Brandi

Hiring a Virtual Assistant - A Comprehensive Cost Analysis

Are you overwhelmed by administrative tasks in your business, and are considering hiring some help? Have you decided that a Virtual Assistant, or VA, is the best choice for your business, but don't know how to take the next steps? If you answered yes to any or all of the above questions, it's time I show you how choosing a quality "virtual staffing agency" can be the difference between finding a quality professional to assist you in growing your business, and spending your personal time, money, and energy, only to find you've hired a Virtual Assistant who couldn't "hack it."

So, you've decided it's time to expand your business by hiring a Virtual Assistant. Congratulations! You have just set yourself apart from many entrepreneurs, because you are willing to embrace the staffing solutions of the new millennium. Your competition, who may still be insisting on hiring an "on-site" assistant, is having to run expensive employment ads, create and initiate training with their new hire, pay for additional phone lines, computers, and desk supplies, AND be bothered by dealing with payroll taxes and benefits for their employee. What an antiquated system!

On the other hand, you've decided you want to "go virtual," by hiring a Virtual Assistant. The VA you hire will have a fully functional home office, complete with unlimited long-distance, virtual fax capabilities, a virtual PBX, cellular phone, computer with high speed internet access, a printer, and a quiet work environment. Best of all, you have the ability to hire your Virtual Assistant as an independent contractor, which will save you when dealing with the IRS, and your state and local taxing authorities.

Now you have to decide whether or not it is to your benefit to hire your Virtual Assistant on your own, or go through a "Virtual Staffing Agency." The first thing most of us think of when we think of going through an agency, is EXPENSIVE. Why would anyone want to go through a virtual staffing agency, when they can just run an ad and hire a VA on their own?

Let's do a cost analysis on hiring your own Virtual Assistant, versus hiring a VA through a Virtual Staffing Agency. First of all, if you plan to hire a VA on your own, you are undoubtedly going to have to run employment ads; so you're going to invest your time and energy, creating and submitting your advertisement. If you run an employment ad that has a cost involved, for instance, in your local paper, you're looking at an average cost of approximately $300 - $400, for a weekend run, with internet coverage. This ad may or may not yield the new hire you are looking for. On the flip side, if you utilize a reputable virtual staffing agency, like Team Double-Click, The Virtual Assistant Company, one simple phone call gets the ball rolling. Their pool of over 10,000 qualified, tested, and trained Virtual Assistants, makes the placement process seamless, and you incur NO upfront costs.

What happens if you choose to hire your own Virtual Assistant, and he or she is not right for the job? What do you do, if the VA you hired quits? Well, when you hire a VA on your own - it's back to the drawing board. You're going to have to spend the time, energy, and money all over again, to find a replacement. When you hire a Team Double-Click Virtual Assistant, you call or email, and a new VA will be assigned to you.

Let's talk about what you're going to pay your assistant. If you hire your own VA, you're going to have to pay him/her the general going rate; which is currently between $18.00 - $50.00 per hour, depending on the expertise level required by the assistant. Obviously, it would cost more to hire an "agency" VA, right? Not really, when you look at the big picture! Team Double-Click offers clients rates as low as $22.50 per hour, and you only pay for the actual time that your VA is performing the assigned tasks! Initially, you receive 2 hours free, to acclimate your VA, and go over your expectations. They offer a satisfaction guarantee, and there is no contract length commitments.

Let's break down the costs in black and white:

Hire VA on your own

additional expenses when hiring replacement

Hire a Team Double-Click VA

Hiring a Virtual Assistant can be one of the most cost-effective means of growing your business. While hiring a VA on your own can work in some cases, it comes with no guarantees the relationship will work out. Utilizing a virtual staffing agency, like Team Double-Click can be the win-win situation you need - just do the math!

To receive additional information about Team Double-Click, visit the Referral Partner center, located at www.chrisarcherinc.com/tdc.html or send an email with your contact information to mailto:VA@chrisarcherinc.com.

Chris Archer is the owner of http://www.chrisarcherinc.com and has owned small and home-based businesses since 1992. Currently residing in Pickerington, Ohio, Christina is the wife and mother of 5 children, ranging in age from 1 - 18. When Chris is not working with small and home-based business owners, she enjoys visiting Florida, spending time outdoors, amusement parks, movies, reading, video games, computers, home-schooling, and engaging in lively political conversations. If you'd like to obtain a free Home-Based Business Resource kit via email, visit her website at http://www.chrisarcherinc.com

posted by ttlltvw @ 3:34 PM