Traditional office employees are starting to see opportunities from working from home as virtual assistants, who are also part of a rapidly expanding trend in the workplace. What does the popular shift to work from home as a virtual assistant mean to business owners?
The Rise of Virtual Assistant
First, the industry is going strong and expanding rapidly. Virtual assistants are in demand and the market for them may be greater than you think.
According to Statista, the value of the outsourced services business is about $85 billion and is predicted to grow. Another statistic that is worth looking at is from Regus, the percentage of persons who work remotely for 2.5 days per week or more in the corporate environment has risen to more than 50%. The rise of freelancers is continuing to gain momentum as Intuit found that 40% of the total U.S. workforce will be freelancers in 2020.
These virtual assistant figures, which are the most recent we can discover as of 2020 reveal why many business owners turn to a team of virtual assistants who do work at a breakneck rate and with astonishing efficiency and effectiveness.
What do the figures tell us about virtual assistants in a nutshell?
According to the data, virtual assistants is NOT a fad that will pass. Virtual assistants and the industry is a developing trend that contributes to the global movement of freelancing and remote work, and not to mention, the commitment to help small business owners thrive and grow.
Virtual assistants are also far less costly than their traditional full-time counterparts. Shortly put, virtual assistants are a realistic and practical choice for any business owner looking to grow its capacity by creating a team. They are more economical, productive, and easier to hire.
The red flags signs that tell you need to hire a virtual assistant
What does it mean to have a VA in your life? Are you ready to employ a professional?
Hiring a virtual assistant is not for everyone, particularly if it is the first time. Understandably, you cannot easily hand over parts of your business to someone who is across the globe. However, there are times when you have too much on your plate and wonder whether it’s time to engage a virtual assistant to help you achieve more while working less.
If you’re still conferring whether your business needs a virtual assistant, consider the following factors.
The red flags – indications that you need the services of a virtual assistant
You are always working on your desks and filled with administrative tasks, leaving you with little time left for strategizing and networking.
If your typical day consists of checking and answering emails, creating presentations, and updating spreadsheets, publishing on social networking platforms, following up bills and scheduling appointments, then your productivity is suffering. Concentrate on strategy and what you do well; delegate tasks that do not need your presence.
You are missing a healthy work-life balance.
Despite how cliche it may seem, failing to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life may have a negative impact not just on your business, but also on yourself and those around you. Hiring a virtual assistant will free up some time in your day to spend on things and people that are most important to you, as well as provide you with much-needed time for self-care.
You are no longer excited and happy about what you do.
The frustration of being stymied by time-consuming administrative duties is understandable. You do not have to hold off tasks that bring you to profit for managing your calendar, arranging meetings, and organizing paperwork. It takes up so much time, it is tedious and it is repetitive. Your business will not grow by doing it so you may consider giving up on it. There are a lot of highly skilled individuals out there that not only know what they’re talking about, but also enjoy it. Hiring a virtual assistant will enable you to spend more time doing things you genuinely like and will restore your excitement to your business.
You are all over the place.
One word to describe your current status now – CHAOS. There is nothing quite like a chaotic situation to completely ruin one’s reputation. Having a chaotic appearance to your customers might be a deal-breaker for your company. Poor customer service, unanswered emails, an out-of-date website or social media platforms are all indicators that you are failing to stay up with the competition. How can you convince your clients that you can do their business good if you overlook your own business? Virtual assistants are proven helpful for both large and little projects so you can sort out your priorities.
You do not want to admit but some tasks are just done better by someone else.
When you do a task outside your field, it probably takes you longer to get it done and it is certainly a productivity killer. Tasks that usually need a certain level of expertise and take time to finish include blog writing, website management and upkeep, reservations and booking, events management, accounting and bookkeeping, and social media management to name a few. Virtual assistants are the right people for the job. They are experienced, qualified, and definitely what they are doing.
A virtual assistant may relieve you of these responsibilities so you can focus on your business.
You’re just unable to keep up.
You could just not keep up with all that is happening in your business and your life in general. You are way behind your to-do lists. A study in the United Kingdom revealed that small business owners deplete an average of 120 hours a year on administrative duties alone.
Are you ready for the big change? VALUE Virtual Assistants will help you take your big step towards growing your business, boosting productivity, and ultimately increasing profits.
VALUE Virtual Assistants makes hiring and managing virtual assistants simpler and easier so you can start delegating and accomplish more.
If you believe a virtual assistant can help you and your business, book an appointment with us and we can explore how we can collaborate.