Do You Have the Right Assistance?

By Martin Senn • July 9th, 2009

42-16879945 As the economy continues its decline, more and more businesses are faced with having to rein in their spending. Areas where expenses are being reduced include not only equipment and office supplies, but payroll expenses as well. Often times, administrative support staffing is one of the first areas to be eliminated.

Over the last 20 years, administrative duties have broadened to encompass much more than simply answering phones and making copies. A talented administrative assistant may be the “backbone” of any thriving business. They assist busy executives with their scheduling, travel coordination, E-mail communication, database and contact management, as well as overall customer service.

The absence of Administrative support can be detrimental to a company’s growth. It is for this reason that large corporations as well as small businesses are picking up on a recent trend of hiring a “Virtual” Assistant. Jaimie Skultety, states “In these challenging economic times, a Virtual Assistant is not only a practical solution to reducing company expenses, but may also be a may be a company’s most valuable resource in productivity. By hiring a Virtual Assistant, a business owner or executive is able to focus on generating more business for their company.”

A Virtual Assistant handles all the tasks that are generally handled by a company employee except that they work out of a remote office, usually in their home. A Virtual Assistant is also a small business owner who is 100% responsible in assuming all tax obligations for their income. Probably the most convincing reason a large company or a small business entrepreneur decides to turn to a Virtual Assistant is they do not have to pay for vacation, sick days, holidays, nor provide any other benefits. The savings to a company can add up considerably.

Many company employees actually admit to handling personal matters while on the company clock. With a Virtual Assistant you only pay for the time they are actually working on your job. A Virtual Assistant generally uses software to track the time spent on your project and they may also offer an Internet based program in which a client may log-in to view the progress of their assigned tasks.

A Virtual Assistant provides their own office, computer, software, and equipment, so the only expense to a client is the hourly charge or retainer. The hourly rate of a Virtual Assistant may be higher than a standard hourly wage of an in-house employee, but the overall savings to a company is quite substantial.

Most Virtual Assistants have worked in an Administrative capacity for at least 5 years and it is not unusual to find others that have 20 years or more of experience in working with busy executives in a professional setting. A client can feel assured that when they hire an experienced Virtual Assistant, their work will be handled with the utmost care and professionalism.