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Hire a Personal Assistant and Reap These 5 Awesome Benefits

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In today’s fast-paced society, time is gold. That’s especially true for CEOs since they spread their efforts across different areas of business. While it’s important to oversee varying business matters, CEOs also need to find a balance that frees them up for implementing and developing vital growth strategies. That’s why more and more CEOs are choosing to hire a personal assistant.

Since business is becoming increasingly complex today, people working in corporate roles are rendering more hours, which is counter-intuitive. Wing VAs support operational practices and enable enterprise leaders to spend their time productively.

How Should A Business Leader Spend Their Time?

A CEO would hire a personal assistant to escape the jungle of admin tasks they face in building their business. Outsourcing lets leaders streamline processes and scale their businesses in cost-effective ways. Furthermore, good leaders play an active part in cultivating a culture that values both achievement and rest. Besides driving their management style, these two values allow CEOs to address high-impact, actionable matters tackling what’s important now.

Business leaders must also stimulate out-of-the-box thinking and establish an energized environment that accelerates and demands best working practices. Multiple studies have shown that the most prominent and inspirational leaders spend up to 75% of their time developing culture; this includes:

  • Developing Talent
  • Reinforcing Cultural Values
  • Attending Leadership Meetings
  • Observing, Listening & Reflecting

The fashion subscription company Stitch Fix is an example of a company with good culture. Its CEO, Katrina Lake, rolled out a maternity policy emphasizing the importance of taking time off to recuperate from giving birth. Stitch Fix hires VAs to cover short-term positions, providing relief for female workers. Since they have VAs on board, in-house employees do not need to cover for colleagues on maternity leave.

How CEOs Do More by Hiring a Personal Assistant

High-performing VAs take note of their company’s vision, objectives, and priorities, and deliver value for money with their skills. Virtual executive assistants and administrative assistants are the cornerstones of modern business and essential to the smooth running and operation of critical daily processes. They work on monotonous, repetitive, and often tedious tasks that are necessary for strategic growth. Some of these tasks include:

Calendar Management & Appointments

Managing a calendar may sound trivial, but, left unchecked, appointments and engagements can stack up and become overwhelming. It’s crucial to keep an executive’s calendar organized, and Wing VAs excel at this task. They can leverage diary management systems and help executives stay on top of their schedule.

Arranging Meetings & Travel Plans

Much like managing a diary, making crucial travel arrangements and scheduling meetings can be a hassle for CEOs who have more pressing concerns. When you hire a personal assistant, you have someone to manage every aspect of your travel plans. CEOs no longer have to worry about delayed flights or canceled meetings because VAs are there to prioritize, adjust and streamline workloads.

Making & Receiving Calls Or Emails

Most CEOs spend a fair amount of time out of the office speaking to employees and delivering value to different areas of the business. This means that phone calls and emails can stack up and even go unanswered. 

VAs who have expert knowledge in priority management and task delegation can organize important calls, messages, and emails. They can also serve as a company’s customer service representative and respond to queries or handle complaints.

Organizing Documents & Files

CEOs attend to many different areas of business. Making sure that information, documents, files, and data are easily accessible is crucial to the smooth running of daily operations. VAs work within structured frameworks that enable them to organize files across different mediums creating a consistent workflow.

Conducting Research & Analyzing Findings

Wing VAs are expert investigators and conduct both qualitative and quantitative research by collating information, analyzing it, and presenting findings, outcomes, and conclusions in a jargon-free, easy-to-understand manner. 

They also provide support to a range of business operations that deal with findings and require secondary research. You can find a VA who will support your hiring process, marketing plans, or customer success team.

Should You Hire a Personal Assistant? 4 Questions to Think About

A personal assistant or a VA enables CEOs to do more, but hiring the perfect person for the job can be difficult and time-consuming. That being said, here are some important questions to think about when hiring a virtual assistant.

Are Virtual Assistants Productive?

