When you decide to hire a virtual assistant (VA) for your business, you might not know what to expect. How do you calculate when a VA works for you? What kind of work should you outsource? Are you expected to provide anything for them (equipment, software etc)? How is payment arranged? We’ve tried to answer all these questions and more for you here. Read on for more…

Time is a commodity often in short supply when it comes to business. There’s never enough of it, and finding more of it is no mean feat. Outsourcing tasks that aren’t central to your business yet are still required to keep things ticking along is a good place to start. Hiring an employee might be the first thing that crosses your mind. Someone that comes to work every day and carries out a variety of administrative-related tasks is bound to help reduce your workload. Yet what if there’s an alternative?

A VA will be able to carry out specific tasks for your business without the commitment or investment an employee may need. VAs are skilled professionals and are able to carry out a wide range of administrative tasks. They can help with email management, scheduling appointments and even take care of the customer service side of your business.

The main difference between using a VA and an employee can be summed up in one word – flexibility. You have lots of choice when it comes to hiring a VA, starting with the particular VA you decide to go with.

• VAs all come with their own specific skill set. This means that alongside more basic administrative tasks, your VA may also be able to offer some specialised services. These could include social media management, following up on clients and even some bookkeeping tasks.
• A VA will work independently and remotely, and come equipped with everything they’ll need to carry out their work. You’re not required to provide them with costly laptops or software or pay for any of their expenses, saving you time and money.
• You only pay for the hours a VA works, allowing you to stay in control of your budget. This means that when you’re busy you have the option to get additional help, whereas during quieter periods you can cut your costs. The hours a VA works are also often different from the standard ‘9-5’ that many administrative roles typically adhere to. So if a problem arises late one evening, you may be able to deal with it there and then rather than waiting until the morning. If a staff member is on holiday or off sick, a VA is able to step in and help reduce the resultant workload.
• Having a new employee join your team places obligations on you when it comes to your payroll. A VA is effectively self-employed, meaning you’re not responsible for paying typical employee benefits that are part and parcel of having someone on your payroll.

A VA will work closely with your business in order to understand how it works and how they can help you both effectively and efficiently. When running a business you should be able to concentrate on the parts that make the business what it is. Delegating non-essential tasks to a VA is a smart way to save time, stay in control of your budget and help your business grow and become bigger and better than ever.

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