OUTSOURCING QUESTION

lyndsey · Jul 7, 2005

CAN YOU LET ME KNOW WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU OUTSOURCE TO A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?

I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.

LYNDSEY

Rob Holmes · Jul 7, 2005

I put other but only because I really struggle with the whole virtual PA thing.

I guess I'm just very independent and would rather type an invoice than type for someone else to do it.

So I guess I would need convincing that it would make my life drastically easier.

Hope this helps,

Rob

lyndsey · Jul 7, 2005

Rob

If you were to spend alot of time on admin, then it would be the best idea to outsource which would allow you to concentrate on the business side of things.

If you have any other questions, then just let me know.

Lyndsey

barry.hynd · Jul 7, 2005

Hi Rob,

I must admit your comments did surprise me. Outsourcing is becoming more and more popular and something i'm advocate of both in business and my personal life. I think in business it's nice to concentrate on developing the business as opposed to worrying about the admin side.

From a personal point of view I think having time to spend with your loved ones and doing things together is a must. Maybe i'm only saying this because I have a vested interest but I really do think more and more people are thinking like this. Perhaps some other views on this subject?

Rob Holmes · Jul 8, 2005

Hi Barry,

I know you have a vested interest but I can instantly see how having someone turn up to mow the grass, do the cleaning or shopping can free me up. I really value family time as you point out and for the average business owner thats what suffers if you're not careful.

Hidden in my answer is a really big clue to probably what stops me rushing to use a VA.

I guess I just haven't been sold/told the benefits that hit my main objection yet. But even as I type I can see ways around it and a system that *may* work!

Rob

lyndsey · Jul 8, 2005

Hi Rob

You wanted to know why you should outsource. Well, Diamond Secretarial can focus on the administration side of your business, allowing you to focus on running your business. Outsourcing eliminates the need for you to employ staff which actually saves you money! It costs an employer a minimum of 2.5 times an employees salary to actually employ them.

Here are some of the benefits to you to outsource to a VA:

1. You only pay for hours worked or services provided.
2. VA's assist you when you are overloaded, allowing you to run your business more efficiently.
3. VA's are available 24/7 - therefore providing you assistance when your staff are not.
4. No overheads and employer liabilities e.g. rental, salaries, maternity pay, pension costs etc
5. No costly recruitment: Why spend £1500+ a month on a full time employee, when our services are available for what you need, when you need it.
6. No need to train new staff members, which also takes up the time of another staff member.
7. You would like the reassurance that an 'extra pair of hands' are available as and when you need them.
8. Repetitive tasks do not need to be carried out on site and can be contracted out.

Reasons to outsource:

1. You are overloaded.
2. You are short of staff due to sickness or pregnancy.
3. You require assistance on a one off project.
4. An urgent mail merge is required.
5. You have regular reports/newsletters/mailshot requirements which disrupt you office efficiency.
6. You work from home and do not require a full time office presence.

I hope this clarifies things.

Lyndsey

Rob Holmes · Jul 8, 2005

Hi Lyndsey,

I hear you <smile>

IF I were looking to use such a service I'd be looking out for things like..

We can raise an invoice and send it out from a phone call

We can raise an invoice quicker than you can, saving you time and effort

Bag your reciepts up in our reply paid envelopes and send them in once a week and we'll keep your accounts up to date

We'll chase your invoices for you..

etc etc..

Hope this helps,

Rob

Ozzy · Jul 8, 2005

As an example, I outsource all my accountancy work (invoicing, book keeping, bank rec, credit control, etc) which I used to do myself. It was a huge step for me and I was quite nervous, but since doing it I have an extra couple of days a week free to do other things and have never looked back.
On a cost front it is considerably cheaper than paying to employ an accounts person, and I only pay for the time she works...so her bill goes up and down depending how busy my business is.

lyndsey · Jul 8, 2005

Rob

We can do that for you. Give us a call or email and we can arrange for an invoice to be raised straight away and issued that same day.

Issuing an invoice is one thing but what happens when it isn't paid? If your business does nothing until the solicitor is involved, then why not use our services for reminder calls. We can also produce a weekly/monthly statements for your accounts.

Lyndsey

daveashton · Jul 8, 2005

A world wide management consultancy company 6 months ago who was working with the Group looked at us summarised outsourcing in this very simple way.

