Entrepreneurship is intrinsically woven into the cultural fabric of America. The country grew strong and wealthy on the backs of individuals who ran small businesses and created a thriving and diverse economy through hard work and dedication. If you're a small business owner, then you're one of over 30 million people who, together, make up 99.9% of all businesses in the USA.
You probably understand why people are drawn to being a small business owner. Being your own boss, setting your own hours, and being free from the daily grind of nine-to-five employment are all very appealing. With hard work, commitment, and good business practice, this can also enable you to earn a great deal more money than you likely would through traditional employment paths.
Owning a small business is both rewarding and challenging, and one area that many small business owners struggle with is managing business growth. If you're at the crucial and sometimes difficult-to-navigate stage of taking your business to the next level, here are four ways that using a virtual assistant service can help you.
1. Help Without Hassle
Part of dealing with a growing business is recognizing when you need help to manage your workload. This is a big step, particularly when you've only been a sole trader with no additional staff. Even if you have a small workforce, committing to an extra employee and all the expenses and paperwork involved may not be viable during a transition period.
A virtual assistant is the ideal solution in this scenario. Working remotely, your virtual assistant can handle a number of tasks that will ease your workload without the need for physical space in your premises. This also means you won't have to deal with the headache of taxation, compliance, and insurance that hiring traditional employees entails.
2. Abandon the Admin
Administrative tasks are necessary for any business, and this is certainly true of small businesses. Running a successful business is almost impossible if administration is neglected. However, administrative tasks are also incredibly time-consuming. As a small business owner, you likely spend around 17% of your work hours on administration.
This situation is commonly referred to as the Administrative Burden. This means that, in an average working week, you spend almost seven hours of your time on administration. Over the course of a year, this adds up to over 350 hours that you could have put to better and more productive use.
By outsourcing administrative tasks, such as phone calls, emails, billing, and bookkeeping, to a virtual assistant, you'll be able to reclaim that extra time to devote to the important process of growing your business. You'll then be able to fulfill tasks that will increase your market, expand your product lines or services, and identify new opportunities for your business.
3. Streamline Your Systems
In today's technologically advanced world, you might be surprised how many small businesses don't make the best use of the many programs and applications available to streamline business operations. Hiring a virtual assistant is an excellent way to bring your business into the 21st century and enjoy the benefits that technology will afford you.
Your virtual assistant can implement and manage automated systems that will make your small business more efficient, more effective, and easier to run. Examples of systems to implement include invoicing, payments, and mailing lists. Depending on the type of business you have, your virtual assistant can also recommend industry-specific systems that you'll benefit from.
4. Tailor Your Tasks
One of the best things about using a virtual assistant is that you can tailor their services to meet the individual needs of your business. This means that you choose the number of hours you'll need them to work and you can also choose the specific tasks that your business needs help with.
As well as administrative tasks, you can choose a virtual assistant who has other skills and attributes that will help your growing business. This may include giving your website a makeover, helping to revamp your brand's image with graphic design, and providing written content for your website, social media pages, and newsletters.
Unlike regular employees, virtual assistants are hired on a month-by-month basis. You can increase or decrease the number of hours you need them for each month, and you can also change up the services they provide you with as required.
If you decide to commit to a full-time employee on your premises, you can minimize or put your virtual assistant's role on hold until your business is ready to take the next leap forward in growth.
At Uassist.ME, we have a team of talented, professional, and experienced team of virtual assistants available to help you with any number of tasks required to help your small business. Enlist our services online via the website or contact us directly if you have any questions or special requests.