The Benefits of Having a Virtual Office Assistant

Does it seem like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done?

Are you and your staff trying to run a business and, at the same time, keep up with the never-ending demands of running a website?

It’s time to hire a virtual office assistant! Our talented professionals are the ultimate multi-taskers. They make your life easier by helping your business run more efficiently.

Contact us today for more information

But what exactly does a virtual assistant (VA) do? And why do you (and your business) need one?

Read on to learn the many benefits of having a virtual office assistant.

Virtual assistant

What does a virtual office assistant do?

There was a time when the terms “work-at-home” and “freelancer” had negative connotations.

Not anymore. These days, an impressive 1.91 million UK workers are freelancers. This number is up 25% since 2009!

Many of these independent workers are virtual assistants. They work online from a remote location and handle specific tasks for a company.

Their skill sets vary, but some of the most common jobs they perform include:

  • Office administration
  • Secretarial work
  • Transcription/translation
  • Data entry/spreadsheets
  • Appointment bookings
  • Database management
  • Amazon Marketing
  • IT services
  • Graphic design
  • Photo editing
  • SEO services
  • Website design/management
  • Accounting/payroll
  • Blogging
  • Social media marketing

As you can see, there is almost nothing that a VA can’t do!

When should I hire a virtual assistant?

Anytime is a good time to add another skilled professional to your team.

You might especially want to hire a VA if:

  • You’re overwhelmed by your current workload.
  • You have more paperwork than you and your staff can handle.
  • You want to use your time more productively.
  • You can’t afford another full-time staff member.
  • You need to decrease your stress levels.
  • You need something done that you don’t have the skills to do yourself.

If any of these situations apply to you, there’s no doubt you could get the help you need from a qualified VA.

What if you’re on a tight budget? Don’t worry. Hiring a virtual assistant is probably more affordable than you think!

What are the benefits of having a virtual assistant?

There are more benefits of hiring a virtual office assistant than we could possibly list here.

Here are just a few examples to consider:

1. Reduced labour costs

If you hire another full-time employee, you’ll not only have to pay his salary but also:

  • Taxes
  • Sick days
  • Holiday leave
  • Worker’s compensation
  • Medical/dental benefits

On the other hand, virtual assistants work as independent contractors. This means they handle all their own expenses, including taxes and insurance.

You simply hire them to perform a specific job, pay them for their time, and that’s it. Think of all the money you’ll save that can be better used elsewhere!

2. Increased productivity

In a standard 8-hour workday, the average UK office worker does a little less than 3 hours of actual “productive” work.

Why pay one more employee to surf the internet and chat at the coffee station?

Virtual assistants work differently. Without the distractions of an office environment, they’re able to focus and dedicate their time to getting tasks done.

Because they’re self-employed, their number one goal is client satisfaction. If they start slacking off and missing deadlines, it’s unlikely the company will hire them for future work.

For this reason, virtual assistants are a highly motivated bunch!

3. Increased flexibility

With a VA, you’re not saddled to a 9-5 workday. They work around your schedule and are there when you need them.

If you’re in different time zones, that can work to your advantage, too. Rather than assigning eight-hour shifts, you can develop a schedule that maximizes output while keeping costs in check.

And, in the unlikely event that you’re dissatisfied with your VA, you can simply end the contract and hire a different assistant.

It’s not always that simple with a full-time employee!

4. Improved work quality

How much time do you spend every day on “busy” work like checking emails, answering phone calls, or managing your website?

How much more productive could you be if someone was there to handle all those nonessential tasks for you? Then you’d be able to dedicate more time to growing and marketing your business.

You’ll also save the time and hassle of constantly re-training your employees. Rather than educating them on every new technology that comes along, why not hire a professional VA who already has all those skills?

5. Reduced risk in scaling operations

Maybe you’re at a point with your business when you’re not entirely sure what’s going to happen next.

The numbers are pointing towards growth, but you don’t know when or how quickly that will happen.

This is another situation where a virtual office assistant could be the perfect solution.

Rather than taking on new employees, hiring a VA would help you manage your work volume without breaking your budget. If business picks up and you need more help, simply hire another VA to see you through the transition.

6. Skills your business needs

Whether your business is large or small, it’s unlikely that you and your staff have every single skill you need to run it.

  • What if you need to create a professional website, but you don’t have a web developer on staff?
  • What if you need a new company logo, but none of your employees are graphic designers?
  • What if you need your marketing materials translated into a foreign language, but none of your staff is bilingual?

Again, this is where a VA comes in. No matter what job needs completing, you can find a qualified virtual assistant who has the skill set you’re looking for.

What’s stopping you?

Now that you know how beneficial a virtual office assistant can be for your company, what’s stopping you from hiring one?

We invite you to learn more about us and the many professional services we offer. We look forward to working with you in the near future!