You’ve probably thought about hiring a virtual assistant. But for some reason, you haven’t taken the plunge yet. Maybe you’re concerned about how much it’ll cost. Or perhaps the idea of handing off tasks to a stranger concerns you.
Here’s the thing: It’s pretty clear that hiring a VA can help startups.
But is it the right move for your business? Here are several illuminating signs that you need to hire a VA (or three).
Your work hours are getting longer
What’s great about being an entrepreneur is that you have the flexibility to set your own hours. However, this doesn’t always go according to plan.
The problem occurs when you regularly start working upwards of 12 hours per day, including weekends. Why? Because working long hours can make you sick. Worse still, it can also cause:
If you can’t make time to take a break from your business, you need to bring in some virtual reinforcements.
Your business is in chaos
Are you missing appointments or deadlines? Have you been so busy that you don’t even have time to set targets because you’ve been so preoccupied with addressing everyday problems?
If you’re frequently overwhelmed, you won’t have time to plan and organise your business.
The good news is that you can delegate all the routine work to a VA. This will ensure that your calendar stays updated, your client list is maintained, and due dates are never missed, among others.
You spend more time on admin than income-generating tasks
It’s impossible to grow your business – or earn income – if you spend most of your work hours doing everyday tasks like:
- Entering information in your company database.
- Inputting receipts into your accounting software.
- Managing your email inbox and calendar.
Yes, these tasks are important. In fact, your business wouldn’t function properly if they’re left undone. But if you don’t get someone else to do them, you won’t be able to carry out your core competency.
Your business needs skills you don’t have
Let’s say you’re good with cars and run an auto repair shop. Unless you’re also an accountant, you’ll need help when it’s time to file taxes, prepare payroll, and audit your books.
But note that accounting just one office process. There’s plenty more your business needs to do.
Such a concern is applicable to any venture. Other than its core competency, a business will need different skills to operate; professional skills that its proprietor likely doesn’t have.
So what’s the solution? If you need to:
- Generate sales leads, hire a sales specialist VA.
- Plan and carry out your social media campaigns, engage a digital marketing VA.
- Create digital images or multimedia products, get a design professional VA.
You need help but can’t afford a local employee
Unfortunately, the typical small business or startup can’t afford to take on an in-house recruitment specialist, content manager, or other similar roles – even for just a couple of hours per day.
The alternative is to hire remote virtual assistants who provide similar services. Unlike traditional employees, however, VAs:
- Are more cost effective because you’ll pay only 20-30% of what you pay a local employee.
- Are more productive.
- Give you access to a wider talent pool.
- Let you operate in different time zones.
Employing a VA also means that:
- You won’t have to worry about superannuation or health insurance.
- You gain access to expertise, higher output levels, and efficiency which large companies enjoy.
- You reduce your overhead, enabling you to devote more funds into income-boosting activities.
Hire the right virtual assistant
But don’t just hire any VA. Not all are created equal.
To find the right talent for your business, team up with Remote Workmate . We do all the heavy lifting for you, including payroll and onboarding. This means finding the ideal virtual specialist becomes so much easier.
You can actually choose from our pool of top candidates right away. Simply click the button below to browse a wide range of profiles on our Hotlist page.
