Obviously, from the outset, I’m going to be biased on this topic. Whilst I’m not saying that outsourcing is always the right choice for every aspect of your business – far from it – there is a lot to be said for having the option to hand over some of your workload as needed, without actually recruiting and hiring employees (although maybe you already have some of those too).
More and more business owners are discovering the joy of outsourcing select tasks within the business, especially when you don’t have the time to do it all. Frankly, if you own a successful business, chances are that you definitely do NOT have time to do it all. That’s where folks like me come in.
A virtual assistant might be a great addition to your team if:
- You don’t want to wade through all the regulations associated with either full-time or part-time employees. Virtual assistants usually work on a contract basis, meaning you have no responsibility for sick pay, holiday pay, a pension scheme, or tea, coffee and biscuits.
- Your business levels (and, consequently, your busyness levels) fluctuate throughout the year. Maybe your business is very quiet in the winter, or maybe, on the contrary, you take the summer off! Whilst it can be a challenge to recruit temporary employees for administrative roles, a virtual assistant may fit the bill perfectly. DO plan ahead though if you know what times of the year you’ll need help, and enquire in advance of when you’ll need work done, as many VAs are booked up with regular clients who are paying on a monthly retainer basis to guarantee the virtual assistant’s time is available to them.
- You want to ensure the biggest “bang for your buck”. Virtual assistants will not be billing you for time spent debriefing last night’s episode of Great British Bake Off with coworkers. You’re paying for the time they actually spend working on specific tasks for you, not for an eight-hour window of time designated as “business hours” each day, regardless of actual workload.
- You are an introvert. I’m not being funny here, but for those of us who are on the more introspective side, working with a remote team member, rather than in a shared office space, can be really efficient. Before you start to think that I don’t like being around other people, I do! However, as an introverted type, I certainly find that my concentration levels are much better when I’m in a quiet, home working setting, rather than in a distracting office full of chatty personalities! It can be fun, certainly, but often overwhelming if you’re the type that likes to communicate what needs to be done, and then just settle down to quietly get on with it.
- You want to work with someone who is passionate about what they do! Virtual assistants have taken time and effort to set up their own business, just like you have, and if they didn’t want to help you make yours successful, they would be doing something else that doesn’t involve having to file their own tax return.
So there you have it: my round-up of the top five reasons why working with a virtual assistant could revolutionize the way you do business. So what are you waiting for?