Hiring a Virtual Assistant Can Free An Owner to Grow Their Business

One of the first things an entrepreneur learns as they grow their business is that they can’t do everything themselves. Many try in the interest of keeping expenses down but eventually, more of the boss’ time needs to be spent on executive tasks, leaving less time to perform the basic yet vital functions of running the backend of their business. These responsibilities could easily - and in some cases better - be handled by an assistant who specializes in performing such tasks.

Some business owners, even when they recognize the need for an assistant and can justify the expense, find it difficult to step away and let someone else - even someone adept at handling these tasks - take them over. For those who don’t willingly hand over these responsibilities, it may feel as though they’re abdicating control over the very foundation of their business. The truth remains, however, that their business growth will hit an unnecessary ceiling if they continue trying to do it all without assistance. Without backend help, an owner can find themselves working constantly without time for recreation, adequate rest or time or energy to innovate - a recipe for burnout if ever there was one!

Other owners may determine that hiring an assistant is critical because they can’t or don’t like to do this administrative work themselves, resulting in it not being performed well and proving a waste of their time. These entrepreneurs are happy to hand over the work to a professional assistant who can work more effectively and efficiently on these tasks.

Whether they do it willingly or begrudgingly, hiring assistance comes at a cost. That’s why it’s important to carefully assess the support needed. Hiring a full time, on-site assistant is most likely the costliest option and may prove to be overkill if that level of service is not entirely necessary. Some owners may only need a few tasks taken off their plate in order to free up the resources they need to grow. Others may find themselves in the situation of needing assistance in particular areas of their business. In both these cases, it would be prudent to consider hiring a virtual assistant.

According to wework.com, "A virtual assistant is a remote employee who offers administrative support for you and your business, usually part-time. They can do tasks that an executive assistant would typically handle. They usually work as an independent contractor, although some are hired as full-time remote workers. Virtual assistants are employed by companies of all sizes and across many industries."

An advantage to hiring a virtual assistant (VA) is that, while some offer general administrative support (like scheduling appointments, arranging travel, organizing calendars and answering/making phone calls), others specialize in particular areas, so specific needs can be met. VAs commonly handle such areas as these:

• Personal assistant
• Bookkeeping
• Email management
• Data entry
• Customer service
• Social media administration
• Research
• Marketing

Virtual assistants are compensated in accordance to their level of experience and areas of expertise.

Another advantage of hiring VAs is their flexibility. Because they can work remotely from anywhere (hence the "virtual" part of the job title), they can be available on a less-traditional timetable or schedule that may better suit your needs. Additionally, because many VAs are multi-skilled, they may be able to fill an on-the-spot need for you should you find yourself in a sudden need for support.

Before hiring a virtual assistant, a business should closely assess its needs so that they can specify the necessary areas of expertise in potential VAs. When a virtual assistant comes on board, they should be assigned a manager so that expectations are set, deadlines are met and communication about duties and responsibilities is clear.

A virtual assistant’s flexibility and multi-skilled offerings fill an important need in the remote work world of today. Hiring one can be a prudent, more affordable way to fill a company’s need for executive support to facilitate growth than a full-time assistant.

How could a virtual assistant help your company grow?