In a world where everything is becoming automated, many people question why they should outsource to a Virtual Assistant.
The truth is there are so many reasons why you should consider outsourcing. I will aim to cover a few of them here but please bear in mind that this is by no means a complete list…
For a start, there will always be a demand for ‘personal service’. The old adage of ‘people buy from people’ still rings true and I believe it always will. So whether you need support with sales, customer service, complaint management or creative organisation, in my opinion, a human support will always provide better results than a ‘bot’, app or automated call system. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a place for these tools in business, but machines cannot and will not replace human emotion.
I mean honestly – how frustrated do you get when you have to go through a hundred automated options before getting through to a human, only to be told that you’ve got through to the wrong department?? Especially when all you want is a little help and support?
Not only this but there will always come a time when you want, or need to grow your business from the ‘one man band’ you started your business with.
But why not just employ an ‘Assistant’ or team member I hear you ask?
Now this is a question I could spend hours talking about, but, as I know your time is vitally important, I will try and keep this short and to the point.
Let’s start at the beginning:
By working with a Virtual Assistant over hiring an employee, you don’t need to worry about the headache that is HR law, Performance Management, Employee Handbooks, Employee Benefits and DBS checks (unless they will be working on site on a regular basis, although a contractor agreement should cover most of this).
When looking into working with a Virtual Assistant, you will save time and money by not having to advertise a role and no commission fees from working with job agencies, which means less time spent screening CVs, telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews and waiting for notice periods to be worked or time spent completing inductions and training.
Due to the nature of Virtual Assistants the vast majority of work is completed remotely which means, again, you will save money, this time on the practical things such as office equipment, utilities, IT support, Licenses and various insurances.
Because a Virtual Assistant is a self-employed contractor, there is no requirement to make pension contributions, National Insurance contributions, pay for holiday leave, sick leave, MAT leave or any form of carers leave.
The final reason I would like to suggest working with a Virtual Assistant trumps recruiting an employee is that, with a VA you will only ever pay for the time spent actually working. No more paying for lunch breaks, the crafty ciggy break, the hours spent chatting with colleagues, wandering around the site ‘looking busy’, the toilet breaks etc – Need I go on?!
Now with all this said I am certainly not suggesting that you can work with just anyone. It is essential that you find someone who fits with you, your values and your business. They have to understand what you stand for, what you want to achieve and what you expect from them.