If you run a small business, how can you expand your operations easily? Taking on a first member of staff, moving from a one man band to a larger organisation can be a massive step – but there’s a much easier alternative you could consider.
How to grow? That was the challenge faced by one electrician recently. Successful, busy and making money, he was suffering from stress due to the volume of work he was taking on. He answered every phone inquiry himself, and spent evenings and weekends doing quotes, sending out invoices and trying to keep up with his accounting.
His challenges were similar to those faced by many small businesses. And – in common with many others – he both feared the hassle of hiring a member of staff, and the loss of control that such a move would mean for his business.
In such a situation, there’s no need to worry about hiring staff – who you then have to pay every month, whether times are good or bad. A virtual assistant provides a much more flexible, and cost-effective solution.
So, whether you are an electrician, plumber, or other experienced trades person, working as a one person business, here’s how the VA solution could help you reduce stress, take on more of the profitable work you love to do, and get rid of the headaches of doing your bookwork in the evenings and at the weekends.
A virtual assistant can – for a start – answer the phone for you. If you are busy on a job, which demands concentration or needs you to get your hands dirty, then the last thing you want to be doing is answering your phone. By diverting calls to a virtual assistant – something that is very cheap today – you can have calls answered on your behalf, by a professional individual who will take all the details and can then relay them to you later, by text, email or in a catch-up call later in the day.
Apart from saving you time, using a virtual assistant also ensures your callers are treated professionally, with calls handled by an experienced individual who can be relied on to capture all the relevant information needed. What a great impression that provides, as it makes your company look really smart and professional.
As well as answering calls, you can also use a virtual assistant for other support tasks, including preparing quotes and making follow-up calls, drafting invoices and even following up on outstanding payments. A virtual assistant can also provide time saving bookkeeping services that will ensure you capture all your expenses, minimising your tax.
So, if you are feeling stressed out with a workload that is becoming too much for you, consider trying out the services of a virtual assistant and get in touch with us? There is no need to sign a long term contract, and you will only pay for the services you use. You can start by trying a telephone answering service, and see how you go from there. No need to hire permanent staff, or worry about where they will work – your new business support service is simply located somewhere else in the UK, at the end of a phone call or email.