What is a Virtual Assistant and Why You Need One

What is a Virtual Assistant and Why You Need One

In today’s digital world, everything is just a click away. Many people are choosing to work remotely. A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an asset to small business owners, entrepreneurs, startup teams, nonprofits, and executives. Virtual Assistants connect with and provide services to all types of clients online instead of working in an office.  

A ‘stay-at-home mom’ can earn a good salary while still taking care of her family. A college student can work remotely and pay their way through college. A retired person can work from home and earn extra income. These are just a few examples of those who choose the “virtual assistant” lifestyle. 

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who provides basic and advanced administrative services. Some VAs offer high-end business services like social media management, Pinterest or Instagram management, blog services and management, online business management (OBM), graphic and web designing, and much more to their clients. The types of services offered are unlimited.

Virtual Assistants pay their own self-employment taxes, set their own rates, choose which projects they want to work on, when and where to work, and usually have multiple clients at a time. They work with business owners on specific projects or on a long-term basis.

Virtual Assistants come from a wide range of backgrounds, with their own skill sets, expertise, and experience. The opportunity to hire VAs for businesses is changing the way companies across the world are run. They no longer need to only hire full-time employees. Instead, they can outsource tasks to help save time and money.

A VA partners with a business owner to deliver a service or take over specific tasks for them. They handle a variety of tasks to support their client and the job that a VA performs will be different based on each business owner’s needs.

Hiring Remote Workers is the New Trend for Small Business Owners

You can hire a virtual assistant to help a business expand so you can take it to the next level.

A VA usually works from their home office, but they also work while traveling, while they are on vacation, from a coffee shop, in the park, at the beach, or from anywhere in the world.

They can access all the client’s necessary documents, files, contacts or calendars remotely.

Running a business can be an exhausting job that requires so much of your time.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant to help with the day-to-day operation of your business frees you up to invent more products, offer more services, and give you more time to pursue the enjoyable things in life that often get neglected. Like family and vacations, or to work on that dream of being a drag racer that you’ve had since you were a child.

You might consider hiring a virtual assistant if you need an expert in a certain area that you don’t have experience in. Rather than take the time to learn another skill, you can find someone who already has that knowledge. This will save you time, energy, and money.

By hiring a virtual assistant, you can delegate out tasks that have been taking up your valuable time. By getting your time back you will avoid burnout and the overwhelm you might face as you continue to grow your business.

10 Reasons Why you Need a Virtual Assistant

1. Saves you time.
2. Allows you to focus on your primary business.
3. Get the specialized help you need.
4. Save thousands of dollars per employee.
5. Lower the cost of doing business.
6. Less office space required.
7. Don’t have to hire a full-time employee.
8. Don’t have to pay payroll or payroll taxes.
9. Don’t have to pay for employee benefits.
10. Only pay for the number of hours you need.
    

More Reasons to Hire a Virtual Assistant

The many benefits of hiring an independent contractor outweigh the disadvantages. We will discuss those in another blog post.

Virtual Assistants don’t have the stress of commuting to work so they are fresh and ready to work at their peak performance time. Giving your project their undivided attention.

Hiring VAs means businesses have a lower employee turnover rate. No more dealing with deadbeat employees who don’t show up to work on time, no more employee conflicts to diffuse, no more employees calling in sick.

You don’t have to endure personality conflicts with your employees. 

You don’t have to cope with bad attitudes that decrease productivity.

Small businesses have access to global talent. You are not limited to the skills and talents of just one employee. In fact, you have the option to contract with more than one VA who offers the expertise you require to expand your business.

If the employer is looking to conduct business globally, it helps to have an employee who lives in another country to connect for various reasons.

There is ground for creativity, hiring all from the same background can be a downfall in some work environments.

Hiring a remote or international worker enriches the work culture.

Employing Virtual Assistants from different time-zones allows your office to operate for extended hours, keeping phones, email, or other forms of customer support available for longer

Like I said, working with a VA is far more beneficial and helpful than the alternative.

So, what are you waiting for, join the Virtual Assistant trend today!