When the weather turns inclement, we can all experience the impact as transport is affected. Snowstorms and raging volcanoes alike can hold up flights, while snow and ice result in road closures, slow going and delays to journeys. You should this about hiring a virtual assistant this winter.
In business, that can mean deliveries departing and arriving late. It can mean meetings cancelled, deals and important group decisions delayed. And it will often mean staff do not arrive at their workplace, as the weather makes their commute practically impossible. If they do arrive, they are likely to be late, and stressed from a troublesome journey.
At which point, those who have protected their businesses against such problems, minimising the disruption, might be spotted looking a little smug. And one smart way to make your operations more resilient in the face of weather disruptions, is to go virtual.
What do we mean? Well, instead of insisting everything takes place face to face, consider moving to some more flexible formats. The technology is all around us, from Facetime to Skype, for us to communicate effectively without being in the same room. Snapchat and WhatsApp complement email as a way of fast discussion and decision-making.
And many smart businesses take matters a stage further, turning to a virtual assistant, or VA, to help them deliver greater efficiencies in the way they operate. A VA exists, but not in your office, as a key part of your team, providing on-demand support across a vital range of administrative and business support tasks. Hire a VA and they operate from their own premises, but you can communicate with them via phone, video link, email or any of the other methods mentioned above – the choice is yours.
The great thing about using a VA during periods of bad weather is that, often, a VA will have the capacity to work from home. So next time your bookkeeper is snowed in, or an accounts assistant can’t get to the office just as your VAT return is due, think about the value of using a virtual assistant. They don’t get caught out commuting to your office, they don’t demand sick pay, and you only get to spend out when they are actually doing useful tasks for you.
In fact, next time you are stuck in a traffic jam, due to bad weather, why not spend your time considering which tasks you could usefully outsource to a VA? You can easily find a virtual assistant who has the skills you need, to carry out the tasks you require help with, whether that is preparing presentations, issuing invoices and chasing in payments, or helping manage your expenses and bookkeeping (We are a Xero certified advisor). Once you’ve taken the plunge, and started using a VA, you’ll never look back!
If you would like to find out more about how a Virtual Assistant from Time Wise VA can help you and your business, please call today on 0161 211 9837 or you can contact us here.