What are Virtual Assistants? First things first, what exactly are virtual assistants? In essence, they'll be taking care of many of those daily tasks that eat into your already limited time. This could include anything from managing your social media accounts(including posting updates), creating content for websites or blogs, dealing with customer relations. The list goes on!
How will having a Virtual Assistant benefit my business? Well, for one you'll have more free time to focus on activities that are crucial to the success of your business. You'll also save money by not hiring employees(therefore no work permits, unemployment insurance, etc). The best part is - simply put - Outsourcing can boost productivity and profit!
What do virtual assistants do? Virtual Assistants can take care of a whole host of tasks, and the key benefit is that they're flexible and affordable. While we may not be talking about hiring a full-time assistant here, you could always use more help with pinning down those time-consuming daily duties.
For instance, if your social media presence needs some love, Outsourcing would allow for someone else to post updates on Facebook or Twitter so you don't have to worry. Virtual assistants will also write emails and letters, create content for websites/blogs… Basically, anything that's necessary but takes up way too much of your valuable time!
How do virtual assistants work? You'd usually speak to a client support representative and go through exactly what it is you need to have done. Then they can put together a plan for Outsourcing, once agreed upon the virtual assistant(s) will be assigned and get straight to work.
In most cases, Outsourced projects are completed within 1-2 weeks - it really depends on what needs doing. Smaller tasks may only take a day or two while larger projects could take a few weeks. It all depends on your Outsourcing requirements!
The great thing about Outsourcing is that you're in control of how many hours per month you want someone to complete for you. You can opt for full-time assistance or just require help with one particular project - such as creating an ebook/manual from scratch, linking social media accounts together…
As long as it doesn't require an in-depth knowledge of your business (i.e. Outsourcing to complete market research for a new product launch), Outsourcing can be beneficial.
Virtual Assistants however are great for managing social media accounts and creating content for websites/blogs - not the more complex tasks like development or coding! You could always hire someone locally instead if looking to develop software etc…
How much does Outsourcing cost? The prices vary depending on what you'd like to have Outsourced - obviously larger projects will be going to cost more than short, simple ones. But at the end of the day Outsourcing allows you no matter how small your budget has a professional presentation online so it's well worth the cost.
It's important to note that Outsourcing is generally done on a monthly basis, not per hour or project.
As with anything though, don't be in a rush when Outsourcing - you could end up paying more! Make sure to have everything agreed upon before getting started, this way there'll be no hidden surprises later on. Outsourcing can definitely boost productivity and profit if used correctly, so it's well worth exploring especially for small businesses! Outsourcing is the future and your business could certainly do with a hand, so get Outsourcing pronto!
There's a whole new world out there, get exploring! If you find something useful don't be afraid to share it with us in the comments section. For all of your Outsourcing needs such as Virtual Assistants, contact McGregor Accounts at: www.mcgregoraccounts.com/contact-us/
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