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Virtual Assistant's (VA's) are the modern day Administrative Assistant to the assiduous small business owner and entrepreneur. Let's face it, if you're a start-up proprietor you can't afford to run ads in local newspapers looking for an administrative assistant, take the time to review dozens of resumes and moreover where will you find the time to actually sit down and conduct interviews? And in between all of that you are supposed to be marketing your business and generating revenue. Now let's get down to the nitty gritty; where will you get the money to pay this new assistant that you have found? This person will require office space, equipment, oh and yes, a salary with benefits too. And if you can't afford a competitive wage and fringe benefits package well then you can just forget about finding good, reputable help.
Enter the VA...sure we charge $30+ per hour, but what you're getting is someone that is highly skilled in their niche who's not going to waste your hard-earned money. We work only when you need us and you pay only for the services you require. No more spending money paying for an assistant to surf the web or take personal calls when there's downtime. Partnering with a VA can literally save you over $30,000 per year! Are you gulping yet? Still not convinced how someone charging $30 per hour can save you that much? Let me explain. According to salary.com, the average cost of hiring an administrative assistant is $34,790 per year - that's just the salary portion, wait until I get to the rest of it.
Adding in the employee-expected bonus and benefits package (i.e. health insurance, life insurance, short/long term disability, and taxes) will cost you an additional $15,836 for a grand total of $50,626. But wait, you thought you were hiring someone for $34,790 per year, right? You were, but unfortunately that figure doesn't include the "extras". Now let's say that you decide to partner with a Virtual Assistant at $30 per hour for 40 hours per month. You would pay $1,200 per month or $14,400 annually; and there aren't any hidden surprises either. We VA's are independent contractors which takes the burden off of the financially conscious small business owner because we don't require fringe benefits. We are paid our hourly (or retainer) rate and that's it, plus we're experts in our field. And it gets better, if you can believe that. We work off-site using our own equipment and software; not yours. So you don't have to buy us a desk, or computer, or that fancy software that we require, and you can forget about sending us to seminars to learn how to use the stuff; we already know how!
How does it all work you ask? Simple. You contact a VA for a complimentary consultation (which most of us offer); we give you a quote and once agreed upon then it's time to get to work. We accept work via e-mail, fax, and even snail mail. Your projects are completed to your satisfaction in the time frame outlined in the quotation and returned to you. It's really that easy. And best of all you hire us when it's convenient for you.
So stop cringing over the price and partner with a Virtual Assistant today and get the much needed relief you need.
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Dawn is Principal | Virtual Associate of dawn olinek business solutions. Her educational background includes a liberal arts degree from Wichita State University. Professionally her experience embodies administrative support, marketing, human resources, assistant teaching, and college administration. She publishes the newsletter, Big Idea, which offers smart and formative solutions to the small business owner and entrepreneur.
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