| |
| |
|
Small Business Information |
|
|
|
Do You Need the Help of a Virtual Assistant?
Running a business, whether large, small or in your home, is full of challenges. Getting the day-to-day tasks completed, e-mail, faxes and telephones answered, bills and statements sent out, reports run, schedule updated, travel arrangements made, marketing pieces and website updated, as well as a plethora of other tasks, can be downright daunting. In swoops the "Virtual Assistant" to handle these and many other tasks for you and help your company's bottom line. In case you're still working out of a cave (as you may be if you're still doing it all yourself), a Virtual Assistant, who has been touted as one of the must-haves of the modern entrepreneurial arsenal of time and money-saving tricks, is a highly skilled independent contractor who handle their client's administrative (and sometimes personal) needs in a large variety of ways. Because Virtual Assistants (VAs) are business owners themselves, they have a vested interest in your company's success -- your success leads to their success. They really aim to please because their business depends on it. And who better to understand the trials and tribulations than another business owner? Also, most VAs came from the corporate world and were executive or administrative assistants (secretaries), customer service managers or representatives, paralegals, project managers or coordinators, database administrators, or bookkeepers. Here are just some of the services a Virtual Assistant can provide: Typing / Word Processing, You have a lot of work you could delegate to a Virtual Assistant, but you're still not convinced one would be right for your business. According to Hackett Group, a Hudson, Ohio consultancy, "outsourcing, in general, can cost 50% less than hiring a full-time employee." Because your VA is an entrepreneur and not an employee, you don't have the extra expense of paying additional taxes, providing insurance, purchasing office supplies and equipment, updating software, sick, vacation and personal time, office space to provide, and you only pay for the time the VA actually works (you're not paying for coffee breaks, downtime, etc.). Hiring a temporary can come with a whole host of problems including their lack of skills, the need to provide equipment, supplies, and office space, as well as going through several temps (or agencies) to find one that can adequately provide the skills you need! Also keep in mind that temporary services normally take about 1/2 of the monies you pay them -- when the temp only receives $7 - $11 an hour, you really can't expect a high quality person. If you still think it's best to do it yourself, you'll find that your time is much more profitably spent on revenue-generating activities. Outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant adds to up increased profits for your business. Work is transmitted via e-mail, fax, mail, overnight service, etc. -- they will coordinate with you to provide the work to you in the most timely and inexpensive manner possible. You can also keep in touch via telephone, e-mail and instant messaging. Costs of a Virtual Assistant run from $15 - $50 per hour (depending on the scope of the work and their skill level) and some work by the project or on a monthly retainer. I know of a few VAs that are willing to barter for the right products and/or service. Always read any potential Virtual Assistant's website and take a look at their testimonials, client list, etc. If you notice grammatical and spelling errors anywhere on their site or newsletters, you can be assured that your work will come back with spelling and grammatical errors. A highly skilled VA will be very detail oriented and will not put out work with these errors. I recommend contacting a few VAs via e-mail, then by telephone to see if the rapport is there, which is very important for anyone you work with. The one you are most comfortable with that charges a reasonable cost is the one to try first. You may want to keep the contact information of your second pick where you can easily find it in case your first pick is unavailable for any reason. Then give them a small project and work up from there. Soon you will find that a dependable, accomplished VA will become your indispensable partner for years to come. (c) 2005 Nita Helping Hand? - All rights reserved You are free to use this material in whole or in part as long as you include the following: About the author: Nita Ammon is a professional proofreader, copy-editor and the President of Nita Helping Hand? Please visit Nita's website for additional information about proofreading, copy-editing and other administrative needs available at http://www.NitaHelpingHand.com or contact her at info@NitaHelpingHand.com. Nita is your 'Partner In Perception'.
