Let us show you…
how a VA gives you valuable time back (and how you can use it)
Do you feel that there aren’t enough hours in your week? Do you struggle to keep up with a constantly increasing workload? Have you thought that if only you had a few more hours, you could get caught up, work on other projects or even take some of your accrued lieu time?
There are many benefits to using a Virtual Assistant in your business. Aside from saving money, streamlining your businesses and helping you make better use of your resources (including employees), a VA can save you time.
As expert Virtual Assistants based in North Yorkshire, we help our clients with what they and their businesses need most. This varies from client to client but one constant benefit, intentional or otherwise, is saved time.
Where does the saved time come from?
Extra hours on the calendar don’t magically appear when you start working with a Virtual Assistant. Or do they? A VA takes on a wide range of business and administrative tasks. This can include everything from email and diary management, organising the team, drafting documents, social media management, minuting meetings, risk assessments, organising training, updating and streamlining systems and more. The list is extensive and some tasks are more general while others are business or sector-specific.
A VA taking on this work boosts productivity across the business in terms of streamlining processes and cutting time waste. It also gives time back to managers and owners, those who rarely work only business hours and when they do, they never get to the bottom of the pile. Using a VA to give that time back can be a wonderful thing for personal and professional reasons.
A common question about using a Virtual Assistant
Isn’t this the work an employee does? Yes and no. Yes, employees can often undertake some of these tasks however, this is “our” niche, our special power as it were. Highly experienced in what we do, VAs are skilled at getting the job done in the most efficient way. We look outside of the box, often with fresh, non-biased eyes and find efficiencies where others might not.
Employees also benefit by getting some of their time back, enabling them to get on with their roles, develop their specialist areas and use their skills unhindered by the tasks the VA takes on.
The question is, what will you use that time for?
What would you do with extra time each week to spend on your business? Five hours “free”, for example. The most common answer is to catch up on things and that’s a valid one. When you have outsourced some of the backlog to your Virtual Assistant and caught up with other tasks, then what?
You could spend this time on:
- Training (for yourself or your staff)
- Personal development as relates to your work
- Planning and business growth
- Networking
Extra hours in the week for some professionals are chargeable hours. That equates to direct increased profit and opportunities too.
Using your extra time for personal benefit
Few managers and owners stick to the 9-5 and many don’t take the annual leave they should. There’s always something else to do. Waiting for the next quiet period to take a break seems to take longer and longer. Extra time without sacrificing productivity and growth at work gives back time for personal use.
How this time is spent varies from person to person. It might be a tool to reduce the weekly load, take holidays and balance things better, reducing the risk of burnout and associated problems. It might be time to just take time. It doesn’t have to be allocated to a specific task or activity. We can all use a few extra hours a week to do whatever we want or to do nothing.
Time is a precious resource
Time is our most valuable resource and it isn’t renewable. Once it’s spent, it can’t be recovered. The Business Owl Virtual Assistants are often used to streamline services and introduce methods of working that boost productivity and reduce waste, including wasted time. The interesting thing for us is to see how clients choose to use the extra or free time that using our services gifts them.
Jen Workman, Business Owl founder and Virtual Assistant
In summary
When using a VA, you get back precious time that you can use for yourself or your business. You can use the time to focus on training and personal development, networking, or just taking a break from work. You can use the time to invest in your business growth, or just to take the holiday you have been promising yourself. Having the extra time to switch off, relax and take a load off can reduce burnout and help keep you energised and motivated. This can be especially valuable for entrepreneurs who have been working long hours to get their businesses off the ground.
Are you ready to save and grow with a Business Owl Virtual Assistant?
This article was written by Jen Workman, VA and Founder of Business Owl. We are expert Virtual Assistants based in North Yorkshire. We support the legal sector, small businesses and entrepreneurs nationally. To discuss how we can provide bespoke support via retainer contracts or for ad hoc work don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for a complimentary chat at 07970 955535 or jen@businessowl.co.uk.
