The Benefits of Working with a Virtual Assistant
Do you remember the movie “Multiplicity” with Michael Keaton? He played the harried father who cloned himself because he had so much to do. As a business owner, I can definitely relate. This week’s guest author, Janet Barclay, shares why virtual assistants are the solution to the “multiple hats syndrome.”
When I tell people that I help small business owners to maximize their online presence by setting up and maintaining their websites, blogs, and social networks, it’s not unusual for them to say, “People actually pay for that?” My answer to those folks is a resounding “YES!”
For thousands of businesses around the world, the virtual assistant is an essential team member who allows them to spend less time on administrative, technical, and/or creative tasks, and more time on profit-generating activities. For example, if you run a one-person operation, it may be difficult for you to keep track of the people who contact you about your services. You can hire a VA to enter the information into a database and then notify you when it’s time for a phone call, or even send follow up messages on your behalf. If this leads to even one of those contacts becoming a client, the service will have paid for itself.
As another example, it probably takes you at least two hours to put together and send out your monthly newsletter. If you delegate that work to a virtual assistant, that’s two hours you’ve just freed up for billable work or to meet with prospective clients. Over the course of a year, that extra income can really add up!
So, for starters, you can see that a virtual assistant saves you time, and we all know that in the world of business, time is money. In most cases, a virtual assistant is also a cost-effective alternative to hiring an employee, because you don’t need to provide office space or equipment, nor do you have to pay for vacation, holidays, sick time, benefits, downtime, or any time that’s not spent working on your business. Some VAs don’t even require you to commit to a minimum number of hours per week or month!
Of course, it’s not just about the money…
When you started your business, you probably didn’t count on working 12 hour days, plus weekends, but maybe you’ve found it’s the only way you can stay on top of everything that needs to be done. When you outsource the tasks that are consuming your time and encroaching on your personal life, you’ll have more time for leisure and social activities, and as a result, you’ll be a happier and healthier person.
If you’re worried that you don’t have the time to train a virtual assistant, keep in mind that there are VAs who specialize in e-commerce, social media, virtual event planning, real estate assistance, and many other areas, so you can probably find someone who already has the expertise to support your business.
In many cases, your virtual assistant will be more proficient than you at certain tasks, and will be able to complete them with greater accuracy and in less time than if you did them yourself. Furthermore, when you work with an experienced VA, they may very well offer suggestions and ideas to enhance your business in ways that you’d never thought of yourself.
Would you rather spend hours chained to your computer, struggling to learn new applications, or hire a professional and free up your time and energy for bigger and better things?
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About the Author
Janet Barclay is the co-owner of Organized Assistant, a virtual assistant service specializing in online marketing support, including website and blog design, and maintenance. She has earned certification as a Shopping Cart Specialist and Master Virtual Assistant, and is the Founder and Director of the Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group.
Connect With Janet: Web | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
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Comments
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Great way to explain about VAs, Janet–I’m glad Deb had you share these insights. I think too many people think VAs (if they know to think about them at all) only do clerical tasks. In many cases, like yours, it can be like having a whole marketing or tech or design firm on your side. We professional organizers are always advising our clients to delegate, and for small business owners, VAs allow us to delegate with confidence.
Julie, it’s true that many people only think of VAs as secretaries who work off site, and though there are many who perform that function, there are countless other possibilities. I actually blogged yesterday about Virtual Assistant Services You May Not Have Thought Of. Thanks so much for your comments and for encouraging your clients to delegate!
Great points Julie – Like Julie said many people wrongly assume that VAs only do clerical and admin jobs. They can do so much more – Your newsletter was a good example…
Janet, just cant stop my self to comment on your post. Good post. VAs used to work in very narrow market but not VAs can do virtually anything.
Amanda
Virtual Assistant :-)
Sandy and Amanda, thanks so much for stopping by and confirming the value of working with a virtual assistant.
Business owners should of course keep in mind that “value” is based on much more than the cost of the service.
A Virtual Assistant bring reliability, competence, creativity and other great characteristics to your business without the insane costs.
An insightful and articulate post! Thanks for your work in putting this summary together. Virtual assistants are capable of managing any number of business tasks that you and your small business may require. Companies can bring on a virtual assistant to accomplish a one-time task, to act as a business owner’s practically full-time assistant, or anything in between; Countless small businesses are finding that the convenience, professionalism, and high competency of virtual assistants is just too good of a deal to pass up.
Josh
Deb, thank you so much for inviting me to write this article. Although more and more people are familiar with the concept of a virtual assistant, not everyone really “gets it” so I appreciate the opportunity to spread the word.
Since everyone is so busy these days and human cloning is illegal, it’s a good thing there are so many of us!