Virtual Staff for Real Entrepreneurs

By Pattie Simone of Entrepreneur.com

If you're like most entrepreneurs, you've got piles of paper cluttering your office and to-do lists that seem to be multiplying like rabbits. The good news is that many of the tasks that keep you from being as productive (and profitable) as you could be can be outsourced. You may not think you can afford to hire help, especially in these economically turbulent times. But the fact is you can't afford not to.

Today's Profit Formula

The Internet lets you access scads of talented folks with a click of your mouse. And while some tasks, such as filing or greeting clients, might require on-site work, many administrative, marketing and sales functions can be handily accomplished using the services of one or more virtual assistants.

Having a VA frees you up to do what you do best. The smart profit formula for lots of successful entrepreneurs (whether they're a firm of one or many) involves a little front-end investment for maximum returns.

For example, Danny Bradbury, a Canadian freelance writer with clients in his home country, the U.K. and the Middle East, has seen his workload decrease by 25 percent and business increase 30 percent since using a VA for administrative tasks, such as scheduling interviews, transcribing interviews, tracking down contacts, doing back research and registering him for webinars. Sounds like a darn good deal, right?

Three More Takes Regarding VAs...

Laurie Macomber, president of Colorado-based Blue Skies Marketing, an SEO company serving clients across the country, uses a team of virtual workers from different areas (including Canada) to handle diverse functions. Her VA, Melissa Silva, runs Alchemy Virtual Office Solutions out of her Georgia home. She accomplishes an impressive list of tasks for Macomber, including: