If you’re looking to hire an administrative assistant and wondering whether you should really invest in one, then you’re in the right place.
In this article, we’ll discuss some important ideas and statistics about the importance of administrative assistants and what they bring to your company.
We’ll keep our discussion focused on virtual assistants (VAs), because they are more flexible and affordable than a traditional admin assistant. Let’s get started!
What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
A virtual assistant is a remote worker who provides administrative, creative, or technical support to clients. The services they offer are usually similar to those of an administrative assistant, but they are performed virtually, which means the assistant and client are in different locations.
This type of work arrangement is becoming more and more popular, as it offers a number of advantages over the traditional office setup.
Some of the services that a virtual assistant can provide include:
- Bookkeeping
- Calendar management
- Data entry
- Email management
- Internet research
- Social media management
- Transcription
- Virtual customer service
As you can see, the range of services that a VA can offer is quite vast, and because they work remotely, they are often more flexible and affordable than an in-house admin assistant.
Now, let’s take a look at some important stats that highlight the benefits of hiring an administrative assistant.
Why Is an Administrative Assistant Important?
A Wide Range of Businesses are Hiring VAs
According to Zippia, companies of all sizes are now hiring VAs; most companies that hire a VA have more than a thousand employees. Still, even smaller companies (such as those with under 100 employees) employ the services of a VA.
For your business, this means foregoing a VA might put you at a disadvantage when compared to your competitors.
Most VAs Are College Graduates
Six out of ten VAs are degree-holders, according to Outsource Workers, which means they have the skills and knowledge to perform a wide range of tasks.
For example, if you’re looking for someone who can help with research, then you can be confident that a VA with research experience in college will be able to provide accurate and up-to-date information.
Similarly, if you need someone to transcribe audio files, then a VA with a degree in English or Journalism will likely be able to do a good job.
So, instead of burdening your current employees with VA-related tasks, it’s a good idea to hire a dedicated freelancer who will not only perform them happily but also give you high-quality deliverables.
VAs Can Significantly Reduce Your Operating Costs
Traditional admin assistants are expensive because you have to pay for their office space, equipment, and benefits.
On the other hand, VAs are usually much more affordable, as you only have to pay for the hours they work. Because they work remotely, you don’t have to worry about any other associated costs.
If you’re wondering exactly how much money a VA can save you, data suggests they can reduce company costs by 78%!
Interestingly, full-time employees stay productive for only around three hours during an eight-hour day, according to Voucher Cloud. This means that if you hire a traditional admin assistant, you’ll be wasting money on five unproductive hours each day.
On the other hand, VAs don’t have to clock in eight hours each day–they work only when they’re productive, which means your money doesn’t go wasted. In some cases, hiring VAs can also save you money on taxes compared to full-time employees.
Most Businesses Are Going Digital
According to some estimates, more than half of all start-ups have adopted a digital business strategy. This means they’re using the internet and digital technologies to reach their target market.
For example, a digital start-up might use social media to generate leads and sell their products or services online. If you’re running a digital business, then it only makes sense to hire a VA who can help you with tasks such as social media management, internet research, and email marketing.
This is because VAs are well-versed in the use of digital tools and technologies, and since they work remotely, they can easily collaborate with team members located in different parts of the world.
VAs Can Help You Scale Your Business
Last but not least, VAs can play a vital role in growing your business. If you’re running a small business, then you might not have the budget to hire a full-time admin assistant.
This is where a VA can be extremely helpful, as they can help you with tasks such as appointment setting, customer support, and data entry–all of which are incredibly important for growing a business.
And once you create a good VA workflow, you can easily scale your business by hiring multiple VAs from different parts of the world.
