Is a Virtual Assistant the Secret to Keeping Your Small Business Afloat? It may be just what you need during this difficult times.
By Entrepreneur Deals Edited by Jason Fell
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Many of us are feeling the workplace pressures that come along with the spread of COVID-19, but among the most affected are those in small and medium-sized businesses. Many SMBs fall into one of two camps: Either working intensely on how to pivot or change their business offerings in order to keep afloat or seeing an uptick in the demand for their products or services and having a hard time keeping their heads above water.
Surprisingly, both scenarios can be helped by a similar solution: Investing in a virtual assistant. This type of digital-first service does more than just schedule meetings and send reminders throughout the day. The more advanced virtual assistant programs out there can take a load of busy work off your plate. Think important yet repetitive tasks such as producing email marketing campaigns, optimizing your site's SEO, creating invoices, inputting data, or researching potential clients. The difference between a virtual assistant and a standard full-time one is that virtual services are a fraction of the cost.
Time Etc is one popular workplace solution that connects business owners to a veteran assistants who are able to complete all of the aforementioned tasks (and then some). Since the company's inception in 2007, it has compiled a roster chock-full of industry professionals, including its head of the Virtual Assistant Team and former Richard Branson assistant, Penni Pike. As a whole, the company has helped over 10,000 clients save over 1.8 million minutes of time-consuming tasks.
Have trouble scaling while managing the day to day? Its in-house assistants can help you find new leads and evaluate prospects, prepare important business proposals and contracts, create engaging digital marketing materials and posts that will capture a wider audience, create eye-catching website content, as well as design email campaigns.
If you really just need help with those day-to-tasks bogging you down, Time Etc can help there, too. They'll manage your schedule, handle incoming client contacts, input data, transcribe audio or video files, aid with invoicing, and even respond to daily emails. Simply put, Time Etc will give you more time to focus on the projects that really move the needle of your business.
Pricing for Time Etc starts at a reasonable $250 a month or just $25 an hour for a U.S.-based, dedicated assistant. And each plan is flexible, allowing users to buy extra time, switch plan,s or cancel at a moment's notice.
For small or medium business owners, burgeoning entrepreneurs, and industry changemakers who are looking to find more effective ways of getting through their to-do list, it's worth giving Time Etc a try. To get more information on all of its offerings, as well as test a free trial of the service for yourself, click here.
