Small Businesses Benefit From Personal or Virtual Assistants

November 30, 2022

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A business owner’s most valuable asset is time.

That’s why many small businesses have begun hiring personal assistants, allowing them to free up their evenings and weekends without breaking the bank.

The benefits of virtual assistants — people who work remotely to help run your company — include having greater flexibility, increased productivity, and more.

According to the UK government’s Census 2021, the total number of workforce jobs rose to an estimated 35.6 million on March 22, which displayed a record quarterly increase of nearly 412,000. Small businesses in most industries contributed to this upward trend.

Here are some advantages of offering job opportunities to someone to help run your small business.

1. Delegating Smaller Tasks

delegate-smaller-tasks-by-virtual-assistant A good portion of your day is wasted on answering phone calls, running errands, and replying to emails. These aren’t high-level tasks that require in-depth industry knowledge.

In all likelihood, you could hire someone to do these smaller chores for you, giving you more time to enter a state of deep work and focus on important business matters. One of the benefits of virtual assistants is that they can support you by performing administrative duties.

Many successful entrepreneurs use this technique. Even paying someone to perform basic tasks for a couple of hours a day could save you countless dollars in the long run.

2. Enjoying Greater Flexibility

greater-flexibility-with-virtual-assistant A virtual assistant fits the bill if you only need someone for a few hours just one day a week. Because they’re working remotely, virtual assistants can log in to their computers for short periods as needed, rather than driving to the office and staying there for a set number of hours each day. This means you’ll only pay them for the exact amount of time they’re working.

The remote nature of the job also means you can look for qualified candidates from all over the world — you aren’t limited just to people living nearby. You can find an assistant who is flexible when it comes to your schedule, work style, and other requirements.

3. Avoiding Burnout

worklife-balance-with-virtual-assistant Running a business is a double-edged sword. It gives you more freedom in your workplace environment, but this often translates to less leisure time at home. One of the benefits of virtual assistants is that they can free up your schedule and give you a greater work-life balance.

Instead of rising early and getting home late, you might have free time after work, helping you avoid burnout.

4. Keeping you on Schedule

achieve-annual-goals-with-help-of-virtual-assistant You might be used to getting behind on deadlines, scrambling to be on time for meetings, or falling short of annual goals. However, with a personal assistant organizing your calendar, you’re more likely to stay on track.

They can update your schedule in real time while you’re attending to other matters.

5. Increasing Productivity

increasing-productivity-with-virtual-assistant Hiring more people is bound to improve your company’s productivity. One of the benefits of virtual assistants is the sheer variety of tasks they can take on for you. You can have your assistant manage your social media accounts, graphic design, video editing, SEO, and website design.

They can schedule appointments, perform data entry, manage customer order fulfillment, handle complaints, or process transactions. They can perform jobs that don’t require certifications or specialized training and do it all from the comfort of their home.

6. Saving you Money

saving-you-money-with-virtual-assistants-guidance Hiring full-time employees can be expensive for a small business. Choosing a virtual assistant cuts cost in several ways: You don’t need to have an office space for them, they can work from anywhere with an internet connection and they have no commute — you won’t lose money if they get stuck in traffic or suffer car troubles. Plus, since they’ll only be working when you need them to, you won’t have to pay them for idle time or look for tasks for them to do.

Be sure to consider the cost of hiring a personal assistant. Take your budget into account and get quotes from reputable companies when deciding who to hire. This is more pertinent than ever in the U.K., where many small business owners are struggling to stay afloat.

7. Providing Better Service

personal-assistant-can-help-you-support-your-clients A personal assistant can help you support your clients. Hiring someone to promptly answer the phone, return emails or process refunds lets you take your customer service to the next level.

A personal assistant can also organize your brick-and-mortar storefront, keeping the warehouse and front of the house neatly stocked, allowing them to quickly find what they need. Good customer service can be critical to a company’s success.

The Benefits of Virtual Assistants for Your Small Business

Hiring a virtual assistant can be a smart move for business owners who are short on time or money. It’s more cost-effective than employing a full-time worker, so having the help of a personal assistant could make your company more organized, productive, and efficient. Outsourcing is certainly trending among smaller and bigger businesses.