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Why using a virtual office assistant may be more cost effective
Written by: Mark GwilliamArticle Overview: The cost of employing full-time administration staff is costing you more than you think. Added to their salaries, you will have to pay them holiday & sick pay; other government taxes; training costs and they will have regular “down-time”. And don’t forget the overheads associated with it - a telephone; desk & chair; insurances; software; stationery and many more expenses.
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Why using a virtual office assistant may be more cost effective
The cost of employing full-time administration staff is costing you more than you think. Added to their salaries, you will have to pay them holiday & sick pay; other government taxes; training costs and they will have regular “down-time”. And don’t forget the overheads associated with it - a telephone; desk & chair; insurances; software; stationery and many more expenses.
Consider the following example: You employ Mary as an Office Administration clerk to prepare your invoices; answer the telephone; type; collect and sort mail and do your banking. She works (or you pay her for) 37.5 hours per week. Her salary is $40,000 per year and she is entitled to 20 days annual leave. She also has 5 days off sick each year (she says she’s “entitled” to them and she’ll use them!) and needs 5 days training at an external training provider. She’s also entitled to 11 public holidays per year. You know that for 25% of her time she is not busy. On the face of it, you think you are paying her $20.51 per hour.
However, when you account for her absences and non-productive time, you’re really paying her $32.47 per hour…almost 50% more…and this does not include the overhead costs I mentioned; which may add up to several hundred dollars per year.…
Contrast this to using a virtual assistant (VA).In a conventional office, they are often called “administrative assistants” but to the ‘on-line’ world, they are called “virtual assistants”. They are both the same type of people but with one significant difference: a VA works usually from their own office and uses their own equipment instead of being physically present in your office to carry out the work. Alternatively, they can come to your office. As a VA, they are not expensive employees but self-employed professionals.
Generally, a VA will be well educated; hard working; have a proven range of skills; and use a wide range of computer software. This helps them to provide their clients with a tailor made service leaving their clients to focus on other business needs. Most VA’s will have previously worked as a secretary, personal assistant, clerk, etc and it is likely that they have worked at the highest level in their particular field of work. They are well trained and keep their skills up to date at their own expense.
When starting a new business, it is inevitable that small business owners tend to handle all aspects of their business. At some stage, a business will reach a point where too much time is spent on administration; rather than generating income. That’s a lot of valuable time spent on an area that may not be your expertise. By engaging a VA, you free up that time to focus on what you do best!
VAs provide a professional presence in foreign countries for international companies. If you use a VA abroad, you will have a mailing address and a phone number without the overheads involved in setting up an office. If you are away (holiday, business trip, etc), it’s possible to have incoming mail forwarded to the VA’s address.
The case then, is pretty straight forward for many small business owners.
I outsource ALL of my administration work to Karen and her team at Office Elves (www.theofficeelves.com). I do not have to employ administration staff; I know that my administration gets done professionally; within budget and on time. I recommend you consider using a VA; it may save yourself some headaches.
What Is A Virtual Assistant Business
How To Hire A Virtual Assistant
The Benefits of Working with a Virtual Assistant over a Temp
The Need for a Virtual Assistant Association
What to Give the Exec Who Has Everything
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About the Author: Mark Gwilliam RSS for Mark's articles - Visit Mark's website  Click here to visit Mark's website   Why its important to have a network of advisors part 2 Identify your target market for the best results Motivate your customers to buy from you How to attract more customers How to Create a Compelling Vision for your Business |
Related Forum Posts
Re: Is This The Answer For A Busy Entrepreneur??
- [quote="litekepr":396nnmxn]Have any people on the forum had experiences with virtual assistants?? Did it work for you?? If not, what kind of problems did you have?? Did you find a way to resolve these problems??
Shri[/quote:396nnmxn]
I tried to get a job as a virtual assistant - I would have loved to do it... - but the job fell through. I don't think my prospective employer realized how much it would have cost for me to be doing the work she wanted... and after a prelimary 10 hours just to see how it'd work, she figured it would be cheaper to do it all herself!
And I've got to agree!
Unless the "boss" is some big shot who thinks the Virtual Assistant is a status symbol and is willing to pay for it, most VAs won't last long....
Re: Need help
- I just want to ask if how much would be the possible capital if i am going to put up a virtual assistant business?
Any ideas guys?
Re: Why should I hire a virtual assistant for SEO purposes?
- According to my point of views virtual assistant is very important, we can't think SEO without it. Best described above...Relevant information.
Re: 4 Home Based Opportunities For 2011
- Well I am already working as a virtual assistant but the other ideas are new to me.So thanks for sharing these home business ideas.
Re: 4 Home Based Opportunities For 2011
- I'm with you, GT. There are some tasks I just do not find interesting at all. If I were to be a virtual assistant, I would have to be picky on the types of jobs I accept. However, it could be kind of fun managing someone else's business tasks and keeping everything organized for them. For the right person, it would probably be a very enjoyable job, for the most part.
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