Virtual assistants are highly educated and skilled individuals who can work with autonomy. They require minimal training and help CEOs save time, effort, and money. VAs provide fully measurable, results-driven outcomes that positively affect many different areas of business.

Besides being cost-effective, VAs also have specialist knowledge. For instance, most VAs have a working knowledge of design applications such as Photoshop or InDesign, which is useful for businesses that focus on online marketing.

Furthermore, VAs grow alongside your business and develop their practice through the intricate understanding of internal and external processes. They appreciate the needs and desires of both the business and CEO, working harmoniously to deliver all-around satisfaction.

Do Virtual Assistants Have A High Turnover Rate?

Virtual assistants who work for service providers have access to a variety of resources, training, and career development opportunities, giving them few reasons to leave. If a VA does resign, Wing operates a smooth transition process that reconciles business processes and allows CEOs to carry on as normal until Wing can find or hire a personal assistant to take over the previous one’s tasks.

VA turnover rates at Wing are naturally low because they invest in the long-term potential of their employees. Because of the benefits Wing VAs receive, they become passionate and committed to delivering continued satisfaction. Many VA staffing companies also cultivate working environments that encourage VAs to stay. It is because of the following:

Virtual Assistants Enjoy A Comfortable Working Environment

Managed VA companies hire virtual assistants in environments that allow them to use their time efficiently. Permanent employees focus on professional work because VAs relieve them from low-level tasks. This ensures a productive workforce that operates confidently towards organizational objectives.

Work-Life Balance Is Easily Accessible

In the digital age, managing multiple workflows can be daunting, especially with the increasing need for managers to focus on growth and expansion. This leaves decision-makers and higher-ups concentrating their efforts on repetitive, time-consuming tasks that could easily be managed by a dedicated VA.

If you hire a personal assistant through Wing, you will ensure a smooth workflow that improves in-house employees’ ability to set and achieve business goals. Furthermore, when VAs meet these goals, it reduces performance pressure and delivers an altogether positive impact.

Is It Costly to Hire a Personal Assistant?

The cost of virtual assistant services is one of the biggest concerns businesses have about getting a VA. While there isn’t a standard rate for VAs across the board, it is important to consider the following factors when hiring a virtual assistant.

  • Where They Are Based
  • The Type Of Work They Do
  • Their Experience or Specialty
  • The Size, Duration & Scope Of Your Project

Wing VAs provide value for money and drive long-term growth. Hiring an in-house employee means investing plenty of training, onboarding, and coaching. Virtual assistants from companies like Wing are a one-stop-shop for revitalizing your business practices. 

When you hire a personal assistant, you become better at managing non-essential tasks and streamlining processes. VAs also let you integrate a feedback loop and develop online marketing strategies.

Feedback loops are essential for marketing teams who want to improve latency and gain more accurate information faster. This enables CEOs and higher-ups to gain a better understanding of a situation and make better decisions. Online marketing strategies help businesses to demonstrate and build expertise, build relationships and target specific vertices. VAs can assist in building online marketing strategies because of their distinct knowledge of research and data.

3 reasons why a CEO should hire a personal assistant - more time resources, increased productivity, and lower operation costs

5 Benefits You Get When You Hire a Personal Assistant

You gain a wealth of benefits when you hire a virtual personal assistant. We’ve outlined some of these below:

Time zone Advantage

VAs live in various time zones, letting businesses complete tasks efficiently. Working across time zones doesn’t limit you to the local talent market. Businesses can pull in expertise from around the world to suit their needs for less than what the market dictates. Some measurable time zone advantages include:

  • 24/7 Work
  • Deeper Thought Pool
  • Improved Collaboration
  • Improved Communication

24/7 Assistance

Virtual assistants are available round the clock to focus on pressing time-sensitive tasks. Wing VAs in particular offer you support when you need it most, all capped at one easily manageable monthly price. The benefits of 24/7 assistance improve retention, customer relationships, sales, productivity, and reputation over time.

