As technology advances, our workplaces and ways of working are evolving too. Employees are no longer tied to one physical place of work. Remote working is on the rise with an increasing number of companies choosing to operate without any central office space at all. Video conferencing, wi-fi and workflow management platforms such as Slack make “virtual offices” an efficient and cost-effective solution for many businesses.
But even if you’re not quite ready to abandon the office altogether, hiring a virtual personal assistant (virtual PA) could be a savvy move. Gartner Inc. predicts that by 2021, 25 per cent of digital workers will rely on a virtual assistant to perform daily tasks. Let’s take a closer look at how your business might benefit from hiring a virtual PA.
Reduce Business Costs
Many virtual assistants operate as independent contractors. This means you can hire them only for the hours and tasks you need them to complete. Employing a full-time employee who is underutilised during slow periods can be costly for a business.
An assistant who works for a company as a freelancer or independent contractor will also manage their own expenses, taxes and insurance. Onboarding a full-time employee can be a time-consuming and expensive process.
A virtual team member costs less in salary, training, onboarding and all associated costs. So you can plough these savings back into the business to support growth development plans.
Increase Productivity
Recent research by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) suggests British office employees are less productive than their counterparts in other countries, averaging just three hours of actual work per day.
By contrast, two-thirds of employees are more productive when they work remotely, with the autonomy to plan their day to achieve maximum productivity — without the distractions of a busy office. Add to this the fact you only need to pay a virtual PA for the work they do and it’s easy to see how outsourcing some administrative tasks could result in a significant boost to productivity.
Save Time
If an entrepreneur or small business owner is spending hours each day on basic (yet essential) administrative tasks, valuable time is lost that could help grow the business. The same applies if the most experienced members of your team are devoting significant time to such tasks.
Few businesses succeed based on the skills and experience of one person. It takes a team of experts performing specific roles that utilise their unique capabilities and qualifications.
Allow employees to perform the role you hired them to do. Why waste the expertise of an high-salary employee on performing administrative tasks? Virtual PAs are highly experienced in managing a broad range of administrative tasks quickly and to a professional standard. Not only will you allow employees to focus on their work, but administrative tasks will also be completed more efficiently and more comprehensively.
Promote a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Many entrepreneurs and ambitious employees fall into the trap of working round the clock in a bid to “do it all” and get noticed. Employee burnout is a major concern in many modern workplaces and promoting better well being should be at the top of any business owner’s to-do list.
An employer who shows a commitment to promoting a healthy work-life balance for themselves and their staff will find it easier to retain and attract the best candidates.
A virtual assistant can ease the burden of overwhelming administrative tasks for employees at all levels of the company. They can also help alleviate the pressure during peak times. Take an afternoon off once in a while or divert work intended for an overwhelmed member of the team. Remember, a virtual PA operating as an independent contractor offers the ultimate flexibility. It’s easy to send more work their way when business needs arise or to reduce their hours if the budget is tight or work is slow.
How Do You Know When Your Business Needs a Virtual Personal Assistant?
There are multiple benefits to hiring a virtual PA — regardless of the size of your business or the industry it operates in. If you can answer yes to several of these questions, there’s a good chance that now is the time to start looking for your first virtual hire:
- Do you spend at least 30 minutes a day repeating the same low-level tasks? These tasks might include answering emails, scheduling appointments and completing expense forms.
- Are you or your staff missing targets, deadlines or otherwise struggling to perform their roles due to an excess of administrative tasks?
- Do the tasks you are considering delegating require no specialist knowledge and do you know them inside out?
The tasks must be easy to explain and delegate and they should be within the capabilities of a well-trained PA.
- Do you have the budget to hire a virtual PA?
Compare costs and consider the number of hours help you require. Don’t forget to factor in the potential savings made by removing basic administrative tasks from highly paid employees.
A virtual personal assistant can ease the burden of heavy workloads for employees at all levels of a company. They can offer the highest standards of administrative expertise. They also represent a highly productive and cost-effective solution for businesses that are losing countless skilled staff hours each day to basic administrative tasks. Taking on a new hire may seem like an added expense, but it could save your company in time, money and hassle in the long run.
