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As your business grows, so will your responsibilities. Eventually, tasks can start to pile up and take over your life, removing you from much-needed time with your loved ones. Thankfully, there is a simple solution to help you balance your work and life, and hiring a scheduling assistant not only means getting tedious but necessary tasks done efficiently. It also means you have more time to do the things you love.
What Does a Scheduling Assistant Do?
An assistant works virtually as an independent contractor who can perform several different administrative tasks remotely. As the world becomes increasingly more digital, this position grows in popularity. Rather than paying the overhead costs, such as office space and benefits, to have an assistant present and directly employed by the company, business professionals take advantage of freelance assistants who can work from anywhere.
Common Assistant Skills and Duties
Various types of virtual assistants have different backgrounds and skills. Most perform essential administrative duties, such as scheduling meetings, monitoring emails and phone calls, handling communications with important clients, coordinating vendors, and completing routine reports. Other specialized duties include:
- Performing research. Assistants with experience in your industry or field can sometimes act as research analysts, providing business data that might otherwise take up a vast amount of time.
- Managing social media. An assistant with experience in social media management could take over your accounts, even managing online marketing campaigns.
- Bookkeeping. A common problem for growing small business owners is that their financial books become increasingly more complex. You can hire a scheduling assistant with experience in accounting and budget management.
- Designing. If your job is design-heavy, some assistants will help with presentations, visual branding, and other common design elements.
- Acting as a scribe. Note-taking is another common administrative task. Your assistant can sit in on meetings and presentations to transcribe minutes.
- Personal assistance. Some will take care of tasks you need help with in your personal life, such as booking vacations, organizing your calendar, or online shopping for the holidays.
As part of the interview, vetting, and hiring process, compile a list of tasks you need your assistant to perform. Many have extensive professional experience and can do general and specialized tasks.
What Is the Average Cost of Hiring a Scheduling Assistant?
The cost of hiring a remote assistant can vary drastically, depending on the skills you need and the time the assistant will spend on your projects. For primary tasks, such as basic administrative duties, you could pay anywhere from $10 to $20 per hour, depending on the workload and the assistant’s experience in the field.
If you need someone with professional skills in specialized areas, such as marketing, graphic design, or accounting, the costs may increase. For example, you could pay as much as $130,000 or as little as $15,000 annually for assistant services. Setting realistic expectations is vital to your search for the right assistant. Remember, what it would cost you to onboard a full-time employee is often significantly more than the long-term costs of an independently contracted virtual assistant.
How Can You Benefit From Having a Scheduling Assistant?
With the help of an assistant, you can drastically improve your professional and personal lives. Some undeniable pros include the following:
- An assistant can significantly reduce the costs of operations by allowing you to delegate tasks as needed.
- Hiring virtual employees can change the trajectory of your business because people often work more efficiently when given the freedom to work from anywhere.
- They handle repetitive work that can take up a substantial amount of time and interfere with the time you need to focus on innovation and other areas that make money for the company.
- Their services provide you with more flexibility to enjoy the elements of your personal life you miss.
Keep in mind that the time a virtual assistant provides you is valuable. Often what you pay for their services is less than the financial contribution they make to the company. For example, when you can delegate tasks performed in other departments, freeing up time to work on growth and expansion efforts, you can make more money. Similarly, when you hire an assistant with professional marketing skills, they contribute to customer retention and company growth.
What Should You Consider Before Hiring a Scheduling Assistant?
Before you even speak with a potential assistant, consider your needs and how an assistant can benefit your company. Establish your expectations by making a list of tasks you would require your assistant to perform. Create a budget that includes his or her pay, detailing the value of tasks you expect your assistant to perform, and ensure you have the resources before you hire.
Questions You Can Ask When Interviewing a Potential Scheduling Assistant
Once you know what you expect from a virtual assistant, consider some questions you can ask during the interview process that will help you find someone with whom you feel comfortable forming a close professional relationship. Examples include:
- What areas of the job are you best at, and what areas would you like to learn more about?
- How do you prefer to communicate, professionally and personally?
- How would you handle an unpleasant interaction with an unhappy affiliate?
- What would you do if I assigned you a task you had no experience performing? Do you feel comfortable asking for help when you think you may need it?
- Can you provide an example of a time you addressed a client’s need proactively?
Take the time to write down questions that are crucial to ensuring you find an assistant that can provide all the services you need.
When Are You Ready To Hire Your First Scheduling Assistant?
If your workload has become too much for you to balance or your personal life starts to suffer because you have no free time, you are likely ready to hire an assistant. The first step is to understand your needs. You will see drastic improvements once you have the time and energy to devote to growth-oriented tasks. To learn more about how a scheduling assistant can help you organize your business and your life, contact VP Virtual Assistants today.
