What Do They Do?
Virtual assistants are office administration professionals and don’t have to come into the office to work. They are usually freelancers or sole traders with their own ABN and can help with many administrative duties including calling, answering emails and data entry. Many companies offer a marketplace of virtual assistants to choose from, or you can source individuals. However, when selecting an assistant there are a few factors to consider. The most obvious one is how many assistants you’re looking at hiring. After reading the advantages, consider what suits your company’s circumstance the best.
1. Flexible Hours
Since virtual assistants don’t have to be in the office, work can go beyond the usual hours. Further, they can be working overseas or domestically. Overseas virtual assistants may be able to increase productivity because they can work while you are sleeping. However, it’s important to note that domestic virtual assistants, although pricier may be worth investing in because they can be more familiar with Australian legal standards and business practice.
2. Less Cost & Commitment
You can hire virtual assistants by the hour or only for certain tasks. There’s no obligation to keep them long term. Further, there are fewer costs because you don’t need to worry about sick leave. Additionally, because they work from home or at their own office space, you do not need to provide extra desk space, furniture or stationary for an additional employee.
3. Increased Business Productivity
Your attention can be diverted elsewhere when administrative tasks are off-loaded. Further, virtual assistants are likely to get tasks done at a faster rate since they are specialised. Virtual assistants can provide a range of skills so you can hire one based on the desired skill set required for a task, such as a social media coordinator.
4. Online Presence
Having virtual assistants can allow you to provide 24/7 support for your customers. This equates to responding to customer queries faster and having an active social media presence. Responding to customer comments can make your social media more lively. For more on how to effectively use social media to advertise, read here. Ultimately, virtual assistants can make posts more frequently, so your business seems active, alert and responsive. Consequently, this reflects strong customer service and care.
5. Better Work Culture
You have more time to focus on workplace culture when repetitive and mundane tasks are delegated to virtual assistants. Employees are likely to feel more valued when they are focusing on more important tasks. Consequently, relationships within the workplace can strengthen, because there is extra time to build up morale, which can be through mentorships and team-bonding activities. Additionally, by cutting out the time taken to conduct administrative duties, a better relationship can be built with clients.
Legal Reminders
As a virtual assistant is a person external to your business, it’s important to have a non-disclosure agreement to ensure important information is not exposed. Further, customer privacy also needs to be protected. Set up a privacy policy so that customers are aware of what information you keep. Another consideration to keep in mind is that virtual assistants are working independently. Therefore, it’s important that you overlook their activities and have safeguards to ensure they are conducting their business honestly and ethically. Otherwise, you may bear responsibility for their mistakes.
