Your Secretary/Assistant is overloaded or taking leave and you need a solution to ensure administration doesn’t pile up.  There are a couple of options for you to consider – a Temp or a Virtual Assistant (VA), but what’s the difference?

• Temporary (temp) employees are just that, temporary. You may get a different temp each time you require work done. Whereas, a VA on the other hand, is available on an on-going basis, and can be called upon at short notice.
• VAs take a vested interest in the success of their clients and their businesses. VAs believe that the absolute best job will not only help their own reputation but will also help to build the client’s business, with the hope of generating themselves more work. A temp, however, may look at the assignment as just a means of padding their resume or getting paid.
• VAs have many years of experience in the workforce, which allows them to provide a wide range of services. Temps may have little or no ‘on the job’ experience.
• Although a VAs rate may seem higher, when you take in to consideration that you don’t have to provide office space or equipment, or pay the minimum 4 hours that a temp agency would usually charge, a VA is more cost effective.
• VAs charge for actual time worked, whereas a temp is paid for the time worked, and any time they sit idle waiting for more work.
• A temp has loyalty to the agency they are contracted through, a VA is usually and entrepreneur and works with and for the client.

Ask yourself  these questions:

• Do you know if you have enough work to keep a temp busy for the required hours?
• Do you have the workspace for a temp?
• Do you want to have to train someone new each time you need extra help?

If you answered no to any or all of these questions, then a VA may be a great solution to  ensure your administration is kept under control.