Just as restaurant owners don’t set up shop just to be cooks and dishwashers, you didn’t choose to be a solopreneur just to tend to emails and follow up on appointments with clients. While you may like to do most or some of these menial tasks, your time is probably best spent elsewhere — like revenue-generating activities.
When you’re at a point where juggling admin duties and money-making endeavors are beginning to strain you and your business, it’s time to get some help. And, a great way to do this is with a virtual assistant. As the name implies, virtual assistants (VAs) are individuals whom you can rely on to do your admin tasks without having to be physically present at your place of business.
Thanks to the rise of the internet, you can have virtual assistants working remotely from other cities, states, time zones, or countries for as long as they have a stable internet connection and technology to do the tasks you assign them.
One of the best things about VA services is the only cost you will have to pay for the time used. This means you save money compared to hiring an employee on things like employee downtime, payroll taxes, benefits, vacation pay, workers compensation insurance, overhead, etc. — all the things associated with having an employee in the office.
There seem to be a lot of misconceptions floating around when it comes to virtual assistants. To help you separate fact from fiction, here are four of the most common misconceptions employers have about virtual assistants.
Wrong Idea No. 1: Only big companies can afford to hire VAs
The fact is small startups and corporate giants alike can hire VAs. The only difference is that the number of VAs each company may need to employ can be very different. While a solopreneur like you may do just fine with a single virtual assistant, larger companies may need to have more, depending on the size and geography of their business operations.
Wrong Idea No. 2: The only thing VAs can do is administrative work
What can a small business owner let a VA do? That depends on your needs and on the capacities of the VA you hire. If your VA has a background in finance and accounting, then you can let them handle your bookkeeping tasks.
Professionals such as lawyers often hire VAs as researchers or librarians to assist them in their work and you can do the same if you have no time for research related to your business. You can let them write your business blog, proofread your letters, and make promotional videos and graphics.
These advanced tasks are on top of the admin duties they have to do such as checking emails, following up with clients, paying your business bills online, and even recruiting new staff.
Do you see how much time you can save and the productivity you can reap from having even just one VA?
Wrong Idea No. 3: You can only have short-term VAs
The length of time that a VA will work for you depends on the ebbs and flows of your business. The person who can best determine how long you will need a VA in the long term is none other than you. If you think you will need someone to keep your books or keep content releases for your website steady for a year or more, then you might need a VA willing to develop their career and skills with you. As your business grows and administrative tasks become more complicated, you might need another VA in addition to the one you already have.
Wrong Idea No. 4: All VAs can work 24/7
Some VAs handle other people’s admin matters and not just yours. While this does not mean they won’t give enough attention to your needs, it means you should not assume they are someone you can call any time of the day and any day of the week. VAs, no matter where they are based, need time to rest. If you want a VA who is always at your beck and call, you must indicate that in the job description.
Are you looking for a virtual assistant? My BTLR is here to help! Contact us today to see what we can do for you.