Who are they?
A Virtual Assistant (VA) is just a fancy term used for a person who does not physically work at your business. A Virtual Assistant will do many of the same services as a regular office assistant will except they do them remotely from their home or office. When you consider that much of the work we do in the office is on a computer or the phone, it's no wonder virtual assistants are becoming so popular. All they will need is a phone, a laptop and an internet connection and they're good to go.
So why do I need one?
Like most small business owners when we're first starting out we wear all the hats and do just about every job necessary to keep our business running, including all the administrative duties. But as our business begins to grow we find ourselves at the proverbial fork in the road. You find yourself forced into making a decision that will change the direction of your home business. If you go to the right it leads you down the path of "business as usual" and you continue performing all the job duties yourself. No doubt a cost saving move, but you'll find it hard to do the things necessary that will help to grow your business... still working 15 hour days and only getting by.
Now if you take the road to the left, it requires a bold step. You'll need to make a small investment in your home business, but it will prove to be the smart move. After much thought and rationalization you've come to the conclusion your need for an Administrative Assistant, but your budget is small and funds are limited and you know, no matter how your try to work the numbers you can't afford to hire one. However, if you cannot find a way to free up more of your time, you'll never be able to grow your home business to the next level.
This is a common problem for many small entrepreneurs. Business is good, but growth is slow. The opportunity for growth is there for the taking, but you don't have the time, you're already working 10 hour days and any more time invested into your business will mean time away from family and friends. The answer to all the hurdles you're facing can be found with a Virtual Assistant.
How can a Virtual Assistant help me?
A good VA will be able to aid you in handling your administrative workload, allowing you more time to focus on growing your business and generating revenue. Here are just a few of many ways that a Virtual Assistant can provide much-needed support for your small business:
Full Administrative Support - A VA can do general administrative services such as word processing, data entry, managing spreadsheets or even answer the phone when you're away; the list goes on and on. Remember, a laptop, a phone and an internet connection is all that a VA needs. You can call or emails your VA and give them instructions for the work you need them to complete. Once the work is completed by the VA he will send it back to you in an email.
Email and Voice mail Management - Do you receive a large numbers of emails or voice mails? A VA can manage that for you too. They can sort through (and cut) the spam and even reply to messages that don't need your attention. That alone will free up some of your precious time by leaving you with fewer messages to fumble through everyday. A VA can send you an email about any voice mails requiring your immediate attention.
Online Marketing Management - A Virtual Assistant can help you with your online marketing plan by managing your pay-per-click campaigns, write and post articles, add your affiliate links to the articles and then send the articles to the various article directory websites. They can create banner ads, prepare and send email newsletters... the list goes on. Since VAs make their living online, many of them keep abreast of the latest trends in online marketing. You might find them to be a valuable resource for some of the newest trends.
Internet Research - A Virtual Assistant can efficiently do internet research for your next niche website idea including, keyword or keyword phrase analysis, find a good WordPress theme for your new website, even install and setup the new site. A VA can use their extensive research skills to your benefit, providing you with incredible value by investigating requested topics and presenting the results in the desired format.
Not Your Employee - One of the top reasons a Virtual Assistant is a wise and relatively carefree investment - they're not your employee. Virtual Assistants are independent contractors and that means you do not need to worry about employee taxes, benefits... etc. You both agree on the services and terms and then pay them as you would any other services contractor.
So let's recap
A Virtual Assistant can:
Prepare your Word documents and write new articles
Manage your emails, cut spam
Answer the phone when you're away.
Manage voice mails
Perform research for new niche website ideas
Manage and support your existing websites
If you find yourself wearing down because the workload of running your own business is relentless, consider a Virtual Assistant. They're here to help - and you can find a plethora of and companies offering VA services on the Internet. Do your homework and read the reviews before settling with a particular company or person. A good VA can become a lifesaver for a small business on a budget.
