Virtual assistants have been instrumental in the growth and success of many businesses worldwide, even if a global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic took place. The reliance on virtual assistants has gained popularity throughout the years as they’ve successfully boosted many companies’ productivity, lowered operational costs, and made businesses more flexible.
Even though virtual assistant services provided countless benefits to many businesses worldwide, there are still doubts about whether it’s wise to hire a VA. While companies who’ve had experience working with VAs will likely continue to hire a virtual assistant from the Philippines, thanks to their quality work that comes with a small price tag.
Inexperienced business owners who have doubts about virtual assistants’ effectiveness will likely believe in several myths that can further discourage them from hiring one. The following are among the myths that entrepreneurs should stop believing so they can benefit from VAs as well.
Hiring a Virtual Assistant is Costly
Nearly everything in the world costs money now, so entrepreneurs need to start thinking of improving their services while minimizing the additional costs they have to pay. Nothing comes for free, but a virtual assistant, especially a Filipino virtual assistant, can help provide quality service at a low cost. The difference between hiring an employee and a virtual assistant is seen in their labor costs.
Hiring a new employee will cost a company a lot, ranging from salary, training costs, payroll taxes, employee benefits, sick days, and vacation pay. Business owners also won’t have to worry about additional operational costs since the VA won’t use company resources. The virtual assistant is entirely responsible for their internet, electricity, and utility expenses.
The company only needs to pay for productive hours and nothing more. Businesses can have a reliable VA at a low cost when they hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines, especially since one of the Filipino VA’s selling points is cheap yet quality labor. Contracting a Filipino virtual assistant will lead to higher profitability.
VAs Can Only Do Administrative Work
Virtual assistants can carry out many different tasks, not only the administrative tasks that most people think. VAs have also been instrumental during the pandemic as they fulfilled a wide variety of roles that companies can benefit from even after COVID-19.
Among the skills that virtual assistants can offer are content creation, graphic design, social media management, website management, video editing, and more. VAs can carry out administrative work if that’s what they specialize in, while others can offer other services. Entrepreneurs need only to look for a reliable virtual assistant to help them with their needs. They can look for a VA from one of the many virtual assistant companies in the Philippines.
All Virtual Assistants are the Same
Not all virtual assistants are the same. Different VAs have different skills that they offer to their clients. Hiring a virtual assistant without thinking of the skills they offer is a wrong move for businesses.
As stated before, virtual assistants don’t only handle administrative works since they can offer various services like administrative work, content creation, web management, and others. Not everyone who provides these services provide the same quality of work as other VAs.
Some virtual assistants are good at their work while others produce subpar work. More and more people are becoming VAs, so business owners must make an effort to screen the applicants and look for the right VA to help them. One way to screen candidates is by shortlisting 3 to 5 people and put them in a qualifying process that includes interviews, testing periods, and due diligence.
Outsourced Work Takes Longer to Finish
Some entrepreneurs might have a hard time with their partner VA, resulting in delayed outputs and other problems that can hamper a project. This can happen if the business owner hires an unreliable virtual assistant or fails to communicate with them.
When the company manages to hire a trustworthy VA, they’ll likely see that their outputs are completed faster and at a higher standard than what the typical office worker produces. No virtual assistant in their right mind will deliberately perform poorly in a project since it’s their business and reputation that’s on the line. It’s advisable to collaborate with the VA and set a deadline for the project so the virtual assistant will deliver.
Businesses can even track their virtual assistants’ progress in their projects using several programs, like Hubstaff and Time Doctor, to make sure that the VA can finish the job on time.
You Don’t Need to Communicate with the Virtual Assistant So Much
Business owners communicate with their employees to have a productive working relationship and ensure that they can accomplish the project together. Some entrepreneurs might think that the VA has all the skills necessary to finish a project without supervision and any need to communicate with them.
The employer must communicate with the virtual assistant they partnered with to ensure that they can have a healthy working relationship. The entrepreneur must communicate their needs to the VA and take time to onboard the VA to the business. The virtual assistant will feel like they’re part of the team as a result.
Virtual Assistants Only Offer a Temporary Solution
Some people might think of hiring a virtual assistant to lighten their load when they see a sudden increase in their clients, and only for that reason. While it’s not wrong to see them as a temporary solution, it’s a mistake to only think of them as such.
Companies can benefit from a virtual assistant in the long run since they don’t need to pay for employee benefits. The VA can also be relied on every time the business receives more work than what their current staff can handle.
Conclusion
Business owners don’t need to worry about wasting money when hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines as long as they carefully select the VA and the VA company Philippines they’ll trust. Entrepreneurs can get the best virtual assistant services when they fully collaborate with their virtual assistant.
Believing in silly myths will only limit the business owner’s success since they won’t be able to take full advantage of the benefits of hiring a VA. Relying on a virtual assistant will allow a company to enjoy success continuously.
Sources:
https://ovavirtual.com/misconceptions-about-hiring-a-virtual-assistant/
https://smarthustle.com/10-uncovered-myths-about-working-with-a-virtual-assistant/