by Michelle Anastasio, guest blogger
“Why should I hire a Virtual Assistant? This is probably the most frequently asked question we get from potential clients when initially deciding they need help with running their business. Many think hiring a physical assistant is the only option they have. This is not always the best choice in the beginning as there are many things to consider when hiring a physical employee. More and more businesses are considering whether a virtual assistant might be in their best interest. Here are just 7 reasons to rethink your staffing approach:
- Employees cost more than their salary
- You have to find a place to put people
- You need to keep the people you have busy
- Availability isn’t the same as competency
- Employees don’t really work eight hours a day
- Firing people is a hassle
- Your personnel budget is suffocating your margin for growth
Now that it’s clear why incorporating Virtual Assistance to be a great alternative to hiring in-house staff, you may be wondering “What can a virtual assistant do for me and my business?” Turning to a Virtual Assistant helps business owner free up time and simplifies their life so they can concentrate on the more important aspects of growing their business. Whether you are looking for project-based or ongoing support, Virtual Assistants only charge for the actual time they spend working on your projects; usually down to the minute. Virtual Assistants offer a wide range of Administrative, Marketing and Business Supports Services, providing their clients precisely what they need; when they need it. In general, working with a VA can help a business owner to become more efficient and effective overall. Below are just some of the services we provide to our clients:
- Administrative & Personal Assistant Support
- Sales Support & CRM Administration
- Internet & Email Marketing Services
- Social Media Marketing
- Blog/Website Administration
As a business owner, you might want to ask yourself:
- With the tremendous and rapid growth of social media and blogging, are you overwhelmed and have no idea where to begin?
- Do you have a business meeting or event you need to organize but don’t have the time or an assistant to help you with the event?
- Are you spending valuable time on administrative tasks necessary to run your office smoothly, but it’s taking you away from growing your business?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, it might be time to hire a Virtual Assistant. Making an attempt to do it all yourself doesn’t make for a more profitable business; it can actually have a negative impact on your growth and work/life balance.
Michelle Anastasio is the CEO and Founder of CT Virtual Assistance, a Norwalk, Connecticut-based firm providing outsourced services spanning social media marketing, online marketing, research, operations, and administration. Her marketing and advertising experience is fifteen years strong and Ms. Anastasio develops custom, cost-effective strategies for local and national businesses across varied categories. For more information, call (203) 354-8749, or visit www.ctvirtualassistance.com.
(Photo courtesy stockimages, freedigitalphotos.net)


How did it go? Wish to erase 2013 from the Great Calendar of Life? Or, was it a banner year you’d like to repeat?
If you’re a business owner, you’ve heard this term SEO hundreds of times. And, even for me, a web guy, the term honestly brings on some significant tension. Let’s talk about it, because SEO is something you need in order to grow, and perhaps we can even make it fun… a little.
As an entrepreneur, I found the following article very helpful. It helped me see that I am not alone when I am stressed, and that it is okay to have feelings of vulnerability as a business owner. In fact, reading this article made me recognize that because I am ambitious, and have an energetic “go get ’em” personality, I’m also a magnet for stronger emotional roller-coasters. By recognizing these vulnerabilities, and knowing that I am not alone with these feelings, I can be comfortable expressing my business challenges, easily find healthy outlets to relieve stresses, and I don’t need to “fake it till I make it,” which this author believes is unhealthy. What do you think?
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