The object of any business is to grow and make a profit (not necessarily in that order). For the small business owner, growth may be hindered by the stamina in your body. If you are handling all of your daily tasks alone, growth may not be possible in the way that you’d like to see it. Consider hiring a virtual assistant for help.
What Is a Virtual Assistant?
Unlike a jack-of-all-trades, a virtual assistant is a master of them all. These contract business professionals makes their living by meeting the needs of other business owners like yourself. Their skill set can comprise everything from bookkeeping to marketing and customer service to website design.
Those who categorize them as “glorified secretaries” are way off the mark. Virtual assistants are proving themselves to be invaluable to small and large companies, and online and brick and mortar businesses, as well.
Many have spent time in the private sector and made the transition to business owner so others could benefit from their years of experience. This profession maintains accrediting bodies for their credentialing programs.
Benefits of Working with a Virtual Assistant
So what do you have to gain by utilizing such a person?
Maintain a low overhead—Since VAs work virtually, you don’t have to provide space in your office for them. Everything is done via electronic media. They are contract personnel so payment is for services rendered only—unlike a traditional employee.
Business owners—Virtual assistants own their business. You are one of their clients. This means that they pay for their own insurance and calculate their taxes. You have no worries about providing benefits, disability, retirement plans or any of that paperwork. Since they work by the hour, the cost is a bit more for their services, but you also save that much and extra because they are not an employee.
Familiar with deadlines—These business professionals know what it is like to juggle multiple projects and deadlines. If you have need of something right away, a virtual assistant may be able to help.
Nothing but work—In an office, there are lunch breaks for employees, downtime for this and that, and more. How many hours of a work day are actually spent getting things done? With a virtual assistant, all of the time devoted to you is productive time. You pay for that, not their downtime.
Good quality work—Your satisfaction directly ties into their business reputation and vice versa. It is in their best interest to always provide high quality output for their clients.
Variety—All virtual assistants are not endowed with the same skill sets. If you need someone to run your website for you, then you can hire a VA with those specific skills.
Virtual assistants have the versatility to be useful to any number of business enterprises—including yours.
Author’s content used under license, © Claire Communications
