A virtual assistant, or online assistant, is a remote employee who you can hire to work on a flexible basis. Rather than hiring someone in-house, which is costly, you will usually only pay for your virtual assistant's time on tasks for you and nothing more.
Virtual assistants can take on just about any task, whether it’s straightforward business admin, account management, client liaison, or even payroll. These are employees who you outsource your tasks, online.
4 Reasons Small Business Can Outsource to a Virtual Assistant Online
You may be wondering if any company, particularly smaller companies, can outsource to online virtual assistants. The answer is yes anyone can outsource to a virtual assistant. Here are some reasons you should consider outsourcing to an online assistant and why any company, even small businesses, can.
1. Saving you time and money
Companies can save up to 78% in costs by hiring an online virtual assistant. When you hire a full-time in-house assistant – or any employee - you have to pay them a competitive salary, benefits, and cover costs like their desk and computer. When you hire a remote employee, particularly from an agency that offers virtual assistant services, you generally pay a lot less than you would to a traditional on-site employee. Usually, you will pay per hour or for work done, and nothing more.
Virtual assistants can save you a great deal of time and open your schedule so you can focus on what’s important. By handling the tasks you simply don’t have time for efficiently and professionally, you have less to worry about. Now, you can work for your company rather than in your company.
In the case of a small business where time and money are your two most valuable resources, outsourcing to an online virtual assistant is an excellent move.
2. Keeping you organized and focused
A virtual assistant can help improve your productivity. One of the biggest and most helpful tasks an online personal assistant can help you with is managing your email inbox. If you spend endless hours being a slave to emails, a virtual assistant can turn things around for you.
Outsource admin like managing your email inbox, your schedule, and your diary to a personal assistant, and you will find yourself with a whole lot more time to be productive. You may even be able to reach inbox zero.
Having someone manage your emails, leaving you with only the most important things to respond to, saves you time and keeps things organized. Outsourcing your diary and schedule management to your remote employee can ensure you’re spending time on what matters, rather than getting distracted by incoming communication or meetings that could have been an email.
3. Increased flexibility
Usually, the virtual assistant you outsource to can work around your schedule, even if they’re in different time zones to you. They can work around your hours and be available when you need them most. This makes them far more flexible than an in-house employee.
Flexibility can be a major plus if you are running a small business. Being able to scale up or down in terms of the staff you need is invaluable as your business grows. Outsourcing to an online assistant means you can have one assistant to do your most important tasks and hire more when you need more hands-on deck. When you hire through a virtual assistant agency, you can usually scale down on your team of remote employees when you need to cut down on expenses. This wouldn’t be possible with on-site permanent employees.
4. The skills you need
Aside from general office or personal admin, virtual assistants usually have extensive backgrounds and training in certain fields and industries. When you hire an online assistant through an agency, they will take time to understand what it is you need from an assistant and then match you with a candidate that suits your needs.
For example, if your small business is in the financial sector, you’ll be matched with a virtual assistant with a finance background. If you need someone to manage your social media, you’ll be matched with an online assistant who knows and understands digital marketing.
Whatever skills or industry knowledge you require to get the job done, outsourcing to an online assistant is the best way to get what you need.
The fact is that, whether you’re a large organization or a small start-up, any company can outsource virtual assistants online. Not only can anyone do it, everyone should. From saving you time and money to staying organized and being more productive, the benefits of outsourcing to a virtual assistant online are endless.
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