So you are a small business, but your goal is to grow, correct…of course. You have many tasks to do and feel like you can’t do them all. You don’t feel you can’t afford to hire an employee. You look at the tasks and ask yourself “Are they Important”. Most likely all business owners will say yes.

Let’s take a look at some of the tasks you may have. You know all small businesses need social media – yes that is the marketing of today. Whew, I can’t find time to do that you say, maybe I will post now and then – well that won’t help your business. You may have appointments to make and be reminded of phone calls to return, emails to followup – and filing and managing those emails. Oh yes and you have that website that needs maintaining. You need items to be organized, systems to be set up…….we can go on an on about what it takes to run a business. HALT – THIS IS TOO OVERWHELMING!

OKAY CALM DOWN – this blog is to help you to eliminate that overwhelming feeling. You came to this blog – why – To Find Out how can a Virtual Assistant help you? So let’s take a look.

• First, a Virtual Assistant otherwise called a VA – is a Live Person, we are not talking about Siri or Cortana – NO, NO, A VA is a REAL PERSON. She/He works from their own office.

  What does that mean for your business? No supplies, computers, printers, desk, chair, office, paper, pens……NO OVERHEAD…gotta love that!

• Second, a Virtual Assistant, is an independent contractor, she/he files their own taxes, pays their own healthcare, sick days vacation days – all their own expenses – office equipment – except maybe postage if you ask them to send something out.

  What does that mean for your business? You have nothing to pay but their hourly fee. WOW – that translates into no paperwork for you and saving money!

• Third, a Virtual Assistant does not normally work regular hours….I mean we can always work the 9-5 – but work is not 9-5 any longer. So a Virtual Assistant is flexible and works at many different times.

  What does that mean for your business? You have a flexible assistant. I mean can you email an employee at 8pm and say “hey can you do……..”. Yeah, somehow, I don’t think so.

• Fourth, most Virtual Assistants have years of experience in many different areas and have had careers at large companies. Take me for instance, just a few of the places I have worked at: Goodwin Proctor – largest law firm in Boston, MA, Tufts University, Cambridge, MA, Duke University, Durham, NC.

  What does that mean for your business? You are getting a vast amount of experience right at your finger tips.

• Fifth, Since VA’s work online, they keep up with many online tools, applications and so forth. VA’s are affiliated with many other VA’s as well as many VA organizations.

  What does that mean for your business? There is hardly anything they can’t do or find someone to do for you.

So you say this all sounds good but how do they communicate – if we don’t see each other?  In today’s technological world there are so many ways to communicate, of course we still use the telephone but there are all sorts of apps like skype or google hangouts – that enables you to meet and talk when you need to.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant may sound good, so how does this all work? In my case, I have a welcome package outlining my hours, fees, and the way I work that I send to each potential client. The client in turn sends me their company information and what it is they expect. We then both talk making sure we both are on the same page as to how this should work. And as in every business I will write up a contract and send to the client and when we both agree on the terms we will sign and we begin to work together.

The point – whatever your needs are a Virtual Assistant can help you with them at a fraction of the cost of an employee. The world as we know it today is VIRTUAL so go ahead – take a try – hire me as your Virtual Assistant today www.yourworkassistant.com

Check out my experience – www.linkedin.com/pub/evonne-marie-lopes/63/528/6a8/