No leader can accomplish everything alone and, as a result, frequently is surrounded by individuals that assist them in accomplishing all the tasks they set out to do. These individuals are often the unthanked people that ensure that the wishes of the leader get accomplished in an effective manner. Read on to find out the answers to the top questions about remote assistants.
Why do non-profits hire remote assistants?
Non-profits hire remote assistants for different reasons. Outsourcing means there is no physical office needed. This is critical because physical space can be expensive. Using remote assistants helps keeps your expenses down and you can still get your tasks completed. You might have to buy some software and other tools, but these expenses are still much lower than costs for getting and maintaining a physical office.
Remote assistants are cheaper than regular employees. This is because they are frequently independent contractors and hourly rates are frequently dictated by where they live. A remote assistant from the Philippines will cost half that as one from the United States and the same work will still be done. At the same time, you are not limited to hiring locally. This means you can hire the best. If you can’t find what you’re looking for locally, look across the world. As long as the internet connection is reliable, your remote assistant can be from anywhere. Remote work tools aren’t just for remote assistants and your other employees can use them as well, making the investment valuable for the non-profit.
By being able to delegate specific tasks and responsibilities, it is increasingly possible to prevent burnout among leaders and employees. Many leaders think they are the only one that can get something done and, as a result, work long days, lose focus, and are overwhelmed. This contributes to negative situations for the company, as well as the individual in question. By using remote assistants, leaders can focus on their areas of strength and delegate other areas to these assistants. For example, you may be great at finding new clients, but terrible at making sure you have all the legal paperwork done. Your remote assistant can help with that. For each thing you aren’t good at or don’t like to do, there’s a remote assistant that is and does like to do it. This means that remote assistants are great for handling those millions of tiny details that you don’t have time to deal with or don’t want to deal with. Finally, having remote assistance, you have more time to focus on income-generating activities.
What are some common tasks that non-profit assistants help with?
Here are some common tasks that non-profit assistants help with:
- Completion of paperwork
- Initial meeting with clients/customers to obtain information
- Communicate with employees and managers
- Administrative work (filing, answering phones, etc.)
What are some tips for hiring a non-profit assistant?
Here are some tips for hiring a non-profit assistant:
- Be sure the assistant has experience in non-profits.
- Double-check the skill set needed and offered by the assistant
- Be sure there are enough tasks to keep the assistant busy, but not overwhelmed
- Be sure the assistant takes initiative
Where can experienced non-profit assistants be found?
Searching online is where experienced non-profit assistants can be found. There are many different companies that offer these services and often deal with a lot of the mechanics of hiring so you don’t have to. All you have to do is pay for the service and give the tasks over to your new assistant. These services are through agencies. If you want to hire your own, you can place job advertisements for experienced assistants and place the job to be remote, if desired. However, you may have more responsibilities in this case, such as ensuring the assistant has the right equipment or providing a stipend for the required internet. Essentially, finding your experienced non-profit assistant can be as easy as you want it to be, but due to the time consumption, it may be better to go with a service to ensure all jobs get done.
Experienced non-profit assistants are invaluable and finding a remote one can be even more invaluable because of the savings it offers. Moreover, as noted, you’ll have greater opportunities for growth and the ability to meet changing needs within your company. Remote assistants are important to help new companies save money and since non-profits often have goals that do not center around earning a profit, saving money is critical to achieving the overall company objectives. This allows for further growth. Moreover, the use of remote assistants can help you increase the objectives of the company since you’ll have someone that can do the small details, leaving you with the time to focus on the larger details that may lead to further revenue coming into the non-profit, helping to meet your long-term objectives.