Running a business, whether large, small or in your home, is full of challenges. Getting the day-to-day tasks completed, e-mail, faxes and telephones answered, bills and statements sent out, reports run, schedule updated, travel arrangements made, marketing pieces and website updated, as well as a plethora of other tasks, can be downright daunting.
In swoops the "Virtual Assistant" to handle these and many other tasks for you and help your company's bottom line. In case you're still working out of a cave (as you may be if you're still doing it all yourself), a Virtual Assistant, who has been touted as one of the must-haves of the modern entrepreneurial arsenal of time and money-saving tricks, is a highly skilled independent contractor who handle their client's administrative (and sometimes personal) needs in a large variety of ways.
Because Virtual Assistants (VAs) are business owners themselves, they have a vested interest in your company's success -- your success leads to their success. They really aim to please because their business depends on it. And who better to understand the trials and tribulations than another business owner? Also, most VAs came from the corporate world and were executive or administrative assistants (secretaries), customer service managers or representatives, paralegals, project managers or coordinators, database administrators, or bookkeepers.
Here are just some of the services a Virtual Assistant can provide:
Typing / Word Processing,
Database Management and Entry,
Proofreading and Copy Editing,
Accounts Payable and Receivable,
Calendaring / Scheduling / Reminder Services,
Travel Arrangements,
Customer Service (including answering forwarded phones, making outgoing calls and answering e-mails),
Presentations,
Event Planning,
Research,
Web Services,
Ordering Supplies and Equipment,
Project Coordination / Management,
Marketing Projects,
Incoming and Outgoing Mail,
Expense Reports,
Reporting.
You have a lot of work you could delegate to a Virtual Assistant, but you're still not convinced one would be right for your business. According to Hackett Group, a Hudson, Ohio consultancy, "outsourcing, in general, can cost 50% less than hiring a full-time employee." Because your VA is an entrepreneur and not an employee, you don't have the extra expense of paying additional taxes, providing insurance, purchasing office supplies and equipment, updating software, sick, vacation and personal time, office space to provide, and you only pay for the time the VA actually works (you're not paying for coffee breaks, downtime, etc.).
Hiring a temporary can come with a whole host of problems including their lack of skills, the need to provide equipment, supplies, and office space, as well as going through several temps (or agencies) to find one that can adequately provide the skills you need! Also keep in mind that temporary services normally take about 1/2 of the monies you pay them -- when the temp only receives $7 - $11 an hour, you really can't expect a high quality person. If you still think it's best to do it yourself, you'll find that your time is much more profitably spent on revenue-generating activities. Outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant adds to up increased profits for your business.
Work is transmitted via e-mail, fax, mail, overnight service, etc. -- they will coordinate with you to provide the work to you in the most timely and inexpensive manner possible. You can also keep in touch via telephone, e-mail and instant messaging.
Costs of a Virtual Assistant run from $15 - $50 per hour (depending on the scope of the work and their skill level) and some work by the project or on a monthly retainer. I know of a few VAs that are willing to barter for the right products and/or service. Always read any potential Virtual Assistant's website and take a look at their testimonials, client list, etc. If you notice grammatical and spelling errors anywhere on their site or newsletters, you can be assured that your work will come back with spelling and grammatical errors. A highly skilled VA will be very detail oriented and will not put out work with these errors.
I recommend contacting a few VAs via e-mail, then by telephone to see if the rapport is there, which is very important for anyone you work with. The one you are most comfortable with that charges a reasonable cost is the one to try first. You may want to keep the contact information of your second pick where you can easily find it in case your first pick is unavailable for any reason. Then give them a small project and work up from there.
Soon you will find that a dependable, accomplished VA will become your indispensable partner for years to come.
(c) 2005 Nita Helping Hand? - All rights reserved
You are free to use this material in whole or in part as long as you include the following:
About the author: Nita Ammon is a professional proofreader, copy-editor and the President of Nita Helping Hand? Please visit Nita's website for additional information about proofreading, copy-editing and other administrative needs available at http://www.nitahelpinghand.com or contact her at http://www.nitahelpinghand.com. Nita is your 'Partner In Perception'.
cleaning team near Winnetka ..SBIR Corner: FFP vs. CPFF contracts:In the SBIR/STTR world, the... Read More
There will come a time in your business where you... Read More
I love lists. I make them for everything. And I'm... Read More
Cash flow. To stay in business, you've got to keep... Read More
Every business starts with an idea or a dream. To... Read More
The FTC- Mighty Federal Trade Commission has unilaterally decided to... Read More
How do window cleaning franchise businesses start? It is a... Read More
E-mail and Internet use are integral parts of the typical... Read More
We hear a lot of talk about junk mail nowadays.... Read More
Most small businesses incorporated in 2005 will fail by the... Read More
If you are a small business and qualify to participate... Read More
Why should you describe your business to others in 5... Read More
Are you -- like 70 percent of small business owners... Read More
Most business owners know when they need an accountant, but... Read More
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PRICINGIn case you hadn't noticed, people can... Read More
Frankly, given the legal and regulatory requirements involved in attempting... Read More
Is it right for you?If you decide to advertise your... Read More
If you have a busy private practice, chances are you... Read More
Most pressure washing companies never look into some of the... Read More
Thankfully, most of us will never find out. That is... Read More
Large corporations use employee manuals to both educate employees about... Read More
Unfortunately for all buyers, each selling organization and their individual... Read More
So often small service businesses fail to exploit niches, which... Read More
Disclosure laws in franchising are suppose to help the consumer.... Read More
Owning a business is a challenging endeavor. If you're like... Read More
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..In today's fast paced marketplace it is easy to neglect... Read More
SBIR Corner: FFP vs. CPFF contracts:In the SBIR/STTR world, the... Read More
Before you start a business we encourage you to prepare... Read More
In your small business debt collection laws will eventually become... Read More
Q: I really want to start my own business, but... Read More
Success is the desire of everyman on the face of... Read More
Many have not experienced a fire up close. One year... Read More
Your product is dying. With the same inevitability that we... Read More
Outsourcing is the strategic use of outside resources to perform... Read More
Experts urge small business owners to "brand" their business ?... Read More
Business consulting opportunities might be just what your are looking... Read More
The Operations Plan is a critical component of any business... Read More
Pardon my enthusiasm, but a large part of your small... Read More
Today required franchise disclosure documents are over 200 pages generally.... Read More
The FTC- Mighty Federal Trade Commission has unilaterally decided to... Read More
You know what makes me really happy? Drinking a Starbucks... Read More
As a specialist in getting restaurants open, it is surprising... Read More
Lance Armstrong this week won an unprecedented 7th Tour de... Read More
The following tips have come from a wide variety of... Read More
When do annoyances in a relationship become too much to... Read More
As a franchisor I am always asked by new and... Read More
If you interviewed business owners of failed businesses, a majority... Read More
It is an American dream to own a business. But... Read More
The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) is a program that... Read More
No matter type of business you operate you've got to... Read More
Small Business |