What is a Virtual Assistant and Why Should I Hire One?

If you’re reading this its likely that you have reached the point where you need some administrative support for you or your business. You may have heard of or been told in passing about Virtual Assistants and are now looking into how they could help.

The question I’m always asked is “What is a Virtual Assistant?” and “How are they better than working with an in-house employee?”.

Hopefully I can clarify this for you now.

A Virtual Assistant (“VA”) is usually a person who is self-employed (or employed by a VA Company) and who works at a place that is not on the business premises. They can provide a wide range of different services, these can be anything from general administrative duties to something more specialised such as lifestyle management and website building.

Most VA’s will have a broad range of experience, some will specialise and some will do both. The only thing that makes one better than the other, is the one that is right for you, it all depends on the type of support you are after. If you aren’t 100% sure of the type of support you require, a VA will always have a consultation with you to discuss this and how they can meet your needs.

Here are a few reasons as to why business owners choose to use a VA instead of an in-house employee:

  • You save on overhead costs – your VA will not use a seat in your office, they will not use your electricity or equipment
  • VA’s charge by the hour – you will only pay for the work that has been completed, no lunch hours, multiple tea break etc
  • You will not pay sick leave or National Insurance – A VA is responsible for these themselves
  • A VA only works on tasks they know how to do – you won’t be spending money on time or training

There is no simpler way of putting it… a VA saves you time and money. Whether you require 2 or 12 hours a week or month, or even a one off project, you will be able to out source these tasks and free up your time to concentrate on your core business objectives or perhaps even find a better work/life balance you’ve been trying to achieve.