22. Should you hire a virtual assistant? (with Caroline Marshall)

22. Should you hire a virtual assistant? (with Caroline Marshall)

Author: Louise Shanahan June 11, 2021 Duration: 15:34

At a certain point in your freelance career, you realise you can't do it all. Nor should you! Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) is one way to take the pressure off and let an expert take care of your admin and business management tasks, so you can focus your magic elsewhere.

Caroline Marshall is the founder of Upsource, an award-winning virtual assistant agency, and on today's episode she shares:

  • how a VA can support your freelance business so you can avoid burnout and focus on growing your business
  • how to find the right VA (and get over your fear of sharing your passwords!)
  • how to decide what tasks to outsource, and what to keep doing yourself
  • how to get your head around the fact that someone might see the messy side of your business (and how they can tidy it up for you)
  • favourite productivity tools
  • how to get started as a VA

If you're thinking about hiring a VA, you won't want to miss this.

Connect with Caroline:

Website: weareupsource.co.uk
Instagram: @weareupsource
LinkedIn: Caroline Marshall

Mentioned on this episode

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and content marketer. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

Keep in touch!

Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com
Newsletter: thecopyprescription.com/subscribe


Ever feel like building a business for yourself is a full-time job in itself, before you’ve even landed a client? 15 Minute Freelancer cuts through the overwhelm with manageable, actionable advice designed to fit around a busy schedule. Hosted by freelance health copywriter Louise Shanahan, each episode draws directly from her own journey and the real, sometimes messy, realities of working for yourself. You’ll hear honest behind-the-scenes stories about pricing, difficult clients, and finding focus, alongside straightforward strategies for the nuts and bolts of running a sustainable operation. The aim is to move beyond generic hustle-culture advice and focus on what actually works, helping you shape a freelance career that supports the life you want, not one that consumes it. This isn't about theory; it's about practical steps you can implement almost immediately. Tune in for a candid, snack-sized conversation that feels more like a chat with a knowledgeable friend than a business lecture. Whether you're just considering the leap or are years into your freelance path, this podcast offers a refreshingly realistic perspective on entrepreneurship.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 93

15 Minute Freelancer
Podcast Episodes
73. Struggling to stay motivated? Try this [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:53
Let’s be honest, running a freelance business is hard work! It’s normal for motivation to ebb and flow. This week Louise shares her 7 top tips for riding out those dips in motivation and pushing through to the other side…
72. The dos and don'ts of freelancer websites (with Gill Andrews) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:15
Two firsts for the podcast this week, a quick-fire question round and a GIVEAWAY!My guest is the queen of website copywriting herself, Gill Andrews. In just 15 mins, Gill answers all your burning questions about the dos…
71. Freelancing for introverts (with Carmel Finnan) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:12
One for the quiet freelancers.We're often told that creating a successful business requires us to "just keep putting yourself out there". But what does that mean if you're more introvert than extrovert? Self-promotion ca…
70. Unleash your inner rebel (with Advita Patel) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:18
"You can't be everyone's cup of tea, or you'd be a mug!"Advita Patel is the founder of Comms Rebel, which aims to revolutionise workplace and business culture by encouraging us all to be a bit more rebellious. She's also…
69. Do freelancers need a CV? (with Jenny Stallard) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:22
Do freelancers ever need a CV? Before this conversation, I'd have said no – after all, I can just send potential clients to my website, can't I?But Jenny Stallard has a different take. Jenny is a freelance writer, busine…
68. When (and how) to trust your intuition (with Helen Pamely) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:58
Do you follow your gut instincts when making business decisions? Or do you prefer poring over logical lists of pros and cons?Intuition and logic might not be as far apart as you think. On today's episode, Helen Pamely, a…
67. Make business fun! (with Kirsty Waite) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:56
"Stop building boring businesses!"Kirsty Waite is a business coach who firmly believes that running a business shouldn't be serious all the time. Being yourself in business takes a bit of practice, but giving ourselves p…
66. My 6-month review: what worked and what didn't? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:18
Are you on track to meet your freelancing goals this year? We're now halfway through the year, which means it's time for a 6-month check-in. In this episode, I dig into what's worked and what's been a bit sticky in my bu…
65. Building a community around your content (with Charles Commins) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:02
Podcasting is a great way to connect with people, but it's also a bit of a one-sided conversation. How do we cultivate a community vibe?This week, 15 Minute Freelancer's very own editor Charles Commins gets on the other…
64. A day in the life of a freelance copywriter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:39
Follow me for a day! In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of a typical day as a freelance copywriter, including:Revisiting theme days as a way to structure your weekDo I really work just five hours a day?Reducin…