How hiring a virtual assistant can benefit your business

Do you remember why you started your business? Maybe you have a trade that took blood, sweat and tears to train for until you achieved those qualifications? Or you have a talent or skill and decided you could market what you produce?

Everyone starts small, managing all aspects of their business, until one day you realise you are spending more time on administration and back-office tasks than your core business activities.

That's when you need a Virtual Assistant!

Time

This is probably the most obvious benefit. Some of those jobs essential to running your business can be pretty time-consuming, so outsourcing to a virtual assistant can give you that time back, working around you and your business for however many hours you need.

Are you looking for an administrator for a few hours a week? Hire a virtual assistant. Working on a project and need support for a month or two to get it over the line? A virtual assistant can help. Maybe you just want someone to prepare your quarterly VAT returns? That can be your virtual assistant. You can devote those saved hours to growing your business, or relaxing away from work with your friends or family.

Resources

A virtual assistant can provide specialist skills or resources for those tasks you don't have the facility to complete, or simply don't want to do. We’re not all experts in all things, but we are experts in our own field.

As a virtual assistant I won’t be plumbing a toilet in, but I can prepare your invoices, chase overdue payments, and manage your bookkeeping; I’d be no good driving a truck, but I can organise your diary and make sure your vehicle has the right paperwork at the right time; and while you can explain the technical aspects of what you do, I can pull together a killer bid proposal and get it submitted within the deadline.

Space

With a virtual assistant you don't need to provide dedicated office space or equipment - ideal for SMEs and sole traders, or any business where room is limited. We mostly work from home, or from our own office, making use of online systems such as email, WhatsApp or dedicated file transfer and web meeting programmes.

I occasionally visit a client's own premises, usually to collect paperwork, but often to complete work in person where shared input is required, and I find that flexibility key to providing a personalised service.

Budget

The biggest consideration for a small business is budget. Virtual assistants are contractors, so we pay for our own training, insurances, registrations and equipment. We pay for the software and stationery we use, the coffee we drink, and the utilities we utilise. As we are self-employed you pay no salaries, holiday pay, sick pay or pension contributions, and because you don't need to provide office space there are no expensive overheads to cover.

With a virtual assistant you only pay for what you need; you can choose from an ad-hoc hourly rate, or a fixed number of hours on a retainer basis, but the choice is yours depending on your individual circumstances.

What are you waiting for?

If you are looking for flexible, cost-effective support, or help with a specific aspect of your business that you don’t have the skills or time for, consider a virtual assistant. Even better, you can hire different virtual assistants to manage different needs. My specialties lie in bookkeeping, bid-writing and business administration, but other VAs can provide a range of services including remote call-handling, creating and maintaining your website, or updating your social media pages with articles and posts to draw in followers and potential clients.

To discuss your options, or tasks you have to complete, use the chat box below or drop me an email to enquiries@smallbizbod.com