5 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help Your SME Survive the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic may not seem like the most natural time to be investing in additional resources. But the truth is that an extra pair of hands could be exactly what small and medium-sized enterprises need to navigate the pandemic and emerge stronger on the other side. A virtual assistant can be a more rapid, more cost-effective way to get the vital support you need, when you need it, rather than hiring a new staff member. And they could help you to keep growing and developing, even through uncertainty.
A good virtual assistant can help to...
1. Maintain a Connection With Your Audience
If your business has been forced to close under local restrictions, or you’ve chosen to temporarily suspend operations, one of the most important things to do is to ensure that you’re still maintaining a close connection with your audience. Nurturing relationships can help to make sure that you have a strong customer base that’s ready to engage once things are back to normal. Hiring a virtual assistant can be a very effective and efficient way to touch base, check-in, and interact with audiences while you’re busy developing your crisis response and implementing vital changes to boost resilience.
2. Communicate Your Crisis Response
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly shifted customer behaviours. Clients and customers are actively looking to work with organisations that are committed to operating in safe and secure ways, and so an ability to effectively communicate your crisis response is essential. And this is where a virtual assistant can help. A virtual assistant can take your crisis response and transform it into a series of messages that meet the requirements set out by each communications network, ensuring your message is seen. Your VA can also update messages as your response adapts in line with changes.
3. Oversee Process Changes
The health crisis has rapidly accelerated the shift to remote working. And while working from home is proving to be beneficial for many SMEs, it is still a very new way of operating for most businesses. Many standard workplace processes have had to be adapted to fit the remote working environment, and employees are finding that they’re using more pieces of software than ever before. A virtual assistant can help to train staff members in using these new technologies, and act as frontline support for any issues that are being experienced that could have an impact on productivity.
4. Bridge Staff Shortage Gaps
One of the biggest challenges facing small businesses today is staff shortages. With intermittent requirements to self isolate coupled with the risk of illness, businesses are finding that they’re having to do more with less. But it doesn’t have to be this way. One of the benefits of working with a virtual assistant is flexibility; these individuals have worked for multiple organisations, in multiple different roles, and across multiple industries, providing them with a broad knowledge of business operations. A virtual assistant can take over tasks as and when required by unanticipated absences.
5. Assist with Diversification Research
Diversification is one of the key elements that is proving to be essential in navigating this challenging period. Restrictions have prohibited many small businesses from operating as usual, and it’s been necessary for organisations across many industries to diversify their product and service offerings to ensure they’re able to continue operating safely yet effectively. A virtual assistant with excellent digital research skills could prove to be an important part of your diversification strategy, analysing how competitors are reacting to the crisis and identifying potential new ways to continue delighting clients.
Our Virtual Assistant services are perfect for micro and small businesses that either aren’t ready to employ someone just yet or simply need help at peak times. Let's arrange a chat to discuss how we can best support you and your business.