| The internet allows us to interact with our clients/customers/audience like never before. So, it was only a matter of time, we hired people online to help us. The concept of Virtual Assistant or the VA is now a viable and incredible opportunity for small and medium sized businesses as well as professionals to outsource work and save costs without compromising on quality.
Besides allowing you to hire the crème de la crème from around the globe, it saves you from spending time and money to bring them to where you’re located. Instead these professionals are able to work from their own offices and homes. You are able to hire the best and now you have a bigger pool of talent to choose from.
You may not want to hire an assistant to do administrative tasks since you feel they would be an unnecessary cost to your company. So you choose to do them yourself. However, these tasks add to your workload and prevent you from spending time on more productive work. Hiring a VA may be the answer to this. You only pay for the hours the VA takes to complete the task and the fee per hour is low.
Besides doing tedious record work, a VA can assist you with database management & data entry. They can design and maintain your website/blog… respond to comments and queries from your customers, manage your subscriptions and handle all your online correspondence. A VA can do a lot of online research, prepare reports and PowerPoint presentations. They can also write for your blog or proofread your posts.
They are also able to manage your calendar, schedule appointments and meetings on your behalf with both employees and clients.
Along with helping you at work, a VA can also run personal errands, like paying bills online, comparison shopping, looking up the best deals online as well as at stores near you. They can make a dinner reservation or book flight tickets and make reservations at a hotel for a holiday.
Hiring a VA also saves overhead costs. You don’t have to pay them for 8-9 hours that a regular employee puts in everyday. You don’t need to provide them with any resources – no hardware & no software. All VA’s have their own infrastructure that they are able to use.
To get the most out of working with a VA, ensure that you speak to them a couple of times before you assign tasks so that they know the expectations you have of them. Also, spend some time explaining the nature and objectives of your business so that they are able to understand better and customize the tasks you assign them.
If you’re able to find the right VA, then the VA is a valuable asset to your business.
Sameena Khan is a Dedicated Virtual Assistant. Her company comprises a team of experts who, while working from a remote location, provide Virtual Assistance. |
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