This episode of the Rocket Roof Show, host Andy Near dives into the world of Virtual Assistants and the many advantages they have to offer for both your business and your budget. He interviews one of the founders of Freelance University, Craig Cannings. Considering one of our goals here at the Rocket Roof Show is to educate and equip roofers to do more business by launching your business to the next level, it seems as though Craig is our perfect guest as Freelance University, or FreeU, was created to allow individual entrepreneurs to do the same with their own business.
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Freelance University provides education for freelancers such as graphic designers, social media managers, technology advisors, and so many other areas, including, you guessed it, Virtual Assistants. It’s common to think of a robot when the term Virtual Assistant pops up, but these days it’s far more likely that you’re working with an actual person.
Virtual Assistants, or commonly called, VAs, are a great benefit for many business owners and contractors as they provide you with far less overhead than a full-time employee would. You don’t have to worry about paying benefits or the other costs that come with having a long-term employee. Being a remote professional that typically works on a contract basis, they are there to do the work when you need it.
Initially, a Virtual Assistant’s tasks involved administrative and secretarial duties for the most part but over the last decade or so, they have really expanded, and it seems as though there is nothing a Virtual Assistant can’t do. There are many different types of Virtual Assistants and with marketplaces out there such as Upwork and Fiverr, among others, you can choose a VA with the skills and experience that match your needs perfectly.
Whether you’re looking to find the right Online Business Manager, or OBM, that can be the eyes and ears for your business or if you are looking for someone to turn your employee handbook into a digital book, there are VA’s out there that are ready to get your project completed promptly and professionally. They have skills and are focused in the area you need. Though you may be able to complete the project yourself, a good VA will do it faster and with a higher level of quality, not to mention giving you the opportunity to focus on your business.
When you look at what a VA can take off your plate, you will see how beneficial they can be to you and your business. A VA is there to be your resource. No matter what that entails, there is sure to be one that can complete and simplify the task at hand. When it comes to hiring a Virtual Assistant, people often get intimated with the remote aspect of working with a new individual. Craig gives a few tips to consider when interviewing Virtual Assistants.
There are Virtual Assistants available around the world and while it is likely cheaper to find one overseas, such as the Philippines or other offshore areas, it may pay off in the long run to hire a local Virtual Assistant that can deliver on the culture you need. When we say local, we don’t mean they have to be down the road, you have incredible pools to choose from just within our own country! For some tasks, it could make the most sense to go with an offshore Virtual Assistant, but for content creation and other important, more personal projects, going with a local Virtual Assistant will probably produce the professional results you’re looking for.
Find someone with experience that is a good fit for your project and that knows your industry. In today’s growing Virtual Assistant realm, it’s also a great idea to make sure you are hiring someone that has experience working remotely and virtually. One beauty of working with Virtual Assistants is that you can hire them on a trial basis, try them out for a month or two part time and see how it goes. There’s no long-term commitment or costs when you hire a Virtual Assistant.
Roofing contractors have a lot to gain when taking advantage of the Virtual Assistants that are out there. You have enough on your plate and worrying about your website, social media, schedule, you name it, doesn’t have to be one of them! Don’t be resistant to change just because it’s new. Virtual Assistants are becoming far more common and they can help grow your business the right way!
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Special thanks to our sponsor Top Roof Marketing, a full-service marketing group that specializes in the commercial roofing industry.
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