Given the nature of our blog and our business, we’ve spoken at length about hiring virtual assistants. So far, we’ve covered how to tell if you need one, what a virtual assistant does, and even the many kinds of virtual assistants there are out there.
Strangely enough, we haven’t discussed the actual benefits that they bring. *gasp!* I mean, we’ve alluded to them frequently enough, but we haven’t produced an article that put the spotlight on such.
So, today, I write to remedy that. Without further ado, here are seven of the biggest benefits of having a virtual assistant:
1. Peace of mind.
Nope, reduced costs aren’t the biggest benefit that comes with good virtual assistants. (We’ll get to that soon enough.) It’s peace of mind. As it turns out, money can buy you that, and with Filipino VA’s, it won’t even cost that much. Let me explain.
It’s normal to feel nervous about working with a VA, especially if it’s your first time or if you’ve just hired a new one. However, before long, your working relationship will develop into one of mutual trust. When that happens, you can simply send an email or Skype message about the day’s tasks and then rest assured that it’ll be done well.
Those tasks then become one less thing to worry about, freeing up your headspace for other stuff.
2. Reduced labour costs.
I did tell you we’d get to this soon, right? Well, here we are.
Now, before you accuse us of exploiting labour from developing countries like the Philippines, listen up. While we don’t deny that it happens, Remote Staff certainly endeavours to make sure our people are compensated properly. How else would they stay loyal to our clients and do their jobs well if we didn’t?
No, the magic lies in the exchange rate, you see. The Philippines has lower costs of living, and the Australian dollar goes farther here. This enables us to provide our remote contractors with decent wages while still delivering on cost savings for our AU clients. It’s a win-win, really.
Apart from that, a virtual assistant also means you don’t have to pay for extra office space, consumable utilities, or all those unproductive working hours of in-house employees. Basically, you only pay for the hours that a VA works, which then leads us to…
3. More time.
All those administrative tasks eat up more time than you think. Answering emails, booking appointments, and other such chores are necessary but tedious.
This is where VA’s come in. They can take on all those crucial, non-core daily tasks, so you don’t have to. This way, you can focus on thinking about your business’ long-term growth and strategy, thus guiding its performance and success.
Or, you could simply use the extra time to hang out with the ones you love most.
Because if there’s one thing none of us can buy more of, it’s time. Hiring a VA is the next best thing if you want more of this precious and finite resource.
4. Increased productivity.
Hiring a VA is like having an extra set of hands. So long as they’re properly trained and briefed, they can even anticipate certain tasks for you.
Furthermore, VA’s work remotely, so they don’t have the usual distractions of an office around them. When you don’t have to listen to office gossip or chat by the water cooler, you can get more stuff done.
5. Better flexibility.
VA’s aren’t constrained by a typical 9-5 workday. Plus, when you hire from the Philippines, the time difference can also work to your advantage. Instead of assigning a straight eight-hour shift, you could work out a schedule that suits you best while maintaining cost savings.
Furthermore, in the unlikely event that you’re not happy with your VA’s performance, you can simply terminate the arrangement. You can even get a new VA right away!
Try doing that with a traditional employee. You’ll probably get sued, mate.
6. Scalability.
It’s simple, really. Lower labour costs and optimum flexibility minimise the risks of expanding your workforce as your business grows. When you don’t have to worry about fixed salaries and additional equipment and office space costs, you’ll be more confident about scaling up.
7.Access to a wider talent pool.
When you hire VA’s, you don’t have to contend with geographical boundaries. Since they work remotely from anywhere with an internet connection, your talent reach exponentially increases.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home.
