I don’t need an EA.
We are too small for it.
I’m not that kind of CEO – I can do everything myself.
I/We can’t afford one.
Those are just the most common quotes CEOs state as a reason not to hire an assistant or administrative support.
They perceive having an Executive Assistant to be a luxury, maybe even a status symbol. An image they don’t want to present to the world.
Goodness! How silly this line of thinking is. Dan Martell in “Buy Back Your Time” makes an argument that hiring an assistant (even if it is “just” a VA to start) gives a founder / CEO one of the highest return on investment an early (well, any) stage company can achieve.
How can that work?
The math is actually pretty simple and clear to understand, and so is the misunderstanding leading to the above arguments.
You are not hiring someone to do your emails, manage your calendar, or get your social posts covered. After all, why would you spend your precious cash on something of such low value, you can easily do yourself?
What you are really getting is another YOU. The most valuable asset the company has, especially in the early stages. An assistant will take the least valuable, and often easiest to hand over, tasks off your list, and allow you to repurpose all that time to efforts that will really drive your company forward.
How much would you pay someone who can make three more investor calls in exactly the same way as you would, WITHOUT you having to train them? Or code as well as you can? Add to this the increase in productivity by removing distractions and reducing context switching, and the value starts adding up very, very quickly.
Are you still making excuses or did you hire another you?
