Last Updated on March 20, 2023 by Dave Schoenbeck
Hiring a virtual administrative assistant is one way to reduce the pile of tasks on your plate. Further, hiring a virtual bookkeeper lets you focus on the functions of your business rather than the tasks of being paid.
When you hire an admin assistant, you empower yourself to spend your day as you must—remote or onsite. So, using a virtual staff gives you similar freedoms.
Read on to learn more about how to hire a virtual administrative assistant.
Why Hire a Virtual Administrative Assistant or Bookkeeper?
Small businesses often have limited resources—either limited time or limited funds. An onsite staff might not make sense if you save on overhead and opt to work from your residence.
Next, you can hire a virtual administrative assistant part-time to help you in your off-hours or when you have an influx of work and cannot maintain the daily goings-on.
Bookkeepers are well-versed in their craft, and short of you learning all of the rules and regulations, you likely won’t be as effective as someone specializing in it.
With either hire, you will also have a diverse sense of what is going on in your business and input from ideally trusted sources.
Pass Me the Remote
I have worked with many early-stage businesses and owners that have evolved from small start-ups to “real” companies. One of the big liberators has repeatedly proven to be the hiring of a talented administrative assistant. Let me repeat this….there is a fantastic catalyst when a business principal is frustrated enough to finally let go and hire a virtual administrative assistant to help keep them stay organized, focused, on time, accountable, and strategic.
With 74% of the workforce believing that remote or hybrid is the new way of the world, hiring a virtual assistant or bookkeeper shouldn’t be strange if your peers, vendors, and clients are remote.
Talent is readily abundant in the virtual space. Employees looking for a career change are often motivated by the option to work remotely. Mentioning remote or hybrid work in a job listing is vital in attracting top talent.
Employees that work from home are often more productive by about 13 percent — almost a full day of work.
Considerations for Any Hire
If you’re hiring a virtual bookkeeper or assistant, here is a list of questions to consider:
- What kind of output do I expect from this person? – Goals, objections, and expectations
- How much should I delegate? – Quantity of work or hours, turnaround time
- What are non-negotiables for me? – Specific work hours, language skills, Internet speed
- Is pre-hire behavioral analysis needed? – Remote and onsite assessments differ slightly
- What personality traits should they have? – Bubbly, serious, black-and-white
- What feedback is required? – Early feedback prevents future disasters
As of the writing of this article, in 2022, the US labor market is not settled or stable, but highly qualified virtual options and offshore alternatives for small businesses are available.
The Best Part?
After you hire a virtual bookkeeper or assistant, you are liberated from the mundane to focus on your $200+/hour job and business growth. After 30 days with your new administrative assistant, you will release more time to drive new business, strategize, organize, plan, and lead. Prepare yourself mentally for the best use of your newly found capacity.
You can spend extra time working with a business coach or doing other self-improvement tasks.
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Coach Dave
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