It takes money to make money. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Youve heard all the clichs.

As a small business owner, you know that clich or not, these adages are often true. Your business life is a constant risk-benefit analysis. There are so many decisions to make. Each decision can be the key to success. On the other hand, each choice can send you right down the track of failure.

Its no wonder small business owners often feel so stressed!

One of the major decisions in the world of small business is when to grow and how fast. Do you have more work than your present staff can handle? Is there an area of your business that youre thinking of expanding but dont have the required manpower? Maybe youve already decided to adopt that new marketing plan, but its turning out to be a lot more work than expected.

So as a small business owner, what do you do now? Do you call the local newspaper office and start advertising for a new employee? Can you really afford to do that? What about using a temp agency? Could that reduce the risk to your business?

Well, you could try either of those options, but have you fully analyzed what the cost to your small business will be. Employees, temporary or not, inherently cost you more than you think.

For each employee, youve got to worry about so much more than just wages. Youve got to consider the payroll taxes, the insurance costs, the cost of your time hiring and training this person, extra office space and equipment, etc.

What if youve done the analysis of these risks vs. the benefits to your small business and found that you just cant afford the risk right now? Do you give up on all your growth plans?

Of course you dont! You look for other options. Have you ever considered hiring a virtual assistant?

Virtual assistants can help in a variety of ways. There are virtual assistants who specialize solely in administrative tasks. You can also find an assistant who focuses more on marketing and advertising plans.

Why is hiring a virtual assistant different than taking on an on-site employee? For starters, you will most often hire virtual assistants on a project to project basis. You may also hire them on a retainer basis, but either way they are working on a contract basis for you. This means that you are not going to be dealing with taxes, benefits, or any of the other human resource issues associated with an on-site employee. Also, you need not feel obligated to your virtual assistant. If you are not pleased with their work, you simply dont hire them again! No need for performance reviews or warnings, just find a new provider.

Its important that you do enough research to make sure you find an assistant who you feel comfortable with and with whom you find communication simple. Also, make sure both of you are clear about the expectations and terms of your agreement.

Hiring a virtual assistant may seem like a foray into a strange, new world, but for small business owners trying to get the most bang for their buck, it might just be one option worth checking out.

Dana Wallert is the owner of an online virtual assistance company. She has many years experience in sales and marketing, as well as office management. Find more about Dana and sign up to receive her free monthly newsletter at DW Office Solutions - Virtual Assistant Services Dana has also ridden horses her entire life. She currently provides several barns with virtual assistance. She also runs a new horse information website called Horse Topics offering information on all aspects of horsecare, riding, etc.

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