You’ve always managed by yourself before so what would make you pick up the phone or mouse and enlist my help?
I’ve been lucky to work with a wide variety of both business and domestic clients over the years and each of them has different reasons for requiring my services but I often think about what initially led to them making the decision to hire a Virtual Assistant.
Obviously both types of clients require quite different assistance from me but what was it that made them get in touch in the first place? What was the deciding factor which led to enlisting my help instead of battling on by themselves?
The Devil You Know
When I first started my VA business, most of my first clients were people that I knew; friends, family and people that I had worked with previously. People who knew the quality of my work and trusted me to get the job done. I’m chuffed that many of these people are still on my client list years later. I also know that some of them were just being supportive of my new endeavour and wanted to help me succeed and for that I will always be grateful – you know who you are!
Recommendations
I’m also very happy to say that I have gained a number of my clients following a recommendation from someone else that has hired me in the past. People that have intended to manage by themselves get to hear about how I have helped someone they know and decide to ask for assistance. I have some great testimonials on my website from clients past and present which I hope are reassuring to anyone who is considering hiring me. Offering a great service at a reasonable price is one sure way of gaining word of mouth recommendations.
Life is Too Short
Truth be told, most of my domestic clients have much better things to be doing than completing the tasks that they employ me to undertake. The time comes when they decide that spending time with family and friends, going on holiday, keeping up with hobbies and just enjoying themselves are far nicer pastimes than sorting out their unruly paperwork or organising their Christmas shopping. These clients usually only require my services on a fortnightly or monthly basis but it gives them the freedom to enjoy the fun stuff in life.
Not Enough Hours in the Day
Small business clients usually contact me when they get overwhelmed by the administration tasks and just need an extra pair of hands every now and again. I get most of my repeat business from this group as they know that I can fit straight back in to their team whenever they need me. So whether a member of staff is ill or on holiday or the general workload has just increased, they know who to call.
So how do you know when you need a Virtual Assistant?
If you fall into any of these categories, it might be time to consider a VA:
1. You don’t need or can’t afford a full-time employee
2. You need work completed that can be done remotely
3. You spend more time on administration, than tasks which grow your business
4. You have a list of tasks to be completed but you just don’t have the manpower
There are so many reasons why someone might require the services of a Virtual Assistant and each one of them is as valid as the next. So whether you need your home office setting up as a one off task or you need someone to source a tradesman for a home improvement project; whether you need your Christmas shopping done and dusted or would like someone to deal with all your birthday/anniversary gifts throughout the year; or if your business needs an extra pair of hands from time to time or for a few hours each week, a Virtual Assistant could be just what you need.
Sound familiar? Give Girl Friday a call and get some time back in your day.