Archives January 2013

Running a business can be very challenging and requires a lot of know-how.  Business owners and entrepreneurs are often busy with paperwork and general admin tasks, unable to do the work they love, and more importantly they don’t have the time to concentrate on more relevant aspects of the company because of the numerous details of running a business.

One excellent way of addressing this concern is through outsourcing or hiring a virtual assistant.  Getting the work of a virtual assistant significantly helps entrepreneurs maximize their time and improve their business.  Some of the tasks that a virtual assistant can typically do is accounting, search engine optimization, bookkeeping, web design, customer service, technical support, marketing tasks, just to name a few.   The process of hiring a virtual assistant can be completed very quickly unlike the traditional recruitment process.

Once you have recruited your virtual assistant, the challenge is then to manage your virtual staff in order to achieve your business goals.

Here are some helpful tips to make your virtual staff a valuable part of your business:

               Setting Expectations

               Establish accountability.  You need to set expectations clearly about the results you want in measurable terms.  Specific goals should also be established.  Another important factor is also to set work values and ethics which should be practiced at all times.

               Delegate Tasks

               When delegating tasks to your virtual assistant, you need to clearly outline or list the task that needs to be completed.  It is also very important to include the details of each of the task and communicate the results that you want.

               Monitor and get regular updates

               Ask your virtual assistant regular updates regarding the tasks.  This is necessary so you can see exactly what’s being done and you can effectively communicate areas that need improvement.   This way, you can determine if your staff is productive and actually getting the job done.  Getting regular updates eliminates any  worries that someone may not be putting in their time and effort.

               Good communication

               Clear and frequent communication with your virtual staff builds good working relationship.  Communication can either be through phone, email, video or audio chat. An effective communication system plays a vital role in building a relationship with your staff, and ultimately, establishing trust and mutual respect.

Employing a virtual staff is a great asset and can benefit any enterprise if managed correctly.  With the aid of technology and effective work practices, it will be a win-win situation for both the virtual staff and the company.

The virtual world is becoming more important in our daily lives.  The internet surfing population has drastically increased and is still increasing every day.  The innovation of technology and communication plays a vital role in the global market and the traditional ways of doing business has long been changed.  With the rise of technology, a whole new approach of doing business has emerged.

Many companies have already integrated outsourcing its business activities as a cost-effective strategy.  They take advantage of the services of virtual staff who are highly skilled in different fields to handle various tasks so that companies can focus more on other important business concerns.

Advantages of Virtual Staffing:

1.  Cheaper cost

Companies save a lot of money on overhead cost of recruiting and hiring employees, not to mention, the cost of having an office space, equipment, internet, etc.  Companies will also be  freed from the hassles of providing wages, insurance, health benefits and vacation pay.  Work can also be done at a fraction of the cost companies would normally spend locally.

2. Convenience

Hiring a virtual staff eliminates the hassle that goes along with human resource activities.  No need to place expensive job ads in newspapers or online job sites.  Outsourcing companies will  do all the process of recruiting, hiring and training which is very time consuming.  Virtual staffing  provides every company the opportunity to access a vast pool of readily available and highly skilled workforce and with the added advantage of not managing the workforce directly.

3. Efficiency

Virtual staffing allows companies to maximize profits and provide excellent service to their customers with the least amount of resources.  Companies can also capitalize on the available resources for quality and top of the line service.  Critical business activities are fulfilled with speed, accuracy, and convenience.

4. Flexibility

Distance is not a hindrance when outsourcing a virtual staff.  Virtual employees can be located anywhere in the world with different time zones, culture and background.  The distance and location is never an issue and excellent service can still be delivered anytime, anywhere.  In addition, virtual staffing frees you from any long-term and financial commitments.

5. Control

Staffing agencies provide businesses with more control in a lot of ways.  Utilizing the services of a virtual staff greatly improves the performance of any business.  It also allows companies to focus on core competencies.  To put it simply, companies have more control over costs, staffing and proper resource allocation.

Virtual staffing has now become a global phenomenon and the reason why they play such an important role in today’s business is because of the massive benefits that they provide, benefits that any industry cannot simply ignore.  It is now becoming an integral part of every business in order to have that greater advantage over its competitors.

Virtual staffing is not just considered as a trend, but a need for any business to thrive in an ever-changing market world.  It is definitely the next big step for any business to succeed.