Small business owners are often thinking about new ways in which they can save money.
Smart people know that when they hire an employee, wages are only a small percentage of the financial overhead. As an employer, you’re also responsible for tax, national insurance (in the UK) and benefits which may range from holiday, maternity and sick pay to gym membership. Even part-time employees require office space, furniture, equipment and training and even temps now have similar rights to permanent staff.
The cost of a Virtual Business Assistant is very simple to compare –payment for services via an invoice – that’s it. A VA isn’t an employee, so you’re not responsible for the usual costs associated with employing someone. A VA uses her own office space and equipment, and, assuming you taken on someone with excellent experience, IT and people skills, any special training is carried out quickly and professionally.
Technology For businesses with more sophisticated technology, Virtual Assistants are the perfect match as they’re usually skilled in using online applications, project management software and web-based applications including calendars.
Even home-based businesses these days have the technology required to work with a personal assistant. Assuming you have a phone and email tools these are enough for most administrative tasks to be carried out effectively.
Telephone Answering Until I really sat down and thought about it, it was still amazing to me how many people confuse a telephone answering service with a Virtual Assistant, VA or Virtual PA. Then I realised that of course if people haven’t worked in corporate offices and haven’t been fortunate enough to have had a dedicated PA, then why or how could they know that a Personal Assistant carries out tasks such as setting up meetings across different time zones, designing PowerPoint presentations, taking shorthand, (to name just a few) and doesn’t just answer phones (that is the job of a Receptionist). In fact, it is rare within a corporate office for a PA to answer even her boss’s phone – Receptionists or Telephonists are there to filter calls. As soon as you take the plunge, and work with a qualified Virtual Business Assistant for a few days, you will begin to realise the true value of a one on one working relationship.
One on One support A professional virtual personal assistant is a skilled professional in their own right with knowledge above and beyond basic secretarial skills. Many have marketing and web design experience and have worked for years within corporate environments. The Virtually 24/7 service has been designed to offer unique one on one support to entrepreneurs and small business owners. From personal experience I believe that to be able to offer a dedicated one on one service where your VA knows and understands your business, and your way of doing things, is the only way for this relationship to work. I say this because it is crucial for your clients to have one point of contact to represent you and your business and the very nature of outsourcing can lead to confusion and delays – that is not the way forward for anyone looking for fast professional support.
Finally, ask yourself, “Would I find it difficult to speak with a virtual Business Assistant every day?”
If you answered “no”, you’ve got what it takes to build a good relationship with a VA. It’s all about excellent communication. It’s easy to give up the habit of seeing someone face-to-face when you calculate how much money you’ll save!
As business owners ourselves, we need to manage the bottom line. Smart entrepreneurs know this and are already on board.
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