When should I hire a neurodivergent virtual assistant?

As a neurodivergent small business owner, especially if you’re running things solo, it can be hard to know when it is the right time to bring someone on board to help.

You may already work with a business coach to help navigate high-level questions and challenges, but now you might be wondering if it’s time to hire someone to assist with the more routine, everyday tasks and issues that arise.

At any stage of your business, an assistant can be an invaluable asset. This is particularly true if you are a neurodivergent business owner, as hiring a virtual assistant—especially one who is also neurodivergent—can help you make noticeable strides in your business.

When is the right time to hire a neurodivergent assistant for my business?

There are many valid reasons to hire an assistant. Some people bring on an assistant to help them launch their business because there are an immeasurable amount of tasks involved in getting something new off the ground. Others prefer to wait until their business is more established.

There is no right or wrong answer. How do you know when to hire an assistant? If you feel that having an assistant would help you better enjoy running your business—or simply make life easier—it’s the right time to consider hiring one.

With that in mind, here are a few common reasons to hire an assistant for yourself and your business. If any of these resonate with you, it might be time to bring on some help.

“I have too much on my plate right now.”

This is one of the most common reasons business owners hire an assistant. Once your business is established, you may find yourself with a full schedule of client work on top of the administrative, marketing, and other miscellaneous tasks that come with running a business.

Before you know it, you could be putting in long hours, or worse, falling behind on important tasks that don’t have immediate consequences, like sending out invoices or creating social media content to warm up your audience before launching a new product or service.

If you find yourself constantly saying, “I’m sorry, I’ve just been really busy,” it might be time to hire an assistant.

“I want to grow, but I’m worried about becoming overwhelmed and burning out.”

It’s always a good idea to keep your energy levels in mind. If you’re thinking about this, you’re likely future-focused and have experienced burnout before. You want to keep growing your business without becoming overwhelmed or burning out.

Hiring an assistant while your business is steady—or even before it really takes off—can help you scale without experiencing the stress of doing it all yourself. Think of it like going to the dentist to fix a minor toothache before it turns into something worse.

“I want to focus on the core of my business. You know, the reason I started it.”

You enjoy doing the work you built your business around, but the other tasks, like responding to emails or managing admin tasks, feel like a necessary evil. Hiring an assistant allows you to spend more time on the aspects of your business you actually enjoy while delegating the less enticing but still essential tasks.

“I’m struggling to keep up with non-essential tasks.”

Your clients will notice if you don’t deliver what you promised. It’s easy to prioritize client work, especially if you’re motivated by deadlines. But the tasks that don’t have immediate consequences—like working on long-term business goals—are often pushed aside.

Delegating non-essential but still unquestionably important business tasks to an assistant helps you stay true to your long-term goals and ensures that important projects don’t fall by the wayside.

“I want to do something kind for myself.”

Hiring an assistant for your business is like treating yourself to something special. It’s an act of self-care. If you tend to “hunker down and push through” when things get tough, hiring an assistant is a step toward self-compassion and creating a more sustainable workflow.

“I feel alone in my business.”

Having a business coach or being part of online groups of other neurodivergent business owners can help you feel grounded in your goals. But sometimes, these external supports don’t have the full context of what you’re dealing with day-to-day.

An assistant who works closely with you and understands the ins and outs of your business can make the experience feel less lonely. They can help you carry the load and provide much-needed support.

I do need an assistant! Now what?

Did any of the above questions resonate with you? Have you muttered one to yourself before while begrudgingly adding items to your to-do list?

If you’ve been thinking about hiring an assistant, that’s reason enough to move forward. You don’t need to have 30 hours of work a week for them to do, and you don’t need to wait until you’re almost imploding from stress. The right time is when you feel it’s the right time.