I hadn’t heard of the Virtual Assistant concept until a friend and I were trying to figure out what I could do in my work life. One too many toxic office environments and colleagues who had the personality of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde made me reconsider what I wanted to do as a career. Before I embarked on my new career, I thought, “What are the benefits of working with a Virtual Assistant?”
Hands up if you know what a Virtual Assistant is and does.
After researching online and reading How to be a Virtual Assistant https://www.catherinegladwyn.co.uk/books-for-virtual-assistants/, I realised that becoming a Virtual Assistant was exactly what I was looking for. It means I can use my skills and experience in previous administrative roles to help small business owners and private individuals with administrative tasks they don’t have the time, resources or desire to do, with the benefit of working for myself and from my home. No more working in unfriendly offices, no more commuting and no more doing tasks that are, quite frankly, not in my job description. One office I worked in had all the legal secretaries on a cleaning rota; isn’t that what companies employ cleaners for?! I can make my own choices of who I work with and what I do. Happy days.
What exactly does a Virtual Assistant do?
A Virtual Assistant helps business owners manage their workload when they reach the point of needing help but aren’t quite financially able to employ someone full-time, or don’t have the space to accommodate another body in the workspace. Tasks can include managing emails and creating a structured inbox to make it more user-friendly and organised, to making appointments and travel arrangements. They can look after your social media posts, and they can even order your online shopping delivery! You can delegate a wide range of tasks to a virtual assistant, provided they have the skills and are happy to carry them out.
The first step is to arrange a Discovery Call with your virtual assistant. During the call, you discuss your requirements and agree how you will work together. If both decide to move forward, your virtual assistant prepares and sends the Terms of Business for you to sign electronically, so there’s no need for paper copies. You then pay the initial deposit. Once your virtual assistant receives the signed documents and payment, they can begin work in line with the agreed terms. It’s as simple as that.
Have you considered working with a Virtual Assistant?
You may be wondering whether it would be a good idea and whether it would make your work life any easier. Perhaps you find yourself so bogged down with emails, and chasing clients and overdue invoice payments you don’t have time to do the “fun stuff”. You might need help with the administrative side of the business but don’t want to employ someone full-time. If this is you, then it could be a super opportunity for you to run your business with less stress, give yourself more time and be able to breathe without a million things whizzing around your head.
What are the benefits?
There are many benefits for small and medium-sized business owners and individuals to work with a Virtual Assistant, it’s going to help you run your business more efficiently, and increase productivity and your profit.
I work for myself so I’m self-employed and I work remotely from home. For businesses that are considering working with a Virtual Assistant here are some benefits which may help you decide to take the next step:
- There is no necessity for a desk, computer, or telephone in your office or workspace and the HR and admin that goes with it.
- You’re not paying for a full-time employee, you only pay for the hours the Virtual Assistant worked.
- You receive a monthly invoice for the hours worked with no other costs.
- You don’t have to make National Insurance and tax contributions.
- You don’t have to enrol a Virtual Assistant in the company pension.
- You don’t have holiday or sick payments to calculate at the end of the month.
In summary…
To give you complete peace of mind, I carry professional indemnity insurance and maintain my registration with the ICO http://www.ico.org.uk. I also follow UK GDPR requirements to protect your personal information and provide a professional, secure service.
You have more time to focus on your business, and those who need workplace adjustments can easily access the help they require ensuring they receive the help necessary to succeed in their roles.
#smallbusiness #virtualassistant #accesstowork
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