Recent events have forced businesses to adapt to remote working or to new ways of running their premises. For entrepreneurs, there has been more time at home, less time commuting and more opportunities to take an overview of the way we run our businesses. If you want to improve your work/life balance, cut down stress, slash office costs, be able to bring in expertise beyond your own capabilities, and only ever pay for what you use, outsourcing to virtual assistants will change your life.
Business experts and major companies are already taking advantage of outsourcing as a way to run a more efficient and productive business, but small businesses and start-ups can also receive many benefits too. Let me explain exactly how bringing in a VA can help transform the way you work and live.
Outsourcing to Virtual Assistants for Better Work/Life Balance
A third of Brits claimed that the lockdown brought them a better work/life balance. In such a terrible time of heartache and tragedy, there were very few positives to dwell on, but this is surely one of them. The survey by VoucherCodes found that respondents had an average of 11 hours a week more spare time than before the pandemic hit.
This allowed them to be more present with their families, take more time to exercise and, importantly, spend more time relaxing and considering what is best for themselves. A significant number of those surveyed were positive about embracing the slower pace of life and that is very telling. We all work too hard in normal times, but there is an alternative. Running a business is time-consuming, but once we are completely free of lockdown, it doesn’t mean we have to go back to the old way of working.
A virtual assistant takes those additional tasks away from you that used to keep you at the office and away from the family for those couple of extra hours every day. While you concentrate on the tasks that only you can complete, your VA takes on the filing, social media, diary management, travel organisation, and everything else that eats into your day. This means you can get home, see your loved ones and enjoy the break from work!
Cut Down Stress With Virtual Assistants
A direct result of a poor work/life balance is stress. If you don’t take time to be kinder to yourself, if you try to complete all the tasks at hand on your own, you could burn out.
Being a business owner is stressful. Even hugely successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk are not immune. The Tesla and Space X supremo admitted in 2018 that he had suffered a nervous breakdown as a result of dedicating every waking hour to work at the expense of his physical and mental health. This followed some other ‘near misses’ in previous years.
Yes, Musk is incredibly good at what he does, but what is the point of success when the cost is so great? If you feel overcome with the amount of work on your plate, hiring a virtual assistant service will help lighten the load.
Cut Down on Office Space Costs
One of the unexpected bonuses for businesses from lockdown is the potential to downsize offices due to remote working. Companies like Fujitsu and Slack have both recently declared lockdown working from home such a success that they will allow it to continue permanently in the future. Not only does this help with the work/life balance of staff, but it means these ever-growing firms are less likely to have to finance moves to larger premises any time soon.
This principle stands for virtual assistants too. If you want to expand your business but do not want to tie up your cash in a bigger office, then a VA is right for you. They don’t require you to supply a desk, computer, hot drink making facilities, or any of the other costs of a full-time employee – all you pay for is the job at hand. When margins are tight, this could be the fine line between success and failure.
Utilise Other Skill Sets
Forbes Business Council has warned companies that to make it through the uncertainty of the post-Covid working world, they will need to run “lean organisations”. Essentially, what they mean is that you need to concentrate on your core business in-house and outsource for additional skills, rather than attempting to cover all bases on your permanent payroll.
John Lewis and Partners is attempting to do just that, restructuring its IT department by outsourcing it to a specialist firm. Not only do you save cash by only paying for what you use from the external party, but you make sure you have access to top-notch expertise.
When you outsource to a VA, you don’t have to spend time training them and watching over them. They come to you already fully skilled and able to save you time, money, and hassle. This is just another way that outsourcing to a virtual assistant service will change your life.
If you need help with your admin, marketing, or tech and systems, it’s time to talk to us about taking it off your hands, freeing you up, and relieving the stress from the situation for you.
