How can virtual assistants help save businesses amidst COVID-19 lockdown?

The COVID-19 managed to put locks on several industries via government-issued lockdowns. Though it was important to limit the spread of the virus, companies now are in a dilemma about their workforce. How will they continue the business? How to work from remote locations? Whom to hire in lockdown? Is there a way to handle business activities 24/7? All these thoughts constantly plague the minds of the companies CXOs. This is where virtual assistants (VA) can help answer the unresolved questions. Virtual assistants are individuals who provide different services to businesses or entrepreneurs from a remote location. They work a few hours per week while freeing up the company team's time to focus on what they do best.

Accountability does not end here. Even before COVID-19, business leaders were keen on investing in avant-garde solutions. The takeaway is always to generate more profits. While strategy and optimal utilization of resources may sustain the initial phase of business, things get pretty challenging to manage with business grows. Businesses need to be agile and flexible. So, virtual assistants can help to provide the help required in achieving the organization's goals. Gone are those days when employees needed to hire for full-time cubicle jobs. Remote working is becoming more streamlined, accessible, and immensely helpful to small businesses and startups to boost sales and growth. Here are some of the reasons why you should also hire one:

1. Delegation: It is practically impossible and exhausting to work or every aspect of the business life-cycle process. Not only it hampers efficiency and productivity, but it can also cost an excessive loss of time and slow one down. Hiring a virtual assistant can help delegate tasks that are mundane and monotonous while freeing oneself to focus on critical areas that demand skilled specialization. By offloading these tasks, VA allows the company team to have more leisure time.

2. Scalability: As mentioned earlier, virtual assistants need not be hired permanently. Instead, they can be hired on a project-by-project basis, based on their skills and talents. Such collaborations enable to easily cope with increasing work demands without worrying about rushing the recruitment process. It also helps to deal with sudden scope increases. It is easy to scale up and down through outsourcing. By outsourcing the tasks to them, one would be able to drive his business's growth to new heights. Further, while hiring a VA, recruiters don't have to bother about the geographical restrictions. Thus allowing free access to world-class talent.

3. Online Presence: Virtual Assistants tend to have more exceptional experience in social media management and digital marketing. By increasing the frequency of qualitative posts in social media will strengthen the identity of the brand. Moreover, having a social media presence can help to connect with customers. Depending on the type of goals, VA can be asked to target those parts of the social media interaction. These can be

• setting a chatbot,

• generate leads,

• prompt responses to consumer queries,

• social media ads

4. Save Money: When hiring a virtual assistant, recruiters need not worry about paying operational expenditures like office space rent, utility bills, office supplies, and appliances. Also, a VA, only charges for time worked hence eliminating the sick leave payment, health benefits, and taxes. Other than that, they need not have to purchase office equipment like computers, or telephones for VA. And, by hiring virtual professionals, one can also save on training costs.

5. Other Perks: Many VA's are highly skilled in business procedures and can help to identify cost-effective ways to run the business. They also come in handy in tasks that require market research, scheduling meetings, data entry, responding to emails and sales leads, transcription, web development, and much more. Basically, they help to de-stress the workload by getting more work done in less time-frame. In short, they enhance productivity with their 24/7 availability.

They also bridge the skill gap in the business, by prioritizing on weak areas. This is because they committed to providing very productive results while delivering value to their clients. Besides, they also gain more flexibility in business areas.

Running a business can be demanding and stressful sometimes. If hiring a virtual assistant can save you from such headaches and improve efficiency with productivity, why delay? Moreover, COVID-19 is not going to disappear any sooner. Nor is the lockdown restrictions. So, now might be the best time to explore this option and hire one today. Not only have that, but virtual assistants also present oneself to have a better work-life balanced too!