Top reasons to hire a virtual assistant: Turning a business idea into a business can be taxing. As an entrepreneur, you will start by taking on the role of not only CEO but also marketer, salesperson, project manager, admin assistant, and accountant.
In the beginning, you (sort of) can handle this; however, there will be a stage when your company starts to take off, and you will need to scale up. You will need help; besides that, you should consider hiring a virtual assistant; this could also mean that you have secured funding or are using your profits; either way, you will not be able to maintain the momentum.
In the long run, you must reorganize yourself and your business so your venture can flow smoothly.
How to hire a virtual assistant and save money
You do not want to waste money, and you do not want to hire permanent staff – this is where hiring virtual assistants or outsourcing becomes useful.
Virtual assistants are lifesavers, helping you not to spread yourself too thinly. Research has already proven that there are several benefits to going the virtual route of hiring an assistant instead of onboarding permanent on-site staff. Statistics have demonstrated the value of a virtual assistant or VA in the:
Decreasing your operating costs
A huge expense to most companies is staffing. Outsourcing, where you hire a virtual assistant as a business process model, can be assisted by delegating various tasks to experts who work remotely on a consulting basis. This will also save the company money.
These virtual assistants can live in any part of the world. However, if you are English-speaking, it’s best to select virtual assistants (VAs) from native English-speaking countries so you do not compromise your standards.
Many online assistants are from countries where their currency is weak; therefore, your euro- or dollar-based payment will still afford them a good salary; however, for you, this will be much lower than the payment made to the local on-site workers.
Why hire a virtual assistant? 1# The Reason is the cost-saving
Compared with hiring an on-site employee, you can save up to 78% in operating costs when outsourcing. The savings will be helpful as you scale up, since they can speed up the process and give you a competitive edge.
When you outsource, you will save not only on operating costs but also on hiring costs. Traditionally, companies use their HR department or a recruitment agency to search for talent. However, the first question you must ask yourself is whether you need an in-house HR team. Not really.
A virtual HR assistant can perform these tasks for you and more. Therefore, you don’t have to pay massive amounts towards employee salaries and get great people to help you give the support you need as you grow your business.
Research by Stanford University has concluded that when a business hires a virtual assistant, the company can reduce its attrition rates by half. In this study, the focus was on Ctrip (a Chinese travel agency).
This company had 500 workers. In the research, 50% of the workers worked from home, and the other 50% worked from the office for 9 months. The results were that of the half working from the office, an additional 50% of them started to work remotely.
Boost your productivity and efficiency.
It’s been found that remote workers are more efficient − they have more time to complete their tasks while still managing their lives.
The Stanford research study also found that remote workers tend to take fewer sick days and breaks, which led to a 13% boost in productivity.
Nevertheless, remote workers must be reliable and committed to completing their work. Therefore, it’s better to source a VA via an agency that can vet the candidates before presenting them to you.
Onboard great people with great experience
When businesses hire a virtual assistant, they are not lowering their standards. The virtual aides are high-quality, offering good education and experience.
60% of VAs have completed a degree. Also, although most are multi-disciplined, assistants can be specialists in content creation, social media, project management, legal assistance, lead generation, or marketing.
However, a business must clearly state its needs, ensuring that the correct assistant can be sourced to match the requirements.
Virtual assistants are dedicated to their job.
Although many online assistants work part-time, 59% of outsourced assistants work full-time for a business. As such, they will spend around 40 hours per week at a company.
Again, this depends on the requirements of the business. Also, it’s helpful to opt for an agency with a management system: the agency then ensures that the online assistants are working as they should.
Online assistants like their work.
Stability is essential, especially in the long run, for most entrepreneurs. Research has found that 97% of remote workers are content and happy.
Therefore, these workers are less inclined to switch to other businesses. Such a job change can harm a business. It costs the company money to fill the position once again.
What is central is that business owners or managers should know how to delegate and unlearn the habit of micromanaging people.
Research has found that 82% of assistants surveyed choose to remain employed. Regular one-on-one meetings with virtual assistants can make this relationship more robust.
This also augments the trust levels. Trust, naturally, can be a concern, especially between a business owner or manager and a remote worker.
Avoid the classic mistake.
Many businesses have onboarded a virtual assistant, later discontinuing the relationship. Why would this be? Some business managers or owners have decided to hire directly.
Ultimately, these businesses do not know how to hire the right person or have the skills to manage people. A safer route is to use a reputable outsourcing company or BPO.
Aristo Sourcing has, since 2014, been sourcing great people for businesses that want to upscale their companies to the next level. Most of the VAs are regulars.
New clients mostly come from word-of-mouth from the clients themselves. Onboarding your first virtual assistant is an easy process. Aristo Sourcing only selects the top 2% of applicants as candidates for businesses.