Why Hire a Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant Benefits: Why Should I Hire One?
There is so much to do when running your own business. Not only are you trying to keep your business intact, but you’re also trying to make sure it generates profit. But there’s so much on your plate: finances are in desperate need of organization, social media pages are collecting dust, more blog entries are in dire need of posting, so on and so forth…
How can you manage when you don’t have unlimited time to work with?
This is where your very own virtual office assistant steps in.
But what exactly does a virtual office assistant do? What are the benefits of hiring a VA?
The virtual office assistant – your co-commander
The freelance industry, according to the Intuit 2020 report, is growing exponentially, with 80 percent of large corporations planning to use a more flexible workforce. Freelancers – the contingent worker – alongside temp workers, part-time workers, contractors, and other specialists will exceed 40 percent in the US by 2020.
The virtual assistant is just one such freelancer capable of performing the following time-consuming tasks:
- Data entry and other administrative tasks
- Transcription
- SEO services
- Copywriting
- Copyediting
- IT services
- Programming
- Web design
- Website maintenance
- Graphic design/editing
- Online marketing (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
- Database management
- Blogging
- Accounting/payroll
- Appointment bookings
- Telesummit productions
- Other routine tasks
Keep in mind that the skill sets vary among each individual.
The virtual assistant benefits
There are quite a few benefits of hiring a virtual assistant:
Lower costs and save money. With a full-time employee, you’re not only responsible for his salary but also his taxes, benefits pay (medical benefits, holiday pay, sick days) and worker’s compensation. With a virtual assistant, you only need to worry about paying them for their time. As VA’s are independent contractors, they pay their own taxes and benefits, though as a result, the wages they charge may be a little higher compared to the base wages of the employee. Overall, a virtual assistant is cheaper for your business, especially if you’re a small business owner.
Increased efficiency. Let’s face it: the eight-hour day is not exactly productive. Sure, Americans generally work over 40 hours per week, but according to data from Ohio University, the average American worker is only productive for two hours and 53 minutes out of the eight-hour workday with one of the reasons being that the office space can be fairly distracting. Virtual assistants can get much more done in the same eight-hour workday, as they tend to be more focused on satisfying their clients. They tend to be more motivated because if they miss deadlines, they are less likely to receive more work from the company.
You can take that much-needed break or vacation. You need more time for you. Being swamped is no good for your mind and body – you need to rest when you can, otherwise, you won’t be able to put 100 percent into your work. This is where the virtual assistant comes in. You can be more productive when you take time for yourself and leave the virtual assistant to the administrative tasks like managing your site.
Greater flexibility. The virtual assistant works around your schedule and is typically there when you need them (unless they’re swamped with other clients, of course).
Furthermore, if you find yourself unhappy with the virtual assistant’s work, you can terminate the contract and move onto another VA.
With a full-time employee, there may be additional strings attached to the termination of their employment. On top of that, the employee is there for the full eight-hour shift, so you need to pay them for their time, no matter how much they get done or if there is a lack of tasks.
You can hire a VA to fill in the skill gap. You may need something done that your team isn’t qualified to do. Perhaps you need a site developed or a banner created, and none of your staff can do so. You can hire a qualified VA for those projects!
When is it necessary to hire a virtual assistant?
It’s best to hire a virtual assistant when:
- You’re on a tight budget
- You’re scaling operations
- You’re overwhelmed by your workload
- You lack someone with the necessary skills to complete a project
- You would like to be more efficient and productive with your time
- You need to destress
So what are you waiting for? Hire a VA today!
MCG Virtual Assistant Services offers almost a decade’s worth of experience, with specialties in telesummit productions, web design/management, SEO services, project management, social media marketing, bookkeeping, data entry, and more.
