Top 5 Money-saving Tips for Virtual Assistants

As a virtual PA, I often work with SME companies, particularly business start-ups or new entrepreneurs. A lot of people are still unsure about what a virtual PA can do for them – the answer is: "Pretty much anything a normal PA would do, except possibly making you a coffee".

But why would you hire a virtual PA? That's what one of my business prospects asked me recently & my reply was "because we save you money." How much? I really wasn't sure... I knew we saved money in terms of office rental, capital investment into equipment, staff costs, line rental and print costs, but I wasn't exactly sure how much it would total. Amazingly, when I worked it out, we saved the client over £2000 in his first month of business!

That's an extreme example, but generally we can make really impressive savings for our clients. But what about making savings for ourselves in our capacity as business owners?

1. Use document templates instead of printing business cards, letterheads, comp slips & invoices. These can easily be personalised by using your logo & perhaps some specially coloured paper stock. Believe me, you will never use as much as you think you will!



2. Do your books each & every month. There's nothing worse than skipping a month, having bills, invoices and receipts piling up & then having to pay a fortune to your bookkeeper or accountant to sort it out. Do your books every month, and it will also be easier to track your cash-flow.



3. Use a mailing address, at least until you get set up properly. It's safer & more professional to use a business address, and it won't cost you as much as hiring a real office! Plus they can usually also do call-answering for you so you'll never miss an important call!



4. Shop around! Never take the first quote – get at least three for everything & then you can be sure that you're getting a good deal. Also, never be shy to ask a supplier to match a quote – they can only say no! We constantly shop around for print quotes and consistently get the best prices and service.



5. Harness technology! There are hundreds of ways you can use technology to your advantage: setting up reminders on your diary; inserting a personalised signature with a website link; using auto-response emails from your website – the list is endless!