What You Should Consider Before Bringing on an Intern

“I’m so bogged down with administrative tasks.”

“I need help getting some business tasks off of my plate.”

This is a complaint heard frequently within many coworking or communities with entrepreneurs and small business owners. Over the years entrepreneurship has been glamorized and toted as the “cool” thing to do. But running your own business, while it does provide many benefits like flexibility and freedom, is hard work.

As a business owner, you are required to wear many different hats. Administrative or marketing related tasks are a few that can quickly pile up.

We often hear people consider bringing on interns to help alleviate the task overload. Despite what you may have seen in the movies, interns and assistants are two very different things.

There are a couple of problems with the idea of bringing on an intern to alleviate your workload.

Internships are traditionally short-term commitments lasting from as little as three months and up to six months in some rare instances.  It can take a significant amount of time and company resources training and getting an intern up-to-speed.

Legally, there are major penalties if you are:

• Having an intern complete tasks that an employee could do
• Not providing a true learning experience for the intern (the internship should benefit them more than it benefits you).
• Receiving immediate benefit from activities completed by an intern

If you’re considering bringing on an intern here are 10 Keys to Working with Interns.

A better alternative to getting extra support, if you can’t afford to hire an executive assistant or virtual assistant within the U.S., is to consider outsourcing outside the U.S. There are many benefits of outsourcing to a virtual assistant. Here are a few:

Saves time.

Delegating tasks and processes is a quick way to alleviate your time so you can keep your focus in the right places. You no longer need to feel bogged down and you can shave hours off your from your work week.

Reduces cost.

Even a $20 an hour admin hired within the U.S. will end up costing you $30 an hour, given all the requirements by the state. You can find a qualified VA in the Philippines who will work hard for a fraction of a U.S. based employee! Building a virtual team can also help keep your expenses low without worrying about the overhead expenses of office space and equipment. 

Risk-Free.

Hiring a vetted virtual assistant outside the U.S. can alleviate the stresses of navigating your State’s Labor Board while getting you the support you are looking for. 

Hera Hub’s HER Assistant Program can help you find a qualified VA in the Philippines who will work hard for a fraction of a U.S. based employee!

“Your most precious resource as a human being (not just a business owner) is TIME. The less you commit to, the greater your focus. The greater your focus, the more impact you can have with the time you’re given. For this reason alone,…
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Working with a VA can be a time saver and lifesaver to your sanity and business, but finding the right VA and creating a system for their work and feedback is not as easy. We have spent time in the Philippines and created a network of vetted Filipino VAs to support entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations.  We handle the process developing, matching and management and you finally get the support you’ve been looking for.

To learn more about our HER Assistant program visit www.herahub.com/va