{"id":207,"date":"2025-11-10T14:23:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T14:23:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/?p=207"},"modified":"2025-11-30T05:31:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T05:31:33","slug":"outsourcing-means-giving-up-control-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/outsourcing-means-giving-up-control-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"Outsourcing Means Giving Up Control \u2014 Wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my first conversation with one of our clients, the founder of an insurance agency based in Austin, Texas, he had one concern on his mind: He didn\u2019t want to give up his existing processes. If he partnered with our agency to hire a virtual assistant, would he need to change how he did things?<\/span><\/p>\n

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This client was looking for someone to handle personalized renewal quoting. His team was accruing a serious backlog; current staff were already maxed out. They needed to plug someone else in who already had experience in this area \u2014 and fast. But he worried about how <\/span>delegating work to a VA<\/span><\/a> would affect their operations. He didn\u2019t want someone to parachute in and start changing things that worked for his team.<\/span><\/p>\n

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That\u2019s a common concern when hiring a virtual assistant. People wonder, <\/span>Is outsourcing good or bad for an organization? Will it require us to change our workflow processes? <\/span><\/i>Even if their processes are pretty informal, they don\u2019t want new ones to be imposed from outside. <\/span>It\u2019s just how we\u2019ve always done things, and it works for us<\/span><\/i>, they think.<\/span><\/p>\n

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All that considered, fine-tuning your processes is a natural step in any business\u2019s evolution. As you bring more people onto your team, nailing down solid processes becomes even more crucial. Often small businesses (and large ones, too), have no real processes in place. They\u2019re flying by the seat of their pants. But the choice to make any changes is always yours.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s explore how outsourcing business functions to a virtual assistant works. Then, we\u2019ll look at how you can keep \u2014 or fine-tune \u2014 your processes as you bring a VA on board.<\/span><\/p>\n

A VA becomes a member of your team.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Integrating a virtual assistant onto the team doesn\u2019t need to change your processes. At IAB, the VAs we place with clients are <\/span>their <\/span><\/i>employees, so they can direct them in how to do the work. If you partner with us, you\u2019re hiring another employee who just happens to be located in another country. You should treat them like any team member, because that\u2019s what they are.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Understandably, the client in Austin didn\u2019t want changes to be dictated from outside. They had a system, and it worked, he said\u2014they just needed someone who could take the reins on renewal quoting.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I assured him that we don\u2019t meddle in our clients\u2019 operations. \u201cWhen you hire a virtual assistant, you get to train them however you see fit,\u201d I told him. At the same time, we\u2019ll gladly share guidance on how to integrate a VA onto the team, I explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

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We found just the right person for his agency within a couple of weeks. This virtual assistant quickly learned the ropes as the team trained her in their renewal process. The client was pleased to see that outsourcing an employee didn\u2019t mean changing how they operated. More recently, we placed a second VA with them as they\u2019ve continued increasing their efficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n

How can you onboard a VA while keeping your processes?<\/span><\/h2>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>Image source<\/span><\/i><\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

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When onboarding new people, having a blueprint in place for how to perform their job duties will let them get up to speed quickly. Otherwise, you could waste a lot of time and still end up with unclear expectations and lost productivity. Take these steps to ensure consistency as you bring new people on board.<\/span><\/p>\n

Create a roadmap to your processes.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Like many small business leaders, you might never have formalized your processes. It\u2019s hard to train someone in using them if you haven\u2019t clearly outlined them. As you scale, defining your processes in writing will help you train new people in using them again and again. Here\u2019s how to do that \u2014 while simultaneously enhancing your processes.<\/span><\/p>\n