Mar 23

Virtual Assistants are the new trend among busy professionals. Virtual Assistants allow the opportunity to follow up on more important tasks. Most business owners are over worked and stressed on a daily basis because they are trying to do everything alone. This issue rarely leaves time for family and other activities that are not work related. One of the reasons why some businesses fail is because they can not afford a full or part time employee; which would be needed in order to meet some of the needs of the business.

One of the benefits of a Virtual Assistant is that there is no need to ‘hire’ them. Instead, you simply call upon them as needed. This is beneficial because most business owners are either on a strict budget, or they don’t need the help often. Virtual assistants offer an array of services and they are usually easily accessible. There are some who are well known and there are others who keep a low profile to ensure the confidentiality of the client. If more business owners were aware of this new trend, it could save them at least 24,000 dollars a year, which is usually the starting salary for a person working in the office five days a week. This also has the potential to save another 10,000 dollars a year because of the health insurance a business owner would not have to offer a full time employee. Though these are only estimates, it’s still enough information to explore the idea of a Virtual Assistant as it relates to your business. Upon considering this kind of support, one should look for 3 things during their search:

* The Mission Statement

* The Services Offered

* The Methods for Contact

If you are struggling with time management or support, maybe a Virtual Assistant would be a great idea for you!

Mar 3

Hate interviewing candidates because you don’t know what to ask?

Sick of employing people who just aren’t right for the job?

Want a new staff member who you feel confident can do the job?

Did you know that making the wrong hiring decision can cost your business 3x the persons annual salary! That can be a huge burden on your business.

The cost of a new employee includes the training time they will need, their annual salary, bonuses and benefits, the cost of having them in the office (your overheads), and also other staff members time - such as the time it takes to train, manage and communicate with them.

Imagine how much it also costs if you new employee isn’t good at their job!

Consider the cost of lost sales, annoyed customers and suppliers, ruined goods, the hit the business reputation takes, your time, and the awful impact one bad employee has on the rest of your team. It is scary to think of the impact on person can have on the success of your business.

Of course the other side of the coin also applies - a great employee can really take your business to the next level of success. Those kinds of employee we want to welcome into our business!

There are some quick and easy things you can do to reduce the risk of hiring a bad employee and help you to find a great person to join your team.

1/ Firstly make sure you know what kind of person you need in your business. Be very clear about skills, attributes and traits that are required for the role in question. Make sure you know what makes a successful employee in your business and try and find a new employee that fits that model.

2/ Make sure you have enough time for the hiring process. Often we are so busy that we are really desperate to find someone to do the job - but don’t let that make you hire someone too quickly.

3/ Make sure you create a professional, positive experience for your candidates. This includes responding to applicants quickly and making sure you update them on their application frequently. With the Quick and Easy Interview Guide, you get a free bonus of 7 email templates to help you achieve this (see link below or go to www.howtointerviewstaff.com).

4/ Check the persons references - even if you really like them as a candidate. You want to be sure that they are telling you the truth and you want to find out any possible issues before make any decisions.

5/ Test them if appropriate. It might be a technical skill set, computer skills or personality profiling! The more information you have, the better your decision will be.

6/ An easy way to reduce your risk, is to use a structured interview process. This helps you to find out the information you need to make the best hiring decisions. A structured interview allows you to compare candidates objectively, gather the information you need, and to justify your decisions if you need to.