financial service VA

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people were stuck in their homes for months. Out of boredom or the utter need for money, home businesses began sprouting everywhere. From baking, online selling, to podcasts, businesses have been taking off from the comfort of their homes.

However, as businesses grow, entrepreneurs begin to have so much on their plates, and they can’t split themselves into a team. It’s hard to delegate tasks, especially when you want to make sure everything goes according to your plan. But taking on an all-around role may wear you out quickly.

This is where a virtual assistant (VA) comes to the rescue. A VA is someone who offers a wide range of services while working from home. VAs can do research, bookkeeping, customer service, social media management, administrative tasks, and a lot more. They can be from the other side of the world or next door, but they get the job done.

Top 5 Benefits of Hiring a VA for Your Business

Increased efficiency

People who have too much on their plate tend to multitask. Multitasking may seem like a power move, but it’s not as efficient as people think it is. When you don’t have to answer calls, schedule your appointments, and answer customer queries, you don’t need to constantly shift from one task to another.

Without noticing it, you’re losing precious time because your brain needs to adjust to every task that you’re taking on. By delegating these tasks to a VA, someone else can answer your calls, schedule your appointments, and do customer service—and a lot of other tasks—for you.

Professional expertise

More than taking some burdens off your shoulders, VAs know what they’re doing. They have experience and expertise in their chosen fields, and they can apply their knowledge for the benefit of your business.

A VA could be great at content marketing and social media management. Because of this, they possess knowledge in SEO, graphic design, and the nitty-gritty details of digital marketing. VAs can apply their knowledge to your business to help you reach more potential customers.

There are so many VAs all over the world, and it’s like a pool of talents. It maximizes the amount of talent you can hire without leaving your house.

24/7 Availability

One benefit of telecommuting is that an employee can be anywhere in the world. This means that you can hire VAs from different time zones to cater to the needs of your business.

This is especially helpful for customer service support. If you want to have global reach, your business could get round-the-clock inquiries. You can offer customer support outside the 9-to-5 shift by hiring a VA from different time zones. When a VA sleeps in one part of the world, another one wakes up in another country to take on the job.

Focus on priorities

While tasks like scheduling, planning, and customer service are important to your business, there are much bigger fish to fry. Think of tasks that can’t prosper without you—meetings with clients, decision-making, etc. These are things that need your utmost attention, so having someone else do the little tasks gives you more time on your plate to focus on more pressing matters.

Entrusting a VA to do administrative tasks will free your schedule of the little tasks that may be distracting you. This eliminates the constant phone calls and the endless emails you have to reply to. A financial service VA saves you from accounting, bank errands, and headaches from taxes.

Work-life balance

Time and attention are your most valuable assets as an entrepreneur. By delegating tasks, you avail yourself of more time for work-life balance. You have more time and attention to focus on the important matters for your business, and you also have more time for things that you love. Whether it is family time or a hobby, a VA can help you make time for yourself.

How to Choose the Right VA

  • Know what you need. To find the right match, you need to know the daily workings of your business. How many of these daily tasks can you designate? You may have small, routine-filled tasks that you want to let go of. You may also have more important tasks that could be better off done by someone else.
  • Find a network or platform for hiring. There are a lot of platforms on the internet. They help you save time because VAs and freelancers readily post their resumes on their profiles. They also allow you to communicate directly with a prospective VA.
  • Write a clear job description. VAs need to know what they are applying for. A clear job description also sets expectations. Information such as work hours, management style, and roles may attract the right VA for you.

Tips on Working with VAs

  • Set realistic goals. Your VA might be living in a different time zone. They may also be working with other clients as well and prefer a flexible work schedule. Be considerate in setting deadlines or setting goals. Make sure to give them enough time to complete the tasks.
  • Use an accessible way to communicate. Using emails for communication is a standard. Chat apps such as Slack, Viber, WhatsApp, and the like offer more accessible and instant ways of keeping in touch. They also keep all correspondences in one thread.
  • Be organized. Since you can only talk virtually, miscommunications might happen. Establishing a clear system when it comes to organizing tasks and workflow can ensure you and your VA are on the same page. Consider using platforms such as Trello, Notion, Google Docs, or Google Sheets.

Trust a VA to Help Your Business Grow

Hiring a VA allows you to focus on more profitable tasks, giving you time for more important things. This way, you become more efficient in the everyday processes of the business. With the help of VAs, your business can run without leaving your home or filling it up with employees.

When looking for a VA, make sure to know the nature of your business and what it needs. Technology has made so much of communicating, organizing, and searching for VAs possible. When you find the right match for you, it’s best to set realistic goals and communicate effectively.

By Anurag Rathod

Anurag Rathod is an Editor of Appclonescript.com, who is passionate for app-based startup solutions and on-demand business ideas. He believes in spreading tech trends. He is an avid reader and loves thinking out of the box to promote new technologies.