This guest post is part of our ongoing Small Business Perspective series, and is written by Christine Davis, owner of Annointed Assistant in Mississippi.
Many small business owners find themselves in a fight to do paperwork and to do their job effectively. So a lot of times, the paperwork get pushed to the side. However, there is help.
Close your eyes and imagine this. Having someone to help you, but not having to pay for office space, computer equipment, taxes, and not having to pay while he or she talks on the phone to their significant other.
Believe it or not, this is possible. It is possible through hiring a Virtual Assistant. A Virtual Assistant can help you with all of your administrative needs, without you having to pay for the office space, taxes, and all of the extra time in the day that occurs when someone is taking an on the clock 15 minute break, getting coffee, or on the phone doodling.
Many small business owners have received the assistance they needed, by hiring a Virtual Assistant. Imagine more time with family, your vacations really being a vacation, and getting to bed on time at night, because you no longer have to worry about the piled up paperwork in your office.
So what is a Virtual Assistant? I am SO glad that you asked! A Virtual Assistant or VA is an independent business owner that operates from his or her own office assisting other small business owners, on a contractual basis, that are in need of administrative assistance. You will not be responsible for paying their taxes, purchasing them a computer, or anything that is needed to successfully run an office. A VA has a fully functional office and can be located anywhere in the world. Your VA may be in a State 10 hours away from you. The main communication between a business owner and his VA are through the means of email, texting, and the phone. What can A VA do for me? You have VA’s that can assist with anything from creating documents to creating websites. You have administrative VA’s, Legal VA’s, Real Estate VA’s, Speaker VA’s, and the list goes on.
What is important is to have an idea of what area of your business will you need the VA to assist you with, and your budget for hiring one. VA’s can range in price depending on what you need done. And payments can be made in various ways, such as via credit cards, debit cards, checks, and PayPal. Some charge hourly, some charge a flat rate a month, and some work off of retainers. A VA is can assist you in running your office like a secretary or an executive assistant would, the only thing is, they are virtual!
Christine Davis is the Owner of Annointed Assistant in Mississippi. To learn more about Christine and all of our Small Business Perspective Authors, click here.
