By: Jennifer Claggett
Time is precious to ALL business owners�so anything that frees up time and helps business is invaluable! A Virtual Assistant (VA) does both � and more! Business owners � like you � hire VAs to free up time, help business and SAVE money! Yes�I said SAVE $$$. That may seem like an oxymoron, but just stay with me here. VAs are self-employed. They pay their own taxes, their own insurance, they pay for their own equipment and furniture, for their own training, etc. Plus! YOU CAN MORE THAN LIKELY WRITE OFF VA�S FEES AS AN EXPENSE � and you don�t have to pay taxes for a VA (as you would for an employee) or provide benefits and insurance�THAT�S HUGE! Any savvy business person sees the value in this right away!
So, why should you hire a VA?
1. To save money
2. To fill a position or to help with a temporary project
You (i.e. business owner, entrepreneur, etc.) pay only for the VA services used � only when needed � no down time. One week you might have 20 hours of work for the VA, the next, only 5. Why would you pay a full-time, onsite employee (who probably can�t get done in a day, what a VA gets done in 2 hours!) benefits, vacation, taxes, lunch breaks, chatting at the copy machine, etc�when you can partner with a VA to do it for you in half the time � for half the expense???!!!
Jennifer Cummings, Entrepreneur and Owner of Keytura, Inc., who has been using virtual assistants and virtual outsourcing for years says, "My virtual assistants and consultants have helped me execute so many of the ideas I just had sitting on my desk. Using their services, I take action...which means I make more money! They are invaluable to my business!"
At this point you might be asking, �Well, how do I know this VA is doing what I�m asking her to do? How can I trust her?�
Well, that�s not hard. #1 - If your VA is not doing what she says she�s doing, it�s eventually going to become VERY obvious. Things won�t be getting done and it will show. #2 � Your VA will keep track of � and provide you with a detailed record of � tasks completed & time they took. #3 � and this is HUGE�
Your VA is a business owner just like you!
Your business success is KEY to your VA�s business success!
If your VA screws up your business, she is � in essence � screwing up her own. What person in his or her right mind would do that???!!! You both (you and your VA) need to think of each other as business PARTNERS because that�s exactly what you are. You are partnering your businesses for success!
So, where can you find a VA? Try places like: http://www.IVAA.org, http://www.elance.com, or http://www.guru.com. You won�t be sorry you made this decision. Your increased profits, productivity and ROI will show you that VAs are something that �just make sense!�
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About The Author
Jennifer Claggett is a virtual assistant and a stay-at-home mom. Visit her website at http://www.VirtualAssistantMom.com to learn more easy-to-use virtual assistant tools and invaluable information on starting a virtual assistant business.
This article is available for reprint with author's resource box intact and all links active. Copyright is reserved by the author.
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This article was posted on January 24, 2006
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