Couldn’t I just hire a temp instead?

A question I was asked twice this week when talking about Virtually Does It and being a VA.

Yes, you could. But is that the best solution for your business?

Temps are an invaluable resource to many organisations; bridging the gap in recruitment, helping out in busy times, seasonal support to make the best of revenue at certain times of the year.  Some people choose to become temporary workers to dip in and out of employment when they want, and to fit around other commitments in their lives. It can be a win-win situation.

However, employing temporary workers is no longer the only option. What about a virtual assistant?  If you work from home yourself, it’s probably not appropriate to have a temp working at your kitchen table, and if you do have an office, have you the spare desk, computer and phone for them to work from?

An ongoing partnership with a virtual assistant (or VA), as and when you need them, creates that invaluable resource you can rely on.  And more importantly it is the same person. Invest your time at the beginning to let your VA know the way you work, your key clients and your business style, and you’ll only need to do it once.  This can be one of the downsides with temporary workers, you may rarely get the same temp twice. How much time and money have you invested in a temp who never came back?

Building a strong relationship with a VA reaps benefits later.  You can call on them as and when you need them.  The initial familiarisation with your business is done the first time you work together, and as you’ll have kept in touch, the partnership can hit the ground running again from day one.  No waste of time or money in going over old ground with training that you may have already done three times this year! And as VAs are self-employed and have a fully equipped office of their own, you won’t need to supply equipment or office space, or pay any tax, NI contributions, or agency fees.

So next time you need a bit of extra help, think about working with a virtual assistant, and create a prosperous relationship that’s sustainable.

If you’d like more details about what VAs do and how they work, visit my pages on How a VA Works and Work with Me.  If you would like to have a chat about how a VA could help you and your business, just ask!