As we approach the end of another year, now is the time to take stock & reflect on the successes & the challenges 2019 has presented.
With repeated political & Brexit uncertainty looming throughout 2019, businesses across the UK have felt the shift in direction. Some of the most successful businesses on the High Street & online have fallen by the wayside, while other smaller businesses & in particular the artisan movement, have thrived.
The shift in consumer behaviour has been noted across the business sector, for example with a decline in our automotive industries & right across the automotive sector. Whereas, corporate business seems to be booming & at the other end the ethical sector has most definitely seem a positive shift.
Despite Government figures released today proudly announcing a 76.2% employment rate; the decline of some of the UK’s largest businesses, Thomas cook & Mothercare only being two such big known names, have added to the rising unemployment over the past few years.
Therefore, when businesses, charities or even those running a busy home are considering another pair of hands, do they need to consider another person on the payroll, or is there another way?
The upsurge in VA’s (Virtual Assistants) doesn’t show any signs of slowing, as more & more people are taking advantage of the remote working ethos & going it alone. With more & more co-working sites springing up, with supply & demand driving this innovative working method; how can business owners benefit from employing a Virtual Assistant or Freelancer to support their business?
Stage one. Why do you need another pair of hands?
If you have noticed that administration, invoicing, answering email, answering the telephone, travel arrangements, expenses & keeping on top of policies, legislation & procedures is taking you away from the day to day running of your business; it might be time to consider hiring another pair of hands. A Virtual Assistant (PA/Executive Assistant) can transform your business, by supporting you & enabling you to get back to running your business.
Stage two. How to choose the right person for you? Skills set, experience, etc
When you have made the decision to hire a VA/EA, you will first need to consider what are your key area’s you need help with. Some VA’s can specialise in accountancy for example, others in full VA/EA support & others specialise in social media, the list goes on.
If you are struggling with the day to day running of your business, it might be better to seek out a VA with a full breadth of experience & skills. This will enable you to have more confidence in approaching & finalising the list of tasks you require support for. However, if you are seeking someone to support you in building & maintaining your social media presence, then a Social Media VA would be a better point of call.
There are also VA’s specialising in specific sectors now & using specific industry knowledge to support others in those sectors. Tapping in to these skills sets & knowledge bases could transform your business, project, charity or even your home.
The most important phase of working with a VA/EA is the ability for you both to interpret the business needs & for the communication to be free flowing.
Helena Parrott – Director/VA Virtually Smart Ltd has spent the past 20 years building her business repertoire & knowledge of the inner working of a variety of industries. It is this expertise & vast amount of skills, which now has other business owners & teams of people rely on Helena, to guide, advise, support & transform their business’s.
“Helena brings a wealth of experience in managing aspects including: event management, recruitment, SAP data entry queries, expenses, booking travel… the list goes on. This is my first time working with a virtual assistant- (i.e. not co-located) and it suits our working pattern since we are all have a certain amount of travel and Helen is only a call/ mail away. Helena has a good attention to detail and it is reassuring to know that we have someone so capable working in the background.” Benjamin West – Operations Manager, Dolphin N2.
Stage three. Contract & expectations.
Once you have found the right person, setting up a contract is the next stage. One thing to remember, is that a VA is not a member of staff, they are a freelancer & they will have their own contract arrangements to be agreed upon. With this in mind, a freelancer or VA will have a set amount of hours to undertake the tasks arranged. If additional tasks are required, it is advisable to check with your VA that they have the capacity to undertake them. Most VA’s will have more than one client, all with allocated hours & expectations throughout a working week.
One other aspect to remember, is that a VA is a business owner, just like yourself & therefore, if your VA advises that they are available between the hours of 8.30am – 5.30pm, these times are to be respected. Any additional tasks to be completed outside of these hours, for example an event or awards evening; must be agreed in advance by the VA & yourself.
Stage four. Developing relationships.
Once you have your VA as part of your business, the communication going forward is imperative. Helena Parrott’s skills set enable her to be flexible & proactive to her client’s needs. Helena recently spoke about her flexible approach to working alongside Dolphin N2
“By acting independently & supporting the team in the background, I continue to embellish upon & strengthen my existing skills. I’m very adaptable though, so pretty much whatever they ask I can get done. As the team are so busy, I often use my own initiative to make decisions for them & am given carte blanch to do so by the team.” Helena Parrott – Director/VA Virtually Smart Ltd
Ensuring your VA is fully briefed, has access to all of the relevant passwords, accounts & business programmes in advance of your working relationship; will enable a seamless flow of information & before you know it, you’ll be reaping the benefits of hiring a VA to support your business. In addition, being able to trust your VA implicitly is a core part of the relationship you can build with them.
Therefore, if you are juggling & struggling to keep all of your metaphorical balls in the air; maybe it might be time to consider the benefits of hiring a VA to help your business, your charitable organisation or even your busy home.
Written by Katy Jane on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.
