OUTSOURCING TO A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT – HOW DOES THAT HELP THE ENTREPRENEUR?

By Dee Matheson

In the South African market many entrepreneurs are familiar with the concept of outsourcing.  They routinely outsource their IT processes, accounting, distribution and other important functions, often because they have no choice. It might not be their forte or they just don’t have time to do it. Some large organisations also outsource in order to cut costs. An entire industry has developed around outsourcing and the Virtual Assistant is just one of those functions.

What is rather concerning though, is that not many businesses thoroughly understand the benefits of outsourcing. Yes, it can save money but that is not the only reason to do it.  Organisations need to be vigilant of outsourcing the correct functions as they do not want to repeat what happened in the outsourcing mania of the early 1990s which caused major layoffs and other headaches.

Wise outsourcing, however, can provide a number of long term benefits:

·         Cost cutting may not be the only reason to outsource, but it may be a major factor for the entrepreneur. Outsourcing can converts fixed costs into flexible costs, releasing capital for investment elsewhere in the business and this can avoid large expenditures in non-profit areas of a business.  Outsourcing can also make a business look more attractive to investors because more capital can be injected into revenue-producing activities.

 

·         Companies that do everything themselves have much higher research, development, marketing and distribution expenses, all of which eventually is passed on to the consumer. An outside provider’s cost structure and economy of scale can give your firm an important competitive advantage.

 

·         Hiring and training staff for short-term or peripheral projects can be very expensive and temporary employees do not always live up to expectations. Outsourcing to an experienced person where you only pay by hour will give you the results that you need without the extra burden of pension funds, medical aid and other overheads. This is where a Virtual Assistant is key to an entrepreneur’s business.

 

·         If projects need to be started quickly, outsourcing is the answer. A suitably qualified person may not be available in-house and can take weeks or even months to get them up to speed. By outsourcing the project, a qualified person is available immediately with all the knowledge and skill at the entrepreneur’s disposal.

 

·         Every business has limited resources and every manager has limited time and attention. Outsourcing can help to shift an entrepreneur’s focus from peripheral activities to work that serves the customer and can help managers set their priorities more clearly.

 

·         Large companies have to maintain in-house support services which a small company does not need to do. Outsourcing can help smaller companies act “big” by giving them access to the same economies of scale, efficiency and expertise that large companies enjoy.

 

·         Every business investment carries a certain amount of risk. Markets, competition, government regulations, financial conditions and technology changes on a regular basis. Outsourcing providers assume and manage this risk for you and they generally are much better at deciding how to avoid risk in their area of expertise.

 

Now the question is, what can a company outsource? Here are some steps that may help in this regard:

o   Identify the functions that do not need your direct attention, e.g. administration, making appointment, collating reports, preparing a PowerPoint presentation, etc. Outsource this to your Virtual Assistant. She will have had many years of experience in this field and would very likely be better at it too. Let her become the cog in the wheel that makes your company a success.

 

o   Be fussy about whom you outsource to. Interview the prospects over the telephone or if your Virtual Assistant is close by, have a face to face and start developing that rapport. As you start working together, a mutual trust factor will develop and you will find it easier to let her do more within your company, which will leave you free to focus on more important aspects of your business.

 

o   Once you have found your Virtual Assistant, ask her how to make it cost effective for your business. Get the right level of service to satisfy your needs without overspending. Have a clear understanding of the person you are dealing with and exactly what your expectations are.

 

o   Ensure that when you outsource any business function that the overall level of service delivered is higher as a result, not just cheaper.

 

If you are interested in discussing how a Virtual Assistant can be of benefit to your organisation, please contact Dee on 082 925 7757 or have a look at her website: dfm-virtualassistant.co.za.

 

 

Is the South African Market Ready for Virtual Assistants?

By Dee Matheson

Trawling the internet and making contact with experienced Virtual Assistants in South Africa has given me some insight as to what I would need and how to get my Virtual Assistant business started, but what no-one tells you is how challenging it can be to get the concept of a Virtual Assistant across to entrepreneurs, especially here in South Africa.

In the US and UK, as well as the Far East, this concept has been around for many years and widely accepted. But in South Africa, very few businesses are aware of this phenomenon and so far there has only been very limited exposure and most of that has been word of mouth. I take my hat off to veteran Virtual Assistants like Alison Fourie and Gaynor Paynter.  How they have managed to start off and keep going for 12 years, is astonishing.