MORE RESOURCES:
Small-Business - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Looking into the Future for Profits How to identify future solutions and opportunities?Your power page, if used extensively, will help you to identify areas where the client may need more help or may need to purchase additional products. When you read through your notes, you will be able to pinpoint areas that will be a business pain. The Care and Feeding of Your Small Business While I was hard at work last week, an everyday drama was playing out in a hospital room in the next town. My niece was working on presenting me with a new great nephew. Sex Up Your Business Growth A top executive called up me late in the night. He was still awake at 3 o'clock. Trailblazer Interview with Diane J. Levin, Partnering Solutions Today is a Red Letter Day! It's special because today is the first edition of the Trailblazer Interviews.You'll meet some of the most fascinating, talented folks in the ADR world who I call Trailblazers. Small Businesses You Can Start in Automotive There are many choices when thinking about a small business involving your favorite hobby, cars. What about a Mobile detailing franchise? Yes they too are available. Why The Carwash Industry is Stagnant; What You Can Do to Change Your Field Many years ago, I had warned the carwash industry of problems brewing in customer dissatisfaction as we continued to grow our car wash company into a National Franchise Chain. I warned of environmental controls, speed of wash, water usage, quality of labor, price points, car wash fundraisers, car damage, up selling and hot wax. Firing Underperforming Employees in Your Small Business Here are a few tips on how to hand out pink slips when it comes time to terminate an employee.As a small business owner with employees, you will likely find it necessary one day to terminate an underperforming employee - if you haven't already. Franchising Pros and Cons Last week's question from Anthony R. on how to choose the franchise that would best fulfill his life-long dream of owning his own business sparked a number of emails from other readers wanting to offer their two cents on the subject. How to Profile a Client At first glance, this topic may seem a little repetitive, but you will find that although you have done homework before getting a contract and already know a fair amount about your client, you, however, do not know everything that is pertinent to the job. Once you have the project underway you will be adding to your knowledge of the client. 6 Steps to a Successful Medical Spa Expansion According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, since 1997, nonsurgical procedures have increased by 471 percent. Jeff Russell, CEO of MedSpa Financing, comments "Medical Spas are a natural progression of medical practice expansion, having a medical doctor run them gives them the credibility and public confidence needed for their success. Definition of Security: Small Business Owner Yes, that IS security when nobody can downsize you because you OWN that small business of yours! But preserving that special advantage is a never-ending job. In fact, do you know what needs to be preserved more than anything else?Well, since they hold the future of your business in their hands, I believe that an outside group of people whose behaviors can effect your business' survival more than any other, deserves your rapt attention. Genius Time? It Matters I frequently give presentations at small business gatherings, providing me the opportunity to have engaging conversations with owners about the challenges they face. Based on their input, the economy continues to plug along, heading in the right direction, and distancing itself from the difficult journey of the past few years. A Small Business Consultant Can Help in Many Ways... But One Thing He Can't Provide A consultant must remember that the business belongs to the client. There is always a danger that the consultant will take a dominant position to the detriment of both of them. Sample; Territory Reduction Policy for a Franchise Company I propose this thought on the subject of Franchisee territory reduction based on performance for a Mobile Business Model. Please read the sample policy below as it explains the reasoning and methodologies considered to extend brand without risking underdeveloped territory. When and Why YOU Are the Best Writer for Your Business Plan WHEN you are operating or planning a small business that is seeking funding for less than five million dollars, it's wise to consider writing your own plan.WHY you are the best qualified. Explode Your Consulting Income Here are just a few ways to increase and diversify your income from your consulting business.1. How to Bond a Business Relationship When should you create a foundation in order to solidify a business relationship?Before you bond any business relationship, you need to make sure that this is a relationship that you both want to have. No relationship is a one way street; the relationship must work in both directions. To Buy A Fat Pig What does buying a fat pig have to do with your business? Stick with me and all will be revealed.Does your business have a tactical and a strategic way to go to market? Let's go down to Mr. Five Break-through Ideas to Immediately Increase Profits and Improve Cash Flow Too often in business we get trapped into reviewing our sales numbers without analyzing the all important "profit" number. This is commonly referred to as the "bottom-line" of a business. Contract Cleaners - A Guide for Business Part 2 In the first part of this article I put forward 7 questions that I believed were important to ask of your potential cleaning company. In this article I will explain the relevance of the first two questions and the answers you get to you as a business.
|
|
|
|
|
