A: Time is money. A Virtual Assistant only charges for the time worked. When you recruit employees, you will pay for downtime (25% at minimum), payroll, taxes, benefits, holidays and sickness, additional office space and equipment. This is not to mention the costs and hassles of employee turnover (hiring, training, termination, resignation, etc.)
A: Quality. Virtually 24/7 will give you and your business a professional image, will add purpose to your marketing activities, professionalism to your PowerPoint presentations, and liaise with honesty and integrity when communicating with you and your clients. To summarise, you will have more than 20 years corporate experience of supporting the highest-level VPs and Board Members (IBM, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Oki) to draw upon, without the associated costs of a permanent employee.
A: Make a list of the top 10 tasks which you carry out on a regular basis and which don't require your specific expertise. If you are comfortable delegating, and not everyone is, the VA route can certainly benefit you and your business. A VA forms a strategic alliance with you, usually over the long term.
Here is a list of key tasks which indicate you are ready to benefit from the services of a Virtual Assistant:
You are spending more time on business administration and marketing management than on revenue generating activities.
- You are ready to take your business to the next level but don't yet require a full-time analyst or PA (employee).
- You are prepared to engage in online dialogue with your VA so that he/she can develop an in-depth understanding of your business, its individual needs, and the work being delegated.
- You view your potential VA as an independent strategic business partner rather than an hourly employee.
- You are comfortable using technology to facilitate business communication.
A: You may be an entrepreneur who needs a professional PA you can rely on as an ambassador for your business.
A: You may work for an organisation where your daily schedule does not allow you the time you need to co-ordinate a special project or event, or you just need someone to delegate to on a regular basis.
You may be a travelling executive who requires an "anchor" in the UK to confidentially help you to manage your business on a remote basis.
A: You may not be a business owner or even employed but lead an extremely busy life and need organisational help on a regular basis, for example with relocating your home, finding a holiday or new school for your child - Virtually 24/7 has lots of experience in all of these areas.