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We are all somewhat familiar with the advantages of a virtual assistant, and you may even have thought of hiring one for yourself. We know, for instance, that we can assign repetitive duties to them or assign administrative tasks that they will often do better, anyway, such as answering calls and responding to emails or entering data. We are also aware that they can take care of other things, such as errands and what-not. But a virtual assistant is more than that; they can reduce your expenses, and they can even have better skills than yours or your staff, such as digital marketing or IT. In addition, there are many other things a virtual assistant can bring to the table. So what are these? Here are the little-known benefits a virtual assistant can bring: what you should know. 

The decreased cost of labor

When you hire an assistant, you must consider all the costs and expenses. Mind you, you don't have to think of their salary – you have to think of their taxes, holiday leave, sick days, compensation, and medical plus dental benefits. But if you get a virtual assistant, especially one from a reputable agency, they work independently, so you don't have to worry about the added cost of hiring an employee. 

And here's another factor you probably haven't thought about – since they work remotely and at their location, you don't have to worry about extra overhead expenses like electricity, broadband connections, equipment, and more.

The issue of productivity 

Another benefit worth thinking about is the issue of productivity. What do we mean by this? Let's say you hire an assistant who will report to your office or premises and work from there eight hours a day, five times a week. This is all well and good until you realize they are not productive at all! True, they may be doing a tonne of stuff for you, but how many hours do they end up wasting just chatting with co-workers or gossiping around the water cooler? 

On the other hand, your virtual assistant will work differently. Remember that you'll only pay them for the actual hours they work for you, which means that if they work for only three or four hours, that's already money well spent. They can focus and dedicate their time to the task without any distractions. They are also highly motivated because if they slack off, you can easily hire another one – so they are focused on your satisfaction above all else.

The skillset you need

Whether you are running a large business or a small one, it's not possible for you or your staff to be skilled in everything. There may be a specific skill set you need, but it's just too much of a hassle to hire a new employee for that skill alone, just as it is too much trouble to train existing employees for that skill. For instance, do you need someone to handle your social media accounts? A virtual assistant knows just how to do that. Do you want someone to create a new site and manage it, too? A virtual assistant is just the thing. In short, they are well-trained in specific skills, be it graphic design, accounting, marketing, and more. 

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