Virtual Assistant: 5 Reasons Why It is More Cost-Effective than Hiring a Staff

First published: December 21, 2021 @ 6:00 pm

For every organization that wants to expand, the first thing they need to do is hire employees. However, hiring employees is not always an easy task. But, have you heard of hiring a virtual assistant?

People always wonder whether they should outsource their business or hire a staff. The decision to outsource your business is never an easy one, especially when you’re an entrepreneur with limited resources.

So, if you’re still thinking about outsourcing your business or hiring staff, you should know that there are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.

If you are looking for someone to help with administrative tasks, consider hiring a virtual assistant.

A virtual assistant is an individual who provides assistance to companies or individuals, but they are not employees. Here are 5 reasons why hiring a virtual assistant is more cost-effective than hiring a staff:

1. No Recruiting and Hiring

When you’re hiring a staff, you need to find and hire people who can work for your company. You also need to set up an interview process before you make the final decision.

This process can take weeks or even months before you hire the right person for the job. With a virtual assistant, all of this is unnecessary. It’s because the client has already screened the candidate in advance.

This means that your time is more efficiently spent on doing things that actually generate income.

Plus, it will be easier for you to maintain relationships with your existing employees.

2. Paying a Full-Time Salaried Employee is a Lot More Expensive

If you’re going to hire a full-time employee, it will cost you a lot more than hiring a virtual assistant. The business costs associated with transportation and overtime pay for employees are often greater than the costs associated with hiring a virtual assistant.

A staff member will cost more than twice as much as a virtual assistant because you’ll have to pay for benefits such as health insurance, holiday time, and retirement plans.

With the hiring of your staff, you also need to make sure that they get enough additional training and development so that they can keep up with your company’s needs.

On the other hand, there are no business costs associated with hiring a virtual assistant because she is already fully trained and has been vetted by her client in advance.

She also knows what her client needs and how to work within their company policies and procedures.

If you want someone who can provide additional support after they have been hired, then hiring a virtual assistant will be more cost-effective than hiring an employee because she is fully trained in all aspects of running your business.

3. A Virtual Assistant Will Not Be Like Your Other Employees

You may have a situation where you need someone to perform a task at a specific time, but they are not available when you need them.

This is often the case when it comes to employees, because the majority of staff members at businesses and organizations work 8 hours a day Monday through Friday, and they cannot change their schedule.

Hiring a virtual assistant means that you’re not limited to a specific location and time where they can perform the work assigned. They can work when needed from anywhere in the world.

Many virtual assistants are also available for hire 24/7. They are available to work during the weekends, so if you need help on a Saturday or Sunday, they are available to help you.

4. Hiring a Staff Is Risky

When you hire a staff member, there is always the risk that he or she will leave for another job offer before the end of their contract period. This means that you’ll have to pay for another staff member who will be filling in for them until they return.

However, if you hire a virtual assistant, then it is unlikely that she will leave before her contract period is over because there are no other job offers available.

Plus, there are no risks associated with hiring a virtual assistant because she is already vetted by her client in advance and has already been screened by him or her before they make the final decision.

5. Virtual Assistants Can Work on More Than One Project at a Time

When you hire a staff member, you need to make sure that they can handle all of your business needs because you will have too many responsibilities to handle on your own.

For example, if you want someone to take care of your social media marketing, then it is unlikely that they will be able to do so since they don’t know how social media works.

On the other hand, if you hire a virtual assistant, then she/he can do all the things that are necessary for your business to run smoothly based on the project assigned.

She/he can take care of marketing, writing content for websites and blogs, creating infographics and presentations, organizing data, designing templates and logos for business cards and flyers or managing customer service calls and emails when needed.

Summary

So, if you’re still not sure whether it makes sense to outsource your business or hire a staff member, there are many reasons why hiring a virtual assistant is beneficial for your business.

The main advantages are that hiring a virtual assistant is much more cost-effective, faster, and safer than hiring a staff member.

Plus, you’ll have more time to focus on other aspects of your business that generate revenue instead of having to worry about hiring new employees.

There are many ways to manage your business’s operating costs effectively. Find other related articles and many more useful business automatization tips on WorkDeputy blog!