Five ways a virtual assistant can really save you money

In these tough economic times, all small businesses will be looking for ways to cut costs and increase efficiencies. If you are in the early stages of building a business or have only been in business for a short time, you may believe that paying for the support of a secretary is a luxury, or at least an unnecessary expense. But did you realize that outsourcing your administrative tasks could save you money? Here are five reasons why hiring a virtual assistant could be one of the best business decisions you make:

We have our own equipment:

Virtual assistants work from their own well-appointed home offices, unlike temporary or office secretaries. We have our own laptops, our own software, our own printers, scanners, and faxes. You won’t have to shell out for any expensive equipment or pay a dime to train us. We may have software or equipment that you do not have but may need. A good VA will be up to date with the latest technology and the best way to use it in business.

We meet a lot of helpful people:

Just like you, a virtual assistant is an entrepreneur, well-versed in the challenges and rewards of running your own business. Typically, having established their business from scratch, a good VA will have a valuable contact book and will be able to introduce you to proven and trusted service providers. They should be able to recommend website developers, graphic designers, printers, IT support, accountants – everything you’ll need to set up and run your business.

We can help you get paid:

How much time do you waste chasing unpaid bills and receipts? That’s time you could spend finding new clients and working billable hours. Your VA can be your bailiff, speaking to your creditors on your behalf while you continue to do your job. We can research different payment options for you and set up your business bank account or PayPal account, making it easy for your customers to pay you on time.

We only charge for the hours we work:

You will not pay our Social Security, sick pay or maternity pay. When you pay us for our time, you know that we spend that time working exclusively for you. You won’t pay us to surf the net, gossip with colleagues, or update our Facebook accounts. You can pay for a support package that gives you hours of virtual support, or just use an assistant when you need it.

We can help you earn more money:

Your VA can review all of your documentation and expenses, helping you identify where you can cut costs. If you want or need to increase your prices, your VA can arrange for reprinting of your marketing materials and a mailing to inform your existing clients. If you have a briefcase full of business cards, each of which could be a new lead, your VA can enter them into a database and keep track of each or every one.

As a business owner, your time is precious. Don’t waste yourself on routine tasks that can be delegated. Budget for virtual assistance, unload the administration that takes up so much of your day, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you can now spend time on what is important to you as an entrepreneur: growing and developing your business.