Monika Newman Increasing your Logistical Productivity by Outsourcing.........
Are you stretched to the maximum just running your business and no time to promote or market your business?
Maybe it’s time to consider the benefits of outsourcing to be more productive in the year ahead.
Virtual support (as in using a Virtual Assistant - VA), can save you money as you pay for the services and hours that
you need. You may ask, "Why can't I just use a Temp Agency? You can, but agencies will require you to hire someone
for a certain amount of hours a day, using virtual support you determine the hours you need.
Because VAs choose their own work hours they are generally able to provide a more flexible service. Working with a
VA you know that you will be dealing with the same person who will get to know your work processes and procedures
and your business.
In Australia and with statistics applying equally worldwide, Small Businesses are failing at an alarming rate and one of
the reasons cited for this is lack of experience. In using a VA you are dealing with someone who understands the
needs of business. As successful business owners in their own right they have a background in administration support
and can be a guide in many areas of business.
If you're an SME or solopreneur it just makes sense to have someone assist you in your business and not having to do
it all yourself. Let's face it, the backend stuff of business is not the most interesting for people and it is not the reason
they went into business in the first place. To run an effective, efficient and profitable business this needs to be taken
care of. Hence, it makes good ‘business sense’ to do what you love to do while someone else takes care of the back
office as they say.
What sorts of tasks can you outsource?
Listed below are some examples of tasks, functions or jobs that can be outsourced:
Data entry Editing PowerPoint creation Press Release creation
Accounts Copywriting Event management Submitting Press Releases
Reception Services Desktop Publishing Virtual Events Media Monitoring
Diary Management Blog posts Website Updates Digital Transcription
Appointment Setting e-book creation Internet Marketing Client Liaison
Website Updates Author Support Internet Research Video production & editing
Proofreading e-newsletters Project Management Social Media SupportHow do you go about sourcing a VA?
There are many places you can go to research for a VA. While being frugal up front is wise, you can get top value for
even a few hours a week or month near or far from your place of work.
Offshore providers may have good rates, yet these are not normally VA’s. They are employees of large outsourcing
companies who more than likely are paying a meagre minimum wage. Using these services can be disadvantageous
because the workers are not business owners themselves and may not understand your culture or clients.
Minimum Ramp up Time
Generally there is a learning curve of a few days between a VA and a new client business. However the breakeven
point with time savings and added value service quickly surfaces after reviewing the list of needs as listed above.
The best place to start is to source local VA organisations online in your city or country. Check their databases for
compatible VAs who have the skills to match your business needs. As is often said, the best time to get started to save
time with less headaches was yesterday. Like the Nike slogan suggests, ‘Just Do It’ and
make 2014 an even better year for your business.
Monika Newman, VA support to Speakers, Public Relations Consultants, SME's and
Corporations. With a corporate background and experience with major multinational oil
companies over her career, Monika is a Thomas Leonard International Virtual Assistant of
Distinction Nominee who has worked on countless projects in Australia, Asia and the USA.
Contact her at Certified Virtual Assistant | LinkedIn | +61 0 418 660 450
Twitter | [email protected] or http://www.absolutelyvirtual.com.au