If your business has seasonal peaks in activity, or perhaps a sudden shortfall in staffing, then you will probably know how difficult it can be to arrange manpower to match demand.
Whether you are a company that harvests a summer fruit, or one that arranges Christmas party catering, or serves ice cream, then you’ll be well aware of the seasonal surge in business, and may well plan accordingly. But almost all businesses see peaks and troughs in their activities.
And that’s before you’ve thought about staff holidays, or staff sickness. Either of these can have a big impact on a small business, often meaning the remaining members of the team have to rally round, work longer hours and even weekends to catch up. Often in these situations it is important administration work that gets left undone, and that can have a big effect. For example, if credit control is ignored, because everyone is busy, that can have an impact on cashflow before too long.
These variations in business activity are situations where a virtual assistant can make a big difference. Hire a virtual assistant on an as-needed basis. That could be planning ahead and booking help for what’s going to be a busy period, or even calling at the last minute, if someone suddenly calls in sick unexpectedly. Even in the latter situation, a virtual assistant team may be able to reschedule their planned work, to help support you in a hurry.
A virtual assistant can be a great help in relieving the pressure of a sudden increase in workload. It is relatively easy to plan what elements of work can be outsourced remotely to a virtual assistant, freeing up staff to carry on with other, essential work elements instead.
Typical tasks to outsource to a virtual assistant could include sales and invoicing follow-up, sending out reminders or marketing emails, formatting and transmitting documents and presentations, and so on. Bookkeeping can also be outsourced, even on a temporary basis, if there is a need for short term support to cover an absence or a backlog of work. And vital work such as chasing up customer payments can be kept on top of, ensuring that cashflow in the business remains positive, and that wages can be paid on time.
By using a virtual assistant, there will be no need to advertise for help, no need to employ anyone or sort out their tax and National Insurance. You simply hire the virtual assistant for as long as you want, and they will bill you accordingly. And, when the busy patch dies down to normal once more, you can easily call and end the arrangement.
So, when will your next busy time of year be? Do you have staff planning their holidays or annual leave? If so, it might be time to contact us here at Time Wise VA, and book some support to keep things running smoothly.