attention can reduce your overall productivity, ultimately hindering the growth and success of your business.

The good news is that a virtual assistant can help shield you from much of this stress.

• Email management: With plenty of guidance and clear instructions, a virtual assistant can sort, prioritize, and even respond to emails on your behalf.
• Customer service: An experienced virtual assistant can check your customer service inbox, handling routine inquiries and flagging any issues.
• Voicemails: VAs can review messages left in your voicemail and email you the details so you know exactly what needs your attention and what doesn’t.
• Social media management: VAs can help support your digital marketing efforts by handling the day-to-day management of your social media accounts, including responding to comments and direct messages.

By handling routine inquiries and filtering messages, virtual assistants can make sure that only the most important matters reach you directly, allowing you to focus on your work without getting bogged down by constant pinging notifications.

5. Isolation

As a small business owner, the demands of running a business can often leave you feeling disconnected from the outside world, with little time for personal relationships or social interaction. A study found that a staggering 50% of CEOs feel lonely, and 61% believe that this isolation actually hindered their performance.

This sense of loneliness can hit solopreneurs especially hard. Without the social network that comes with a larger company, you miss out on chats with colleagues and team members. This can make the daily grind feel even more overwhelming, causing more stress, less productivity, and even mental health issues.

Although you’re not likely to ever meet them face-to-face, a virtual assistant is a steady, supportive presence you can rely on. Through regular check-ins, sharing ideas, and even casual conversations, virtual assistants can provide much-needed social interaction and a sense of camaraderie and teamwork that helps your entrepreneurial journey feel a lot less solitary.

What's the bottom line?

From role overload to financial worries, excessive communication, and isolation, the trials and tribulations of running a business can make stress feel like a constant companion for entrepreneurs.

That’s why a virtual assistant can be a powerful ally in your quest for a more manageable life. By taking care of time-consuming tasks, streamlining your operations, and offering much-needed support, they help you reclaim control over your workload and well-being.

With less stress and more valuable time at your disposal, you’ll find yourself better equipped to handle whatever life throws at you.

So, if you’re sick of feeling overwhelmed, Time etc is here for you.

Since 2007, our mission has been to help business owners feel less stressed and more in control by matching them with the best virtual assistants for their unique business needs.

We know just how precious your time is, so we’re ready to save you between three to six weeks of recruiting an assistant yourself (and up to 90% of the cost of hiring!).

Ready to see the difference the right virtual assistant could make to your life? Speak to our expert team to get started, and we’ll handle the rest!