We may be biased, but we think Virtual Assistants might just be worth their weight in gold! And we’re not just saying this because it’s what we do – we frequently use Virtual Assistants ourselves and can’t tell you how much of a difference it’s made to our own small business over the years.
If you’re considering investing in some support for your small business but aren’t sure if a Virtual Assistant is the right way to go, here are five reasons why it might just be the best decision you ever make.
5 Ways Virtual Assistants Can Help Small Business Owners
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Virtual Assistants Help Maximise your Time
As a small business owner, time is your most precious commodity. You’ll never feel like you have enough of it, but one of our favourite things about being Virtual Assistants is having the opportunity to help our clients maximise the time they do have.
As the owner of your business, you’ll wear many different hats every single day. Perhaps even a few hats at the same time when things get particularly busy. With that comes a lot of responsibility and a lot of tasks that need your attention.
In fact, you may find yourself working the odd 60-hour week just to keep up with said tasks and give them the attention you know they need. That doesn’t always mean, however, that they get all the attention they deserve. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day.
As Virtual Assistants, it’s our job to free up some of your time so that you don’t feel the need to rush when working on core tasks. Just as an example, you may have a big launch coming up and need to focus all of your attention on graphics for the campaign. Meanwhile, a Virtual Assistant can step in to take care of extra admin while you focus on the task at hand.
While we may not be time lords who are able to afford you a couple more hours in the day, we can help you maximise the time you do have so you can focus on running and growing your business.
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Virtual Assistants Help Keep Costs Low
Something that will always be on your mind as a small business owner is keeping costs as low as possible. How can you reduce the cost of this? How can you minimise the cost of that? Unfortunately, we live in a society where most successful things come back to a) time and effort and b) money. The more money you’re able to make and save, the more you can put back into your business.
With that in mind, the last thing you want to be doing is paying out salaries to hire extra staff, especially if you’re early on in your business journey.
This is where a Virtual Assistant can help. A VA can step in to offer a helping hand, but without the added commitment and cost of full-time employment. With Virtual Assistants, you only pay for the work completed, meaning, if you need 10 hours of support one week and 1 the next, that’s exactly what you’ll pay for.
This flexibility enables you to manage your budget successfully, increasing and reducing support hours depending on funds available. You’ll still get the support you need, just for a lot less than the alternative.
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Virtual Assistants help Build your Brand
One thing that small business owners often struggle to find time for is marketing. In between admin and customer service and credit control, marketing efforts can tend to get a bit lost and may be put on the backburner when other, more pressing tasks arise.
Again, a Virtual Assistant can help. It’s a Virtual Assistant’s job to get to know your business inside out and if you choose a VA with marketing experience such as copywriting and social media management under their belt, they can really help you get your name out there.
While you focus on core business tasks, your Virtual Assistant can be busy creating content that will shine a spotlight on your services and the unique experience you have to offer your customers. Whether it be crafting some compelling copy for your website or taking your LinkedIn business profile under their wing, a Virtual Assistant with a marketing background can work wonders for boosting your online visibility.
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Virtual Assistants Work to Expert Standards
One of the best things about Virtual Assistants is they’re already experts in their industry and their specific area. For example, if you’re taking on a VA to help out with credit control, they already know everything there is to know.
They’ll have worked with many small businesses before, they’ll understand best practise and will be able to bring all the tried and tested tips and tricks to the table when supporting your business. Investing in a VA with a specialist skill means giving you and your business constant access to expert advice and you can rest assured that any work outsourced will be completed to only the highest standard.
No need to invest in training or equipment – your Virtual Assistant can provide everything you need right from the word ‘go’.
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Virtual Assistants Provide Consistent Support
One of the most vital parts of a successful small business is a solid support system. When it’s just you, you may feel overwhelmed or out of your depth, especially if workload is heavy and is only set to increase.
Having a Virtual Assistant on your side means having a constant support system available to you. Most Virtual Assistants are incredibly flexible and are able to turn their hand to anything you ask of them. So, while you may have taken them on to help out with content creation, that doesn’t mean they can’t step in with a bit of inbox management from time to time. Or, if you’ve hired a VA to help with payroll, they’re probably also very good at processing data and keeping sheets updated!
A Virtual Assistant is there to help you and your business flourish. You’re not investing in a single service, but in someone who wants to see your business succeed as much as you do. And that can be worth its weight in gold.
Virtual Assistance at The Edwards Company
If you’re considering taking on a Virtual Assistant to help manage admin, content or payroll for your small business, we can help.
Get in touch with our fab team for more information on how we can support you.