Hiring a Virtual Assistant

Hiring a Virtual Assistant- Do you need one?

Have you considered hiring a Virtual Assistant?

Ever feel overwhelmed, stressed - need more hours in your day?

It seems everyone today has too much to do and could use a little help. That's where a good Virtual Assistant can be a godsend!

Every business has several tasks that need to be done everyday but no one seems to have enough time to tend to these tasks. All companies, from small home businesses to large corporations, may find there are administrative functions that are often neglected due to a lack of resources. This is the time to consider hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA).

What are Virtual Assistants?

They are independent business owners highly trained in computer software, the internet and general office administrative functions, as well as a variety of specialty services. It can be very economical to outsource many of your administrative tasks: word processing, marketing, internet research, event planning, bookkeeping and data entry can all be done remotely. A good virtual administrative assistant can easily perform these functions for you.

You may be surprised to learn that many businesses have increased their productivity by as much as 50%, sometimes more, by outsourcing tasks the business owner or executives do not have time to do.

When considering using the services of a virtual assistance and looking at the rates they charge, you must remember to consider how much your time is worth. Would it be more cost effective to spend your time building your business? Also, keep in mind the cost savings of a contract worker who covers her own benefit costs, payroll taxes, computer and office equipment.

There are several factors to consider when thinking about hiring a Virtual Assistant:

1. First evaluate whether your business is suffering from not spending enough time on the company’s vision and tasks that promote business development and growth. Would your and/or your employees' time be better spent on other tasks? A VA can free up business owners, executives and managers to grow their business while the VA can quickly and efficiently handle many administrative tasks.
2. An advantage of using a VA is you only pay for the time and services your virtual assistant actually performs, instead of paying for an 8 hour work day when there may not be 8 hours of work to do everyday. This is particularly important for small and new businesses struggling with start-up costs. This frees you up from paying for employee sick and vacation days, benefits, coffee breaks and slow times with little work to be done.
3. Another factor to consider before hiring a virtual assistant is what resources do you need? VAs have a wide variety of experience and expertise. Determine what functions you want your assistant to handle before looking for a good match for your business. If you find your business has grown to the point that you need a full-time employee at your site, that might be your better choice. However, you will be amazed at how much a virtual assistant can do for you. After careful evaluation, you may just find a remote assistant that can handle specific tasks when needed is your most economical option.

4. A virtual assistant provides a business with a built in safety net – when there is no work, you don’t have to pay a salary. If you find your business and corresponding workflow fluctuates, this may be the perfect option for you.

5. The quality of the work you receive is often higher. Your VA is also a business owner and understands what it takes to build a business. She has a vested interest in your success and cares about her own business reputation as well. This cannot always be said of an employee.

6. The benefit of hiring a virtual assistant is the time and money you will save your business. Once you have evaluated your business needs and determined that some additional help is needed, you are ready to take the next step and hire a Virtual Assistant. This is the best option for businesses that need some extra help but do not find it necessary to hire a full-time employee.

Featured Products

• 10 Hour Flex Blocks
  $315.00
• Flex Block
  $175.00
• 3 Month Flat Rate
  $2,000.00
• Monthly & Ongoing
  $1,260.00

BK and NT Virtual Assistance.

Find the Right Virtual Match

When you're looking for freelance help, know what you need and be sure you're comfortable with the person you choose.

By Lesley Spencer Pyle

updated 1:00 p.m. ET, Wed., May 13, 2009

Most of us know that even if you have the time, you simply can't do it all. Most business owners need to call in additional help at some point, whether it's for legal advice, web design or virtual assistance to handle marketing or e-mail backlog. Finding the best freelancers or off-site employees isn't easy, and you want to be confident you're getting the services you need for the right amount of dollars.

Decide What You Need
It's frustrating for you and the freelancer you're interviewing if you aren't clear about what you need. Be specific. You don't just need help with your bookkeeping; you need last year's accounts reviewed, and then you need help setting up this year's books. You don't just need help marketing; you may need assistance evaluating your current marketing efforts and recommendations for the future. Perhaps you want someone to manage all social media marketing efforts. Or maybe all you need is to have a simple press release written.

Find the Right Source
There are a variety of sites to choose from, including eLance.com, oDesk.comand hiremymom.com. Keep in mind that each site attracts different types of freelancers. You may find it easier to work with a single site once you become familiar with it.

Featured Products

• 10 Hour Flex Blocks
  $315.00
• Monthly & Ongoing
  $1,260.00
• 3 Month Flat Rate
  $2,000.00
• Flex Block
  $175.00

BK and NT Virtual Assistance - How We Work

Once you sign up for our services, we will request that you fill out a form with few questions for us to understand your request and about your company. We guarantee that we will maintain confidentiality and a confidential agreement will be signed as well. Based on you request we will assign you a VA and your VA will contact you via email or phone whatever you prefer.

The VA will estimate the required time for the task and send a task sheet to you via email. The status of your project will be updated to you on a daily basis.

You must purchase the time blocks in advance. Each block is 5 hours.