You may be thinking about contracting a virtual assistant but are unsure how this will add value to your business. What does a virtual assistant do, anyway? In fact, there are many reasons why entrepreneurs and professionals choose to contract virtual assistants over hiring traditional employees. To start with, there’s the wide variety of tasks can you outsource: VAs do everything from administrative tasks and digital marketing to personal errands.
Plus, contracting a virtual assistant is a cost-effective solution. Virtual assistants tend to charge an hourly rate, which can range from $10 to $26 per hour. When you factor in benefits, taxes, and other fees, an employee can cost as much as 50 percent more than a VA.
Why so many businesses choose virtual assistants is a no-brainer, but let’s examine the main benefits in a bit more detail.
Save Money
Reducing operating costs is a primary concern for every business. When you outsource operations to a virtual assistant, you only pay for hours worked. There are no benefits, sick days, and idle time. Plus, since virtual assistants work remotely, you won’t have to spend on office space.
Reduce Training Expenses
Most new employees require at least some training, which means they are costing you money before they’ve started working. A better option is to find a virtual assistant who already possesses skills and knowledge to meet your needs. Other than a brief introduction about how the company operates on a day-to-day basis, no additional training is necessary.
Improve Employee Efficiency
Achieving maximum employee efficiency is one of the biggest challenges for a manager or business owner. You can ensure your employees are focusing on tasks only they can do by contracting a virtual assistant to do the rest. Assigning administrative tasks and reporting to a VA will take the weight off everyone’s shoulders. At a lower cost than what you pay an employee, it’s a win-win.
What Tasks Can You Delegate to a Virtual Assistant?
As well as administrative tasks, virtual assistants can take over much more, including:
- Email management
- Research
- Phone calls
- Managing calendars
- Travel bookings
- Event management
- Reports
- Social media management
1. Email management
If you dread opening your email inbox every morning, you’re certainly not alone. Taking the time decide on the priority of emails, reading them, and responding can take a toll on your productivity for the day. A better option is to delegate this task to a virtual assistant, who will make sure your inbox is always organized and uncluttered. A virtual assistant can flag the most important emails that require your attention and even reply to emails for you.
2. Research
Research is necessary for your company’s growth, but carrying out research yourself is time consuming and, above all, boring. Your employees already have plenty on their plates. Delegate research to your virtual assistant instead and spend your precious time on the big-picture tasks that will grow your business.
3. Phone calls
Do you want to toss your phone in the trash sometimes because it just won’t stop ringing? Forward all the calls you don’t want to take or don’t have time to answer to your VA.
4. Managing calendars
We’ve all heard the saying, “Either run the day or the day runs you.” Having someone organize your to-do list and calendar ensures you stay on track and never miss a meeting or appointment.
5. Travel bookings
Planning a business trip can take a lot of time and energy. Trust your virtual assistant with organizing your business trips, managing your accommodation, and arranging transport.
6. Event management
Almost every company organizes one or more event each year, but event organizing is no easy task. Your virtual assistant can provide tremendous support to you and everyone else involved.
7. Reports
Preparing reports is one of the most tedious and exhausting tasks on your schedule. Your VA can take care of your financial statements, research reports, analytical reports, and meetings notes.
8. Social media management
In this day and age, no company worth its salt can ignore the power of social media. Managing your social media presence is a task you need to take seriously. If you lack an in-house social media specialist, delegate the management of your social media accounts to an experienced virtual assistant.
A Virtual Assistant from MYVA360
If you decide to contract a freelance virtual assistant, you’ll still need to spend time researching candidates, conducting interviews, and evaluating skills. However, when you choose MYVA360, we’ll match you in minutes with a virtual assistant who meets your requirements.
The amount of tasks our virtual assistants can help you with is practically endless. Try our services for yourself with a free trial.