I attended the local Chamber of Commerce networking session yesterday, and during my little promotional speech, I was gobsmacked to see the ‘aha’ moment that happened with some entrepreneurs. Unfortunately many business owners are still under the misconception that if they have work, they need to employ someone permanently in a job and these people need to work in their office.

Here is a challenge to all the Virtual Assistants that belong to this forum, get out there and tell people about this business and note the ‘aha’ moment. This entrepreneur might not need you, but you have now sold the idea to him/her and they could pass on this concept to others. The more we talk about it, the more popular it will become and everyone will be a winner.

I am doing my bit, are you?

"Out of clutter, find simplicity.”

― Albert Einstein

 

Good news. I am still in remission. It is two years now. I also eventually took the bull by the horns and went to the dentist to sort out my crumbling teeth (from the chemo and radiation). Now I have that Hollywood smile that I have always wanted with beautiful white teeth.

 

I have been advised by the expert VAs that I should consider chaning my blog to focus more on business. So, that is what I will be doing from now on. I will, however, still keep you updated on my cancer treatment though.

 

Is Client Service Important to Your Business?

By Dee Matheson

 

The main aim for many Virtual Assistants is to get clients and to gain their loyalty. Every business owner or entrepreneur wants clients to come back repeatedly and eventually get word of mouth referrals. Throughout my working life it has always puzzled me how so many companies survive, even during the economic downturn, when they provide shoddy service.  It is always so easy to criticise but now that I run my own Virtual Assistant business where client service is paramount, I decided to focus this article on how my service would benefit not only my clients but also, ultimately, my business.  Here it is in full view. My clients can see how I operate, think and organise my business and ultimately their business too, so it is a win win situation.

1.       COMMUNICATION.

Organising my mind beforehand and sticking to the key points has been imperative. I have had first-hand experience where topics have run away from me and leave me none the wiser. I always keep my clients in the loop and let them know of how things are progressing. This has built client confidence in my work and ability. They don’t see me as a fly by night that will take them to the cleaners.

2.       LISTENING.

 How many times were you told by your parents to listen and not talk?  You have two ears and only one mouth, so use them proportionately. This was one of my hardest lessons to learn and I will admit, that I am still trying to get my proportions right.  If I don’t listen carefully, I might just miss an important clue on my client’s expectation and therefore not complete the task correctly or fail to achieve the critical goal. Right out the door goes my possible referral once the assignment has been completed.

3.       CLEAR EXPECTATIONS.

 I think about what I’m trying to convey upfront and if I don’t understand the client’s expectations and ultimate goal, then I ask as many questions as I need to.  Writing down key points so that I have got something to refer back to has often helped me out of a sticky situation. No-one can remember everything. I firmly believe in the “help me, help you” principle. The more info I have, the better the service I can provide to my clients.

4.       STICK TO DEADLINES.

My clients have deadlines and as I am part of their extended organisation, I ensure that all deadlines are met, no matter what. If I have to work over the weekend, at night or go somewhere else because I do not have electricity due to load shedding, I will do that.

5.       GO THE EXTRA MILE.

Like any entrepreneur, I want to stand out from the crowd and one of the ways that I can do this is by going the extra mile for my clients. There are many Virtual Assistants out there that can do what I do and many service providers will only do the bear minimum, but how far will that get them? I take care in the work that I produce and pride myself with the top notch end product I produce for my clients and it shows when it comes time to renew my contact or take on additional work.

6.       FEEDBACK.

Like any human being, no-one likes to receive less than positive feedback. However,  I encourage my clients to give me good and not so good feedback because this is the best way that I can learn about what works and what does not work, how I can improve my service and ultimately, what will make that client happy and adjust my work processes accordingly. And as no-one is perfect, I do sometimes make mistakes. I apologise and this goes back to step one, I COMMUNICATE with my client.  They appreciate my honesty and it also builds a trust factor with my client as they can see that I don’t sweep it under the carpet and hope it goes away.

 My client relationships are a work in progress. By putting the right COMMUNICATION principles in place, I find this formula not only works, but also lasts.

For more information, please visit my website: www.dfm-virtualassistant.co.za I would love to hear from you.