Outsourcing should be done if it will enable you or your team to produce better results by focusing on your primary skills than it would cost to outsource.

This I understand to mean if you are busy and could focus on what you are good at, would doing that make more money than it would cost to outsource doing the things you are bad at or not focused on?

In most cases the answer is yes and hence this model has grown significantly over the last 10 years and major corporates continually look at only providing what they deem as core services i.e. providing/ making the service/ product they sell and deliver.

Rob

Nice reply and yes the logistics of the service provision also need to be taken into account i.e. it could well save you money but if it takes a lot of time to manage it will reduce the business benefits.

PS most companies use 1: 1.5 not 1: 2.5 based on the current UK taxation rates. A small point because everything else is bang on the money.

annethedonn · Jul 8, 2005

Very interesting points and well put Lyndsey!

Anne

barry.hynd · Jul 8, 2005

Interesting also to see most people voting on price. I would have thought that quality of work was more important (not that i'm looking to sway the vote).
I think the hardest thing with selling this service is getting people to appreciate how you can add value. Selling a service is quite different to selling a product because it's not tangible but I do think once you sell a service in you get far more rewards.

annethedonn · Jul 8, 2005

Yes, Barry that is important, but you have to remember that most people using these sorts of businesses are SMEs and individuals as they can't afford full time people which is why the cost is so important. I also offer this service and it is taking off nicely. The US have it sewn up as it's been successful there for a few years now, but the British public are notorious for being cautious so it's just getting the message across, which Lyndsey has done very well. As most things can be done over the internet now, you don't need to physically be on site to do the work. It also gives people the option to work from home making childcare a thing of the past!

I think it's a cracking concept and I outsource regularly.

barry.hynd · Jul 8, 2005

Anne,

I do think that quality work can be sold at a higher price. I dont buy purely on price.

I provide a similar concept to the consumer market. My focus is on providing the best service I can because I think this is THE most important part of running a service business.

annethedonn · Jul 8, 2005

Hi Barry

Most definitely. Customer service is of the utmost importance as you get what you pay for and sometimes, not! I pride myself on good customer relations, although sometimes people do take the mickey, but that's to be expected in business. You need a good mix, I think.

Have to say I love your website, wouldn't mind a Jeeves myself!!! Do you do dog walking????

Anne

barry.hynd · Jul 8, 2005

Hi Anne,

To be honest Anne we do pretty much anything. One of the hardest things to do on the site is to show everything we can do. We might be better to give a list of things we cant!

I'm glad you like the site. It will be going through some changes soon. We'll shortly be putting up our speaking butler! for one.

daveashton · Jul 9, 2005

Here we go again this will stir the post up.

PEOPLE NEVER BUY ON PRICE. THEY BUY ON PERCIEVED VALUE.

Barry H also makes the point that services are harder to sell because you can not touch, feel or or see it like you can with a physical product.

Even if people can understand what your service is there is often very different levels of how well the service is provided and hence showing value for money is that much harder.

lets remember as brits our default thought is cynicism and hence when selling services we need to provide as much proof as possible that we can not only provide the service but also the level we can provide it at.

This site shows costs, and services.

The site should show, business benefits, ROI, reference sites, client retention rates, information on the skill sets & background of the team delivering the work, a legal section ( small and at the bottom) for enhanced credibility etc.

All these things help prove that it is a stable company with a proven track record and hence would increase sales.

A greet idea, hard to sell unless thought through properly

lyndsey · Jul 19, 2005

Thanks to those of you that have voted so far, i would be grateful for more opinions on this poll.

Lyndsey

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OUTSOURCING QUESTION

WOULD WOULD MAKE YOU USE OUR SERVICES?

PROMPT SERVICE

REASONABLE PRICE

QUALITY OF WORK

PROFESSIONAL APPROACH

FRIENDLY APPROACH

GOOD REPUTATION

LOCATION

AVAILABILITY

OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY)

lyndsey

Rob Holmes

lyndsey

barry.hynd

Rob Holmes

lyndsey

Rob Holmes

Ozzy

Founder of UKBF

lyndsey

daveashton

annethedonn

barry.hynd

annethedonn

barry.hynd

annethedonn

barry.hynd

daveashton

lyndsey

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