Virtual Assistants help small business owners with tasks that the business owner needs to do in order to run their business. There are different types of Virtual Assistants who specialize in a variety of tasks. These can include:
- Administrative VA
- Real Estate VA
- Sales VA
- Technology VA
For definitions of what each of these does, please visit our Services page.
The risks of hiring a virtual assistant are actually pretty low if you take the time to properly vet their qualifications and experience. Additionally, while you may be paying a higher hourly retainer rate than you would pay a full-time employee, there are other things that you don't have to provide including:
- 401K or other benefits
- Breaks
- Hiring resources
- Medical benefits
- Office space and Computer Updates
- Training
- Vacation and Sick Days
- Incidentals like coffee room supplies or pizza parties
Hiring a Virtual Assistant can ultimately provide a savings of up to $20,000 or more.
This depends on what you need a virtual assistant to do for your business. It's a good idea to think about the tasks that you would want to delegate to a VA and time how much time you spend doing those tasks yourself. Use a free tool like Toggl to time yourself and keep track. Record the time on a spreadsheet. Once you add all that time up, you will have a good idea of how much time you will need the services of a VA. The average in our experience is 15-20 hours/month.
Most people don't go into business because they enjoy keeping books, answering email, posting social media, or troubleshooting technology issues. People go into business to do what they are passionate about and good at. The administrative, technology, and sales tasks that go with running any business are necessary but not always everyone's favorite things to do. That's what VA's are for. You can delegate your least-favorite-but-completely-necessary-tasks to a VA who will get them done for you and keep you updated on where things stand.
Like you, virtual assistants work when their clients need them to work. Most VAs keep a predictable schedule. While some have only a few clients, they may also have a regular W-2-type job during the day and do VA tasks for their clients in the evenings and on weekends. Others may have a full list of clients and work during standard business hours in their own time zone. When you hire a VA they will let you know how and when they work and when they will be working on your tasks specifically. While setting deadlines for task completion is acceptable, expecting a VA to be available all the time is not advisable. They are independent contractors who also have families, community obligations, and time away from their work just like you.