Why Hire a VA

With inflation still soaring, the global economy entering a recession, and geo-political tensions still high around the world, companies are understandably cautious, especially around spend. But you’re a business after all and you need to keep pushing forward.

I read in a November 2022 article in Consultancy.uk this quote from Simon Eaves, Market Unit Lead for Accenture in the UK & Ireland.

“Hiring plans remain positive and overall optimism... During these challenging times, businesses should stay focused on the long-term and plan for the next growth cycle to remain competitive. They can do this by seeking to reinvent their operations across the whole enterprise, invest in new technologies and skills, and embed sustainability in everything they do."

As scary as it may still seem to you as a new start-up business owner, or a CEO to an already established organisation, hiring a VA (Virtual Assistant) can have such an immense impact on not only the spend element, but the productivity and smooth and efficient running of your business. And they can help grow it too!

Your VA is an experienced Executive/Personal Assistant with an extremely beneficial and business-life-altering toolkit of skills. VAs work remotely, offering just that – EA/PA business support services, which can include a very diverse task list including daily planning, managing and coordinating of operational and administrative functions.

VAs give business owners opportunities! Opportunity to manage and grow businesses. Opportunity for business owners to clear their decks from those mundane, time-sucking, but very vital admin tasks. Opportunity to free business owners from that all-important ‘my precioussss’ called TIME!

VAs save you from being sucked in by all things-admin and the black hole of that overly needy and demanding inbox!

A VA spends their time focusing on GSD (Getting Sh1t Done!), whilst business owners focus on pushing their business forward, working on the higher-level needs, networking, customer-focus, supporting and growing their teams, funding raising, etc. Even just taking some time out, whether to go to the gym, meditate, spend time with family, or just breathe and be.

They are those magical mystical chaos-coordinating creatures who have worked out how to win back business owners more time! Who else knows how to do that?! And so fabulously, efficiently, and systematically well too!

VAs are timesaving, time-giving, smart-working, disarray-decoding, resourcefully-rectifying, multi-tasking, system-setting, (you get the idea) superstars.

They are the trusted assets of time-freeing and frustration-removing. They take care of not only your business admin needs, but they are also excellent listeners. And take advantage of their added benefit of their brilliant sounding board ‘feature’. Many can give you direction, coaching, even insight into some useful business solutions and systems (after all, most have worked with a lot of systems already and have had eagle-eyed insight into effective processes too!). They can help bring you out of a rut, they can make you laugh when you most need it. They can offer advice. There are so many fantastic personable attributes to a VA, so make the most of their every skill and talent!

A VA deals with the tasks that clients simply do not have the time nor, occasionally the tools, knowledge or even interest in doing. So not only do they save our clients’ time to enable them to focus on being the super spearheads that they are.

These can consist of a very diverse task list including daily planning, managing, and coordinating of operational and administrative functions. They offer general and specialist administrative support to entrepreneurs, businesses of all sizes and types, and in almost any industry. You pay for the hours they work, which are detailed, and time tracked.

However, their services do not stop at the more ‘traditional’ PA provisions, but very much beyond.

A VA is that special someone you can delegate your less important (but still very necessary) business needs to – from simple tasks such as drafting letters, dealing with telephone calls, inbox, and diary management, travel, and event management, typing up manuscripts, proof-reading, transcriptions, payments, research, etc.

There are the more creative tasks such as designing (websites, presentations, blogs), marketing (social media management), blog writing, bookkeeping, and so much more!

Then moving onto more niche tasks such as, client development, content writing, copywriting, online store design and management, and much more.

They can do even the personal odds and ends such as deal with their clients’ post, sort through receipts, booking doctor/dentist appointments, reminding them of birthdays, reserving a table at their favourite restaurant, sourcing and ordering gifts, etc.

VAs typically charge between £20 and £50 per hour, depending on their skillset and experience. Of course, some out there are chancers, so as a client, be sure to research and meet them, learn about their professional background, etc before you press the hire button. You certainly don’t want your first VA experience to be your last. Afterall, most of us are bloody brilliant and can do wonders for you, your mental health and your business growth and success!

Soooooo, if you find you’re struggling with some or all these challenges, get in touch so I can help you become more organised, give you back time in your day and breathe a little easier!

• Time poor, disorganised

• Overwhelmed with to do lists and calls

• Don’t know how to prioritise

• Poor at time management

• Spending too much time in your business, rather than on it

• Not a natural multi-tasker

• Don’t have the necessary skillset/efficiency to deal with all things admin

• Not spending enough time networking or expanding your business

• Living to work and missing out on living!

• No time to spend with family/friends

• Spending more of your waking hours working, than not working

• Sucked in by that needy inbox

• Drowning in all things admin

• Can't afford a full-time staff member

• Desperate need to de-stress!

If you’ve said yes to at least 3 of these, then reach out now so I can support you and your business – info@yourprivatepa.com.

Continue to my Virtual Assistant -vs- Full Time PA blog.

I also invite you to gain a little insight into who I am personally here - https://www.yourprivatepa.com/about-me