Your Next Chapter Podcast Episode 19: Kristy Smith – The Secrets of Successful Outsourcing

Ep 019 Kristy Smith

In her first chapters, Kristy Smith was all about service. She worked in hospitality managing teams and organising functions and conferences and in hospital administration, responsible for up to 100 people at a time.

Kristy saw first hand how important it was to build relationships and become a trusted, reliable source of information and results. But she also saw how many people, herself included, became stuck and struggling trying to handle everything themselves. It was painfully obvious that potential business growth was often hindered by a lack of capacity and a simple truth – it’s not possible to do it all without help!

This realisation shaped Kristy’s Next Chapter, when she wanted both flexibility and fulfilment and decided to start her own business after having her kids. Virtual Elves Outsourcing was born in 2007 from the desire to help small business owners and entrepreneurs escape from the tasks that weigh you down and restrict creative growth.

Outsourcing is a big step for many people, and Kristy delights in helping make the transition an easy and enjoyable one.

In this episode we explore both her own journey into a Next Chapter Business she loves as well as some of steps you can take introduce selective outsourcing in your own business so you can remain in your own zone of genius.

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Show Notes

Key Insights from our wholehearted conversation include:

  • A profitable, scalable business is one that is constantly moving forwards
  • You need clarity on your own business vision, your values and your brand to be able to effectively brief anyone providing services for your business
  • Check in with yourself – are you being productive or just busy? Become aware of what percentage of your work is income generating
  • Hire for attitude, skills can always be learned
  • Get clear on you own processes first so you can share them – map the systems in your business
  • Start with looking at your small and repeatable tasks that you can let go of
  • When working with a VA, find out how they like to be rewarded and explore their own vision – where do they see themselves in a year, 2 years five years from now…

About the speaker

Kristy Smith is the founder of Virtual Elves, and has worked with many businesses helping them to develop the strategies, methods and tools for effective outsourcing. She shows them how, with outsourcing, they can scale, grow and be profitable.

She is known for her ability to see how businesses can operate in a more efficient way, and for walking business owners through the process. She uses her own business growth, mistakes and lessons learnt to give hands-on practical strategies that can be implemented immediately.

Virtual Elves started 6 years ago with just Kristy at the helm and now boasts an international team of over 25 virtual assistants, graphic designers, web developers and other various contractors and now growing at a rate of 5 assistants per month.

Prior to founding Virtual Elves, Kristy managed large teams and implemented front office processes and customer service training for private hospitals and 5-star hotels. A mother of two, she lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband and family.

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Reviews are greatly appreciated and super helpful in spreading the word to other Your Next Chapter women. Thank you!

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