The benefits of utilizing the services of a VA are tremendous!

In this article I will explore the top advantages of hiring a VA.

• VAs are available when you need them
  Whether you need assistance for 10 hours a month or 60 hours a month, VAs are willing to accommodate your needs. Why worry about finding "stuff" for an in-house employee to do if you don't really need them there. Also a VA is usually willing to accommodate those last minute projects that come up after regular closing hours. Is your employee available to do this?

• Expenses for only time and materials related to your project
  With an employee, you may need to commit to certain hours and if you just don't have enough work at that time, you're still paying for those hours. With a VA, you get billed ONLY for the time (and materials) spent on your project.

• No extra equipment or office costs for your business
  Don't have the space in your office for another person? Don't have a second computer, workstation etc.? No problem - one huge advantage is the VA works out of their own home office. They have all the equipment and software to complete your work.

• No employee related taxes, benefits packages, insurance to pay, vacations or losing valuable hours due to sick time
  If you're anything like me, you would rather not get involved with the details around employee taxes, benefits and insurance. As a VA is an independent contract, you do not need to worry about these details.

• You focus on exceeding the needs of your clients/customers while we take care of the details
  If your business is growing, you just don't have the time to take care of the administrative details. Having someone you can trust to return calls for you, respond to emails, complete projects and look after other areas of your business is essential to your success. You don't need to supervise a VA, you just need to let her/him know what you need.

• A VA will SAVE you TIME and MONEY
  A VA specializes and has expertise in numerous administrative tasks (and many times expertise in other areas also!). With standard tasks, you don't need to train a VA where you may need to with an employee. You pay a VA ONLY the hours (and materials) spent on your projects and you don't need to consider the benefits/taxes or purchasing new equipment and software (as outlined above). Ultimately the benefit is a VA will save you money in the long term. You may pay a VA a higher rate than you would pay an employee, however a VA will often take less time to perform the project. Also, most VAs are members of a VA organization of some kind (such as Canadian Virtual Assistant Connection in Canada) and can consult with other VAs on the best way to approach or handle your tasks if they are unfamiliar with them. A VA has that added support line that an employee may not have.

• We are dedicated making you and your business succeed
  A VA is genuinely interested in you and the success of your business. As you build your working relationship, you will be able to rely more on your VA and have someone to brainstorm with and bounce ideas off of. As the VA's business is benefiting from you as a good client, they will not loose interest in your work and choose to leave. Often times in an office setting, there may be high turnover of administrative staff as other opportunities become available to them. From speaking to other VAs who now have their own business but previously worked in an office, they say they have a much more trusting and open working relationship with their clients then with an employer when they worked in an office. Ofcourse the great relationship benefits both the client and the VA in many ways.