Hiring a Virtual Assistant: Sensible Reasons You Need One and Why Hire from an Agency

Business owners are often inundated with tasks to complete for their company to run smoothly. From customer service inquiries to social media updates, there always seems to be too much work and insufficient time. When your day-to-day life feels overwhelming, it’s a good sign that you need a virtual assistant to help you.

A virtual assistant (VA) can take on many administrative, creative, and technical support tasks necessary for your business, freeing up your time to focus on more important things. This blog post will discuss the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant and why you should consider hiring from a reputable staffing agency.

Here’s what this article will cover:

1. The many benefits of hiring a virtual assistant

2. Why you should consider hiring from a reputable staffing agency

3. The different tasks a virtual assistant can take on

4. How you can set up your virtual assistant for success

The many benefits of hiring a virtual assistant

Small business owners are expected to wear many hats. You are the salesperson, the marketing director, the customer service representative, and more. A virtual assistant can help take some of the load off your plate by handling tasks such as customer service, social media updates, data entry, etc.

There are many benefits to hiring a virtual assistant, including:

• Increased efficiency and productivity - A virtual assistant can help you with routine tasks. They can handle administrative tasks, customer service inquiries, data entry, scheduling appointments, social media management, and much more. This way, you can spend your time and energy on tasks only you can do, such as developing new products or services, meeting with clients, and networking.
• Lower overhead costs - Hiring a full-time employee can be expensive. But with a virtual assistant, you only pay for their daily work hours. This can give you significant savings, especially if you only need help for a few hours each week.
• Increased flexibility - A virtual assistant can work from anywhere in the world, allowing you to hire someone who is the best fit for your business, regardless of location.
• Ability to be available 24/7 - It is crucial for businesses operating in multiple time zones to be online 24/7. A virtual assistant can help you meet your customers' needs no matter what time it is and even provide after-hours support. This can result in improved customer satisfaction and increased sales and revenue. 
• More time for family, friends, and hobbies - One of the best benefits of hiring a virtual assistant is that it gives you more time to do the things you love. You can finally take that vacation you’ve been dreaming of or spend more time with your family and friends.

Why you should consider hiring from a reputable staffing agency

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There are many reasons to consider hiring a virtual assistant from a reputable staffing agency. Here are just a few: 

1. More billable hours - By working with a staffing agency specializing in virtual assistants, you can bill more hours because the agency will take on the brunt of onboarding, training, and managing your virtual staff. This means you can focus on tasks and grow your business without worrying about administrative work.

2. Guaranteed quality - When you work with a reputable staffing agency, you can be sure you're getting quality virtual assistants thoroughly vetted and trained. This takes the guesswork out of hiring and means you can focus on running your business.

3. Save time and money - Hiring a virtual assistant from a staffing agency can save you time and money. The agency will handle all the legwork in finding and vetting candidates, so you don’t have to spend your time reviewing resumes or calling up character references.

4. Scale your business - Working with a reputable staffing agency specializing in virtual assistants can help you scale your business fast. As your business grows, the agency can help you find additional virtual assistants to support your increased workload. This ensures you have the staff to meet customer demand and grow your business.

5. Peace of mind - Hiring a virtual assistant from a staffing agency can give you peace of mind knowing that the agency will help you monitor your virtual assistant’s performance. You can be sure that your virtual assistant is reliable, skilled, and trustworthy. This allows you to focus on growing your bottom line instead of micromanaging your virtual staff.

The different tasks a virtual assistant can take on

Nowadays, virtual assistants can handle any job that doesn’t require them to be on location. That said, here are some of the most popular tasks they are requested to do: 

• Answering phone calls and emails is one of the most common tasks businesses outsource to a virtual assistant. Many business owners don’t have the time to answer every phone call and email, so they delegate this responsibility to their VA.
• Scheduling appointments and managing calendars - This is another popular request, as busy business owners often don’t have the time to keep track of their schedule, let alone try and coordinate meeting times with other people. A good VA will take care of all of this for you.
• Research - Whether you need help finding a good supplier for your business or doing internet research, a virtual assistant can handle it.
• Data entry - This is a common request, as it’s often easier to have someone else handle the tedious data entry tasks.
• Social media management - Many business owners don’t have the time to keep up with their social media accounts. A virtual assistant can help you create and post content and engage with your followers.
• Bookkeeping - This is another task that many business owners prefer to delegate. A specialist virtual assistant can handle your bookkeeping and keep your financial records in order.
• Creating and sending out invoices - Many virtual assistants are happy to take on this task. Not only will they make and send out the invoices, but they can also chase up any late payments for you.

More specialized tasks might include website maintenance, market research, lead generation, event planning, and product development. Once you have established what tasks you need help with, it is simply a matter of finding a VA with the skill set required to fulfill those obligations. 

Remember that some virtual assistants can take on multiple roles within your business. This is a great way to save money, as you won’t need to hire various staff members to handle different tasks. 

How you can set up your virtual assistant for success

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A virtual assistant can be an excellent resource for your business, but setting them up for success is essential. Here are a few tips to help you do just that.

1. Make sure they have all the necessary tools and resources to do their job - This includes an adequate computer, phone, and internet connection and access to the programs and files they'll need to do their work.

2. Establish clear expectations and guidelines for them from the outset - Be specific about what you want them to do, how you want it done, and what you expect.

3. Provide regular training and support - They may not be familiar with all your processes or products, so you provide them with the training and support they need to succeed.

4. Set up regular check-ins and feedback sessions - This will help ensure they are on track and meeting your expectations. It's also a good opportunity for them to raise any concerns or issues they may be having.

5. Be available to answer their questions - They may not be familiar with your business or industry, so ensure you're open to answering any questions.

Conclusion

There are many good reasons to hire a virtual assistant; if you're not already doing so, you should consider it. They can save time and money and free up your schedule to focus on more important things. Ensure you set them up for success by providing them with the tools, resources, and support they need to do their job.

A collaborative post with: :

Catherine vanVonno is the President and CEO of 20four7VA, a trusted remote staffing company. She oversees the overall growth and success of the company, leads the short and long-term strategies, and manages the company's finances. She also directs the management team regarding daily operations, brand management and marketing, client relations, strategic planning, and business development.