Virtual Assistants to the SME “Holiday Cover” Rescue
March 23, 2008
It’s holiday time again, the children are on vacation from school but you still have your home business to run. You promised to take them to the Zoo etc and go to away for a couple of weeks. What on earth is going to happen to your business? The answer is simple - let a Virtual Assistant run the admin side of your business while you take that well earned rest.
Having worked with many of my clients for years we have always offered holiday cover to them. One of them described it as ‘Business Babysitting’ which seemed to us the perfect title.
So how does the service run?
Answering the phone, handling -mails and faxes and dealing with clients directly. Your client can enjoy their holiday with complete peace of mind whilst you keep their clients happy.
So how do we set up this type of business cover?
* A weekly standing charge (being any 7 days) for the duration of the holiday if full 9 to 5 cover is expected.
* If there is no telephone answering required you will probably be charged a per item amount for other admin work you need.
* Ancillary charges should be agreed with the client before the holiday starts and charged at cost. These items are such things as postage, phone calls, large print runs or mailings.
How would a Virtual Assistant let their clients know they offer this service? Well with Internet printers offering 250 business cards for postage, it is easy enough to order a short run specifically for this type of project. Have a calendar put on the back - this means the card will be kept for longer as small calendars are always worth keeping. Starting well before the holiday season begins, send or give them to your clients and new contacts explaining what you do.
Once you have launched this service you will be amazed at how clients remember you each time they are going away. Details will be passed on to businesses who need daytime cover and you may find yourself doing this full time and not just over the holidays.
Working with your clients, you know their needs and also the worries they have about their business. They may be very similar to the ones you have regarding your own. Offering this service will bring you in an income at the worst part of the year - the holidays. You will get known as the ‘Virtual Assistant Business Babysitter’
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