January 2022
Today, it is easier than ever for anybody with a good idea to start their own firm and become an entrepreneur. The increased availability of remote assistants for entrepreneurs is one of the main reasons for this.
Gone are the days when it was necessary to execute each business activity by hand. Some activities may be simple (such as sending emails, returning phone calls, and entering data) but they all need time, leaving little room for your most vital company pursuits.
Spending so much time every day on administrative duties also quickly drains your energy and saps your enthusiasm for the task at hand.
Worse, other parts (particularly creating images or dealing with technical problems) are challenging unless you have specialized knowledge. If the quality is poor, your business may appear unprofessional, making it difficult for you to advance when you’ve just begun.
Contracting a professional virtual assistant for these chores eliminates hassles and delivers the business image you want, all without the need to hire staff.
The Benefits of Virtual Assistants for Entrepreneurs
Although remote assistants are becoming increasingly popular in the corporate world, they have certain advantages for businesses.
1. Improve Productivity
The most important reason entrepreneurs choose VAs is to increase their productivity. Cutting down on dull activities and chores that you don’t have the skills for will more than compensate for lost time.
You’ll be more creative and driven when you focus entirely on your core business work, which will result in greater productivity.
2. Learn Delegation Skills
When you’re starting out as an entrepreneur, it’s difficult to entrust even the most menial jobs to someone else. To bring your idea to reality, you need complete control.
The trouble is that you can’t keep going like this as your startup grows. You’ve probably worked with someone who micromanages before, and you know it’s no way to run a business.
Unless you previously managed a business, you are unlikely to be able to delegate. Working with a VA will help you learn the basics of delegating, including how detailed to be in your instructions, when to give some leeway, and what activities to delegate in the first place.
3. Start Scaling Your Operation
Taking the first step toward expanding your firm isn’t always as simple as it may appear. You’ll also start to notice new possibilities for development, and you’ll be able to take advantage of them.
In reality, there’s no reason why you can’t hire more remote assistants (especially specialized VAs) as your company expands. They may help your business maintain the necessary levels of support as it expands, allowing you to avoid employing full-time workers.
4. Stop Sacrificing Your Personal Life
Running a company does necessitate giving up certain things, but it shouldn’t take over your life. You’ll have no time for anything else if you’re barely able to complete all of your job duties during regular business hours, including family, socializing, staying healthy, and personal objectives.
This is an unhealthy way to live your life and no longer the norm for entrepreneurs. A virtual assistant can help you cut down on your working hours to a more reasonable amount, perhaps just a few more than if you worked full-time.
5. See Long-Term Savings
Contracting a VA is similar to investing in the stock market: you’ll pay money up front, but in the long run, you should see cost savings. Of course, when exactly this happens will be determined by your startup’s health and viability of your business model.
6. Support at a Moment’s Notice
When you’ve just started a new company, it’s tough to figure out when you’ll be busiest. It’s also probable that you’ll receive fresh chances, such as enormous projects with unforeseen deadlines.
There is no need for a VA to provide continuous assistance, you may instead hire support only when necessary. Finding someone who is accessible right now and can act with speed is crucial to your business.
7. Uncover Issues
Online assistants can assist you in discovering problems with your business that you were unaware of. If you’ve never run a company before, you might have issues that appear to an experienced VA but aren’t obvious to you. Your remote assistant may be able to show you how to streamline operations and eliminate habits that are keeping you from achieving your goals.
8. Reduce Stress
Running your own business should make you happy. You left your last job for a reason, and it wasn’t to end up in another demanding situation. A VA can help you reduce stress and allow you to enjoy being an entrepreneur by decreasing your workload, providing higher quality services, improving your image, and eliminating inefficiencies.
How to Take Advantage of Emerging Markets
Another distinction between a online assistant and a conventional personal assistant is that you’ll never have to be in the same room. Many business owners never meet their VAs, whether they are physical or digital enterprises.
This is due in large part to the fact that many entrepreneurs engage VA’s who reside outside of the country, particularly in developing nations.
Low Rates from Emerging Markets
Artificial intelligence-enabled assistants in developing nations generally charge less than those in countries like the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and Australia. As a result of this, it’s quite common for business owners to hire VAs from the Philippines and India since these nations are notorious for producing excellent English speakers.
For simple operations, fees start at $3 to $6 an hour and rise to at least $10 an hour for specialized work. These low costs allow individuals of all budgets to take advantage of a VA. There’s also no need to commit to a full-time schedule if that’s all you require and can afford. If you only need a few hours of remote assistance each month, this is possible.
Best of all, though, there is now a plethora of VAs in developing nations. As a result, you have a lot of alternatives. You can locate someone to provide the precise services you require at the times you specify and who is pleasant and organized.
Where to Find These VAs
Freelance platforms, agencies, and job sites all offer VAs from all over the world. Choose where to seek by considering the benefits and drawbacks of each possibility.
Finding a VA is quick and cost-effective, regardless of what you pick (and perhaps even free). You’ll just pay for the hours of work you get after you’ve engaged an assistant, there’s no need to pay for any extra amenities or resources.
What Services Can These VAs Provide?
In developing areas, virtual assistants may help entrepreneurs with a variety of matters. General VAs can assist you with everything from scheduling to invoicing to travel arrangements and any other administrative chore you might need assistance with. If you want expert work like social media management or accounting, you might choose to hire a professional VA instead.
However, certain tasks are not appropriate for non-native English speakers. A native speaker from the country may be a good fit if you want your virtual receptionist to handle correspondence, proofreading, or transcription, for example.