Six Reasons Why You Should Be Working With A Virtual Assistant

By guest blogger Katie Gutierrez

Working with a virtual assistant is an increasingly popular solution for business owners and entrepreneurs. Virtual Assistants, or VAs as they are also called, are support professionals who telecommute from their home offices. They can provide assistance with anything from the most fundamental level administrative tasks and duties, to more advanced functions like project management, editing, or bookkeeping. Many small business owners are choosing to use virtual assistant services, and we’ve identified the top six reasons why:

Geography is no longer an issue. You can work with person best suited to your needs, regardless of location. Working with a virtual assistant who possesses the exact skill set, industry knowledge, and work style you need is much more effective that hiring a partially qualified person who happens to live nearby. The time it takes your new assistant to become acclimated to your business is reduced, allowing the individual to meet your desired goals quickly and accurately. This benefit allows you to increase your income and grow your business in much less time.

Virtual assistants are paid only for the number of hours you need. Because virtual assistants only “clock in” when they are working on your projects, you will not pay for time during their breaks or other downtime. In most situations, you would not need to guarantee to utilize a specific amount of hours per week. Just delegate work as needed, and pay only for the actual time it takes to complete the tasks.

You will no longer need to establish a work station or purchase expensive equipment for your assistant. Virtual assistants have fully functioning home offices. Your work space will remain yours, and there is no need to share your office and furnish computers, telecommunications devices, or office supplies.

Virtual assistants can function as well, and sometimes better than an onsite assistant can. With today’s technology, sharing files, calendars, and email with a remote assistant is easy. Phone calls can be routed to your assistant, and you can work with that person as smoothly as if they were sitting at a desk next to yours. VAs have the ability to complete work efficiently, without all of the distractions that often occur in a busy office environment.

No need to worry about workers compensation, payroll taxes, or other costs associated with hiring an employee. Virtual assistants are independent contractors who are able to manage several clients and tasks. They pay their own taxes, which means more cost savings for you.

Virtual Assistants are professionals committed to your success, rather than employees looking for the next job. The livelihood of virtual assistants depends on their relationship with you and results for your company. Most are looking for long term working relationships and are committed to giving you their best. VAs succeed when their clients succeed. That is a quality that all business owners desire in an assistant.

There are fewer things that can make such a positive impact on the bottom line of a business and the sanity of a business owner than working with a virtual assistant. If you are looking for a way to receive assistance in a cost effective and flexible manner, give virtual assistance a try.



Katie Gutierrez is the founder and CEO of Assistant Match, a company that matches busy people with the right virtual assistant. Katie is an international speaker who teaches people how to work with virtual assistants to increase income. She created the Virtual Assistant Quickstart to train virtual assistants to build successful businesses. Assistant Match has been featured in media across the U.S. and was recommended on NBC’s Today Show. For more information, visit http://www.assistantmatch.com/.