In 2021, we have ultra-fast broadband, remotely accessible cloud technology and more working from home than ever.
In fact, the growing need for flexibility is one of the key reasons that more and more small and medium sized businesses are hiring a virtual assistant.
What Is A Virtual Assistant?
Well, it’s nothing like Siri or AI. A virtual assistant is a real life assistant that provides help – virtually!
They can take care of administrative tasks, social media management and even dealing with sales enquiries! (Anything that you need “support” with, really!)
Many of us have needed to adjust to working from home more and hiring a virtual assistant can be really beneficial for remote working, as well as conventional office work.
What Can A Virtual Assistant Do?
A virtual assistant can help you with delegating tasks to almost anything, so make sure to search around if you have a specific niche you need help with.
Otherwise, here are some of the most common tasks that a virtual assistant can help you with:
- General Office Administration – Think diary management and answering emails or queries.
- Marketing Activities – Social media scheduling, email marketing and blogging!
- Accounting – Is accounting and payroll getting you down? A virtual assistant can take care of these tasks, leaving you time to concentrate on what you really want to do.
The Benefits Of Remote Working With A Virtual Assistant
Working from home is great.
When you’re working from home you can sleep in, stay up, walk the dog, and take breaks when you really need to step away from your desk. (As long as you get the work done right?)
When working with a virtual assistant, you have the freedom to decide when and how often your virtual assistant works to support you and your business.
In short, having a remote assistant can be the key to having your cake (having a virtual assistant) and eating it (maintaining the flexibility of remote working.)
A lot of small business owners are juggling lots of tasks at once, but don’t have an office space where an ‘in-person’ assistant can support them. This makes virtual assistants the perfect solution!
However, in 2021 more businesses are moving towards a mixture of remote and in-person work, leading more and more to realise the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant!
They are used to working remotely, so you’re unlikely to come across any ‘teething problems’ that will prevent them from delivering right away.
Virtual assistants generally cost less than hiring a salaried ‘in person’ assistant because they work on a contract and you won’t need to cover holidays or sick leave.
They also take care of their own taxes, insurance and general expenses – another thing off your plate!
Signs That You Need A Virtual Assistant
So how do you know if a virtual assistant is exactly what your business needs right now?
If any of these things sound like you, it’s time to hire a virtual assistant:
- You’re Feeling Overwhelmed – Running a small business? Are you the CEO, accountant and customer service staff all in one? Consider a virtual assistant to support you with administration so that you can concentrate on the work that will allow you to build your business.
- You’re Working Too Many Hours – We all need time to put our feet up, relax, watch TV and connect with our loved ones right? Running your own business can swallow up some of that all important time to unwind. A virtual assistant can help you with all those little admin tasks that fill up your day, (and sometimes night!)
- You Need A Specialist Skill Set – Ever in need of some super specialist skills? It’s easy to find seasoned professional virtual assistants with experience in a whole range of activities.
To Sum Up
Don’t let the small things take over your life and prevent you from doing the work to really grow your business!
Consider a virtual assistant to help you move your business forward.
Author Bio:
Amy Swain is a UK based content writer at Pearl Lemon Leads. If she’s not baking, then she’s got a paintbrush in hand, working on her next masterpiece.
