Hiring a virtual assistant is actually a more cost effective solution for most businesses when compared with the cost of hiring a full-time or part-time employee.  Whilst the salary component of the cost of hiring staff may only be $15-20 per hour, there are many ‘hidden’ costs that are carried by the employer.  Think about all the things an employer needs to provide an employee with and you will see what I mean.  There are benefits such as sick leave and holiday pay which is all unutilised time. Then there are material costs such as a desk, computer, software, stationery etc for the employee, not to mention overheads like office space, electricity, insurances and even tea and coffee supplies.  All of this is free with a virtual assistant and part of the hourly rate.

Have a look at the following document and you will see what I mean.

If you are an employer paying your staff for 8 hours a day, how much of this time are you actually getting when you take into account things like coffee breaks, chit-chat around the water cooler, time spent surfing the net?  Statistically only about half of that 8 hour day is of practical use to the employer.  Even hiring a temp to complete a job can be expensive.  What if you only need the temp for an hour or so to complete a single task?  Often there is a minimum fee charged to employers, equivalent to four hours in time for a temp.  Virtual assistants are fast and efficient and with a virtual assistant you only pay for the time spent on task with the added benefit of the entire fee being tax deductible.