As their business (and daily workload) grows, many savvy executives consider the option of hiring a Virtual Assistant.
Hiring a Virtual Assistant has both pros and cons, as does hiring an employee in-house, so there are several factors to consider when deciding the best move for your company.
Our experts know the importance of growing your business while carefully managing that expansion. Below, we'll share some questions that you can pose to yourself to determine whether you should hire an in-house employee or outsource it to a Virtual Assistant.
Do you need to reduce costs?
"If you can't afford it, rent it." To control costs, your best bet is usually to hire a Virtual Assistant. When you outsource to a competent, professional Virtual Assistant, you immediately eliminate the costs of hiring, training, firing and turnover. You also avoid hefty costs like unemployment insurance premiums and payroll taxes. Plus you're not on the hook for paying for breaks, holidays or vacations. Your Virtual Assistant company will handle all of that for you, and you're able to outsource to a VA on an on-demand, as-needed basis.
Do you need better margins?
Overworked professionals are frequently overwhelmed, days behind in their work, and needed help yesterday. That's not a sustainable model for long-term growth and success. In these cases, a Virtual Assistant (whether for the short-term or long-term) can have a greater ROI than hiring an employee.
Can the task be done cheaper by a Virtual Assistant?
If something can be done by someone outside of the company, it is essential to calculate what you and your team's time could be better used to achieve. Maybe it's something that you can do, but you shouldn't do - it's just not in your genius zone. Work that's important - yet peripheral - to your business can be a drain on your time, resources and bottom line.
Is this work consistent or variable?
Project-based or on-demand work satisfies a transactional purpose for your business—you get the work you need, when you need it. That's where a Virtual Assistant team can be a valuable asset. With a Virtual Assistant, you can outsource tasks that are either consistent or inconsistent because you don't have a commitment on the payroll. However, this doesn't build the company's value or strategy. These are tasks that might be best suited for an employee. Think: Variable work = Virtual Assistants.
Do you need a highly specialized skill?
If so, hire a Virtual Assistant. At our company, our Virtual Assistants build their entire careers based upon their unique, specialized skill sets. Our VAs are passionate about the work they specialize in, and more importantly, they are very highly skilled and trained in ever-changing best practices. This is difficult to find in an employee, especially when you need to regularly pivot from one skillset to another. When using an all-inclusive Virtual Assistant service, you can pick and choose which skill sets you need - such as someone to maintain a Wordpress site or someone to manage QBO to someone to oversee digital advertising.
Do you need someone sitting next to you?
Working with a Virtual Assistant provides an easier office flow. With working remotely with a Virtual Assistant, issues like traffic jams and weather delays are omitted. The technology is available to support a well-run, remote office space. You receive new growth tactics and automation strategies from an experience professional.
