Virtual versus In-House assistants

You’re sitting in the middle of ceiling high fort of documents, trying to finish a presentation before your next meeting in 10 minutes whilst on the phone to your mum who you forgot to wish happy birthday yesterday and you’ve just realised you’re wearing an odd pair of shoes: it’s time to get an assistant, but where do you find one, how much will it cost and will it be worth the time and money?

Here’s 10 reasons why you should go Outsourcery*:

1. You’ll save money. You get to skip the long drawn out and expensive recruitment process of in-house hires, and there’s no demand for additional office space. On average, you can expect to realize immediate cost-savings of 30-60%. Outsourcery assistant plans start from just £135 a month.
2. And time. In 2014 it was reported by Upwork (formerly Elance and oDesk) that in-house positions took an average of 43 days to fill, whilst virtual jobs took an average of 3. You tell us what you need help with and we’ll find you the perfect person.
3. There’s less skiving. Virtual assistants record the time they work and bill you only for “on-the-job” hours so you’re not paying for someone to flirt by the photocopying machine. Plus at Outsourcery we have stand-by assistants who step in when sickness strikes or your personal assistant takes a holiday, meaning you’re never left in a lurch.
4. Minimal training required. All of our assistants are highly qualified, specially trained and proficient with the latest tools and technology so you can rest assured they’re going to get the job done properly – you just need to lay out your requirements and preferences.
5. A Virtual Assistant is never late. Delayed trains, accidents or vehicle emergencies are never a problem when you’re working remotely. Your tasks will get completed whatever the weather.
6. No benefit costs. You don’t have to pay for holiday, maternity leave, health insurance or any other add ons that might be expected from an in-house employee. In fact, at Outsourcery we reward you with benefits at no extra charge. Check out our partners page for discounts and deals or ask your PA to fill you in.
7. Confidentiality guaranteed. Every client is protected by a confidentiality agreement signed by each of our assistants, who have also been thoroughly checked and vetted so we know they’re not up to any funny business.
8. World Wide Network. Working remotely, virtual assistants have a wide resource pool available to them. If there’s ever something extra specialised that needs to get done, they can call on the Outsourcery database of professionals to find someone who can help.
9. Technical support. Unlike most freelancers who could disappear in the blink of an eye when a storm strikes or the Wifi goes down, Outsourcery assistants are supported by a full time technical team who make sure there are never any delays. They can also help you out with any technical issues or queries you might have.

10. Our assistance is dedicated. That means your PA is working for you exclusively so you don’t have to worry about coordinating work schedules or clashing priorities. Assign a task and set a due date. Easy as that.

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*When we say “Virtual Assistant”, we’re still talking about a real person, not a computer, but instead of physically being present in your office or home, they work online eagerly awaiting your next email or call. All of Outsourcery’s personal assistants are based in Cape Town.