| Current trends in business are conspiring to create | | | | VA's?Enter a Virtual Staffing Service. With a |
| a revolution in the way that small and medium | | | | virtual staffing service, the VA's have already |
| sized companies do business. These forces have | | | | been interviewed and screened and are ready to |
| created an environment in which growing | | | | hit the ground running. The benefits of using a |
| companies can make maximum use of their labor | | | | staffing service include a backup VA when your |
| dollars, while accessing a talent base previously | | | | individual VA is on vacation or sick, you may |
| unreachable due to the costs involved with hiring | | | | discover that you need assistance with marketing |
| top talent.The first trend is towards | | | | which your particular VA does not offer but |
| self-employment. Entrepreneurship is at an all time | | | | rather than start the search process again, all it |
| high. According to a study by Inc, 47% of U.S. | | | | will take is a quick call to your staffing service and |
| adults have taken initial steps toward starting their | | | | they will have a VA ready for you the next day. |
| own business or supplementing their income. | | | | One of the main advantages of utilizing the |
| However, once out of the corporate world, many | | | | services of a staffing service is that you can |
| small business owners find that they have | | | | choose the VA from a variety of resumes and if |
| budgets too small to access the level of talent | | | | there is a problem you will be able to switch VA's |
| that they took for granted in the corporate | | | | easily.What companies are starting to appreciate is |
| environment. A small business owner will typically | | | | that Virtual Assistants cost companies a fraction |
| have to choose which skill set is needed most | | | | of the cost of actual hires. A company employing |
| when deciding to hire. In other words, the decision | | | | Virtual Assistants can utilize the services of a |
| to hire is driven by a need for human resource, | | | | whole range of professionals instead of having to |
| administrative, financial, marketing, sales, legal, skills | | | | choose which specialty is needed most as the |
| etc. The problem, of course is that the budget of | | | | company grows. For the cost of one salaried |
| a small growing company will often require a | | | | Administrative Assistant, a business owner could |
| choice as to which specialty is needed most, to | | | | utilize approximately 1400 hours of assistance |
| the exclusion of the others, while also limiting the | | | | divided among any number of top professionals. |
| level of professional one can hire.A second trend | | | | Utilizing Virtual Assistants allows businesses access |
| is the emergence of Virtual Assistants. Virtual | | | | to the exact services that they need, it also |
| Assistants are typically some of the professional | | | | allows businesses to shift gears more quickly and |
| level people mentioned above, who have left the | | | | efficiently by investing in growth rather than |
| confines of corporate America to start their own | | | | payroll because they are paying only for the time |
| businesses. Virtual Assistants are independent | | | | spent on their project. There is no longer a |
| contractors who work from home providing a | | | | reason to worry about taxes, benefits, vacation |
| variety of services to businesses. This trend | | | | pay, and time wasted by the water cooler.More |
| allows these highly skilled professionals to bring | | | | and more businesses are coming round to the |
| their knowledge to bear for a whole range of | | | | idea of Virtual Assistance; it's a win-win for |
| companies that would otherwise not have access. | | | | everyone involved. It gives businesses the help |
| While VA's were once limited to more | | | | that they need without the hassle of hiring a |
| administrative tasks, they now encompass the | | | | full-time employee.Gráinne Foley, a former |
| entire spectrum of professional skills. If it can be | | | | Human Resources Manager is the owner of A Job |
| done from home, there is a VA doing it.This leads | | | | Well Done ( a virtual staffing service providing top |
| to the inevitable question- how do VA's find | | | | level virtual professionals to small and home based |
| employers, and how do employers find | | | | businesses. |