More Time Resources

Mastering effective time management is the key to the continued success and implementation of business objectives. A virtual assistant is a unique resource who strengthens internal and external processes, thus freeing up valuable time. 

Besides having time for high-level projects, executives who hire a personal assistant also have more time to pursue their interests and support their families. A healthy work-life balance also helps you to reduce stress and prevent burnout in the workplace which is always a benefit for people in high-stress jobs.

Increased Productivity

On-site employees relieve monotonous tasks that decrease morale and productivity. Since VAs specialize in these tasks, they’ll be more eager to take these on, which is a win-win for them and your full-time employees. Productivity is one the most important aspects of operating in a digital-first environment. If you’re transitioning to a hybrid or fully remote workplace, your employees need to be fully engaged. You enable that if you hire a personal assistant from a reliable company like Wing.

Reduced Operational Costs

The costs of hiring a personal assistant look manageable compared to the costs of hiring an in-house employee. Managed VA companies like Wing offer a neatly packaged VA solution eliminating the need for:

  • Office Space
  • Payroll Taxes
  • Equipment Costs
  • Paid Training/Bonuses
  • Workers Compensation
  • Annual Leave & Sick Days

Hiring a Wing VA means making just one easily manageable monthly payment. When you opt for Wing, you don’t have to worry about the costs associated with onboarding new employees.

How to Hire a Personal Assistant

When you hire an assistant, remember that you’re choosing someone who will be an integral part of your team. A virtual assistant can do wonders for your workflow–you can become more efficient and gain back hours in your day with a good PA. However, hiring the wrong PA can cause more harm than good, and it could also be expensive.

According to a Northwestern University article quoting a Department of Labor study, a bad hiring decision costs approximately 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings. Choosing the wrong person for the job has an enormous negative impact on the rest of your company, so you need to be careful about each person you bring onboard.

When looking for a personal assistant for hire, it helps to put these on your to-do list.

  1. Prepare a job description – Take stock of your needs, the skills you’re looking for, and how you’ll determine culture fit. If possible, have an onboarding and orientation plan for your new virtual assistant. Also, find out what salary range is appropriate for the skills you’re looking to offload.
  2. Research recruitment channels – You can either hire a freelance PA or one who works through a managed service provider like Wing. Going for a provider is more convenient—for one, you don’t have to think about personal assistant benefits, training, and other employee admin matters.
  3. Invest time in screening candidates – If you’re hiring a freelancer, you must conduct an interview and look into the references of the candidate. Otherwise, if you’re hiring through providers, take advantage of your planning call with your account executive or success manager. Let them know your goals and your company culture, and provide other information that will help them find the best candidate for the job.

When to Consider an Executive Assistant

 

Although you may offload a wide array of tasks to a personal assistant, they’re not your only option. Some business owners are better off hiring an executive assistant, a VA who provides high level support for C-suite managers. 

EAs oversee activities, handle the calendars of entire teams, or represent company stakeholders, to name a few. Since an EA’s responsibilities are more intertwined with a company’s senior management, their rates are higher than regular personal assistants.

When should you hire an EA, and when should you opt for a PA? It depends on the type of tasks you would like to outsource. If you’re offloading business processes, require support for high-level employees, or need support for income-earning activities, get an executive assistant.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for someone to handle repetitive tasks or want to offload managing your household or buying gifts and other items, a personal assistant is the better option.

How Can Wing Help CEOs Overcome Business Obstacles?

Wing Assistant is the perfect tool for businesses that want to streamline their processes and gain a competitive edge. We’ve built an application that harnesses the power of AI and combines it with real human talent to deliver an innovative virtual assistant service that covers every aspect of your business.

You don’t have to worry about a thing when you hire personal assistant services through us. Our VAs also deliver services to industry standards and have the necessary tools to optimize your processes efficiently. We offer managed, full-time personal assistants at $899/month—schedule a call today to learn more!

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Wing is a fully managed, dedicated virtual assistant experience designed to help startups and SMB teams offload time consuming, yet critical tasks and focus on things that matter.