Using a Virtual Assistant for Bookkeeping, Expenses and What Else

[Kim Hopkins]

Hi!

We are overwhelmed trying to manage our current real estate portfolio and in the process of another acquisition. I have two questions:

1) Does anyone recommend using a particular virtual assistant company like Upwork or something like that for recurring work? Is it better to just hire a specific individual as a contractor when needed?

2) WHAT tasks do you outsource? I can think of bookkeeping (entering P&Ls into QuickBooks or spreadsheets), making our Expensify reports... what else in the real estate asset management lifecycle could we outsource? Following up with tenants for rents? We use property managers for our multi-tenant buildings but have single tenant ones out of state we manage ourselves. What else? Entering health insurance receipts for our personal insurance claims? 

Any help brainstorming what we can outsource and to whom would be much appreciated!  We also have two young kids so I'm open to outsourcing personal home stuff as well if anyone has ideas. Wish a virtual assistant could fold laundry!

Thanks,
Kim

[Peter Giardini]

Kim,

Congratulations on your success!

As I am sure you are aware you are at a critical juncture in the growth of your business.

Looking at your question as you presented it maybe you have it backwards.  You are asking about what things could I hand off to an assistant (virtual or otherwise).

Perhaps a better way to look at this would be... "what do I need to be doing to continue growing my business" and all of those things that don't contribute directly to that growth could be handed off to an assistant.

But... before you head down a path to bring on an assistant I would recommend that you make the time to read The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber.  A must read for anyone in your stage of growth.

Good luck!

Pete