Virtual Assistants – The Way Forward

Kicking off the morning in your digital marketing business and it’s set to be a typical day in the office, coffee in hand – you’re feeling good. Probably just an hour out from launching a new website for a client, just a couple of final touches. Then, the phone rings – that client. The new one that is equal parts super exciting and super demanding. He is already asking for the meta-map and keyword research. But that’s okay, you’re still on track. Suddenly your meeting reminders pop up on screen – not one but two meetings on both sides of the city today, suddenly you’re spiraling.

We’ve all been there. The question to answer is, ARE YOU STILL THERE? This scenario of events happens to most professionals in most industries. Regardless of your ability to multi-task and tick jobs off the list, you’re going to hit a wall. But don’t worry, we’re here to smash through that wall and make sure his friends hear about it.

You want the fix, here it is, actually no – here they are, your very own Virtual Assistant. Too easy right, what’s the catch?

The Struggle, is it real? Five ways it can be.

  • Core Focus Dismantled – You can’t take care of everything, or maybe you can. But no doubt something will slip in your world. Multi-tasking isn’t always the solution particularly if your focus needs to be 100% on something in particular. As a business owner or entrepreneur, you want to gain and convert leads, you want to grow revenue, you want to boost brand awareness and you know you need to wrap some social media around your brand. You think you can do all of these whilst juggling the daily secondary admin type tasks? Probably not.
  • Adequate Services – Let’s say you were able to pull it off and you are in fact meeting every deadline. Congrats. But then the phone – again. A client, complaining about the quality of the monthly report you’ve sent through. In her words, the document was “not enough.” Back to the drawing board, this project is back to the top of the list when it was ticked off. Unfortunately, this means trimming the time to allocate to the report you have due tomorrow. This can be a cycle that doesn’t end well for anyone involved.
  • State of Stasis – You want your business to grow, but it’s just like the saying goes – you’re stuck working in the business and not on it. Current clients are taking up most of your time. Building your business, marketing your services, gaining leads and converting leads into clients takes time, a lot of it. Client interface, market research, business meetings, ROI evaluation and more. It’s great news that your business is working, but it’s not growing anywhere near how it should be.
  • Financial Imbalance – In every business, there needs to be a fine balance between income and overheads to achieve success. We’ve seen businesses investing big dollars in projects that only result in a small profit. Declining ROI is not what you want and we’re living in a disruptive world that demands modern and innovative resources and solutions – we need to keep inventing, and that ain’t always cheap.
  • Life on the Low – Your personal life, where’s that at? Your health, lifestyle and family. Are you spending time with your kids? When was the last time you checked in with your Doctor when you weren’t on death’s door? Eight hours of sleep – fantasy or reality? We all know that sacrifices are neccesary when building a business. You can sacrifice control, financial security, a regular schedule and more – but there are some things and some people you just can’t afford to give up.

So, let’s get back to our happy place…

Virtual Assistants – The Solution

A Virtual Assistant “VA” is someone providing professional administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients remotely.

  • Scope – It’s important not to limit your thinking around virtual assistants to only a few professions or industries. You can hire someone skilled in accounting or maybe someone familiar with real estate and property management. If you need help with branding or positioning, a marketing or creative candidate is the professional for you. If you’re after prospects or new leads, you can source and hire a lead generation specialist skilled in various communication platforms. Engineering, website development, legal support, healthcare, ICT, sales, transport, retail, advertising, telecommunication, etc. No matter the industry, there is always a virtual assistant that will be able to step up and into the role.
  • Cost-Effective –  Yes, there is no doubt hiring an inhouse assistant will cost you a lot more than an offshore virtual assistant. But just because a virtual assistant is the smarter cost solution doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality. Virtual Assistants around the globe are often elites, passionate individuals that are university educated. Today’s technology enables you to work with and communicate with your assistant as though they’re sitting right next to you. There are no limits here to the potential of growing your team virtually. Hire a CPA that knows a thing or two about auditing, paraplanning, AR/AP, financial accounting and more. Maybe a content writer who can not only produce great content for your website but also optimise it. With a virtual assistant, you get focus and forte.
  • Security – Data security is a priority particularly when sharing confidential content with your VA. Top outsourcing destinations like the Philippines are compliant with global data security and management standards. In the Philippines, the government implemented the Data Privacy Act to improve the protection, surveillance and security of all types of information and data being shared by two or more parties.
  • Gain Back Control – The process when sourcing a virtual assistant you not only want but also need should be carefully considered. But once you’ve connected and they’re onboard you can now focus on growing your business and you don’t need to worry about tasks slipping. Hiring the right virtual assistant will reward you not only with focus but financial positivity as well.

The partnership you create via this relationship is a two way street, you get to grow your business and you’re providing someone the opportunity to grow their career. Now, grab that newfound downtime – plan date night, pick your kids up from school, visit your mum, enjoy that glass of wine or you know, just take a nap. You deserve it.

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