If you're good at what you do, you'll soon reach a productivity ceiling: you've got so much business that the "little stuff" keeps you from generating more business.

You need a Personal Assistant if your company (YOU, Inc.) is to grow. If you're thinking of getting one, or if you currently have one, here are a few tips on working with a P.A.

• Make sure your assistant has today's skills: working with Windows, ability to use a database, familiarity with e-mail (attachments, personalized mass mailings, sending a monthly e-mail newsletter, etc.), ability to create print and multimedia presentations, maintaining your real estate database, etc.
• Let your P.A. learn any new software. He or she can then give you a few quick lessons on it, thus saving you an enormous amount of time...and taking the fear factor out of it for you!
• Your P.A. should handle all tech support calls. C.E.O.'s (that's you!) don't spend their time on hold!
• Get a separate ISP e-mail account for your P.A. If you have a domain name, you can have all e-mail sent to your publicized e-mail address (YourName@ISellTheWorld.com) delivered to his or her account; you give your personal address to only a select few. The P.A.'s job is to take care of 80-90 percent of all e-mail, sending the rest on to you at your account.
• Your P.A. should implement a system for following up on all e-mail leads. Every Web site lead you don't effectively followup on now equals lost commissions.

  If you currently have a P.A. who does not possess these skills, you are losing money! Set up a 30 day "rehiring process" for him or her....now! Remember: it's your business. Being "too nice" (i.e., not wanting to hurt a P.A.'s feelings by telling him or her that new skills are needed), is hurting your business!