I want to write a quick one about part-time virtual assistants.
If you’re gung-ho about hiring part-time virtual assistants for things like sales, customer service, operations, or executive assistance, I feel exceptionally strong that you are setting yourself up for failure.
I’ve tested this over and over and over. And the results are always the same — Failure.
Part-time just does not does not work for these roles. If you think otherwise, you’re either not thinking big enough or don’t understand how these functions operate.
Here is what I see:
- They have no loyalty: And why should they? Loyalty is very much a two-way street. You are giving them part time hours. Likewise, they are giving you part time commitment. Do not expect a VA who is managing multiple clients to prioritize your business. They are in the field hustling. More concerned about securing financial stability. Waiting for a full time offer with somebody else. Looking for a better opportunity. The second they get it, I guarantee you that they are gone.
- They do not care about your company: I will say it straight. They do not give a f* about your business the way a full-time employee does. You’re not giving them financial security, benefits, or really any reason for them to be invested. You have them stretched thin without even realizing it. They are working multiple jobs. You are literally just one paycheck for them.
- They will never fully integrated into your business: Success in sales, customer services, and executive assistance is not just about completing isolated tasks. To be successful in these roles they need to understand the inner workings of your company. This takes huge amounts of time and immersion into the business.
- Sales is about building relationships. A VA who only works 10–20 hours a week will never gain enough traction or pipeline to close serious deals.
- Customer service & operations demands consistency and extreme attention to detail. First off, customers having a different person every time they reach out is a bad experience. Secondly, the VAs will make mistakes with those customers because they have not mastered the SOPs and documentation in the business.
- Executive assistants are supposed to be your right hand, anticipating your needs before you even think of them. That cannot happen with someone who barely works inside your company.
My point is that the part time VA never gets the exposure needed to be truly effective. They will always be playing catch-up. Never fully immersed. And basically, always with one foot out the door.
- They will leave you! — Part time workers are temporary. It is the nature of that type of employment. The best ones will get scooped up by companies offering better opportunities and full time roles. That means you will be RIGHT BACK where you started. Retraining people. Scrambling to hire. Wasting time repeating the onboarding process. SUCH A HUGE WASTE OF TIME. It is like buying a leaky bucket. You’d just never do that. So why do that with your employees? Makes no sense to me.
Do not get me start with the “I do not have enough full time work” – Yes, you do. You are just not thinking hard enough. You always complain about how much you are working. YET, you are so adamant to say you do not have enough work when it comes to bucking up money for an employee. Blows my mind.
You have full-time work. I always have things I could have people do. Even if it’s stupid shit like going on my LinkedIn and connecting with people and sending stupid DMs.
- Sales Never Stops
- Marketing Never Stops
- Operations Never Stops
- Your personal life never Stops
Building prospect lists, reaching out to people for podcasts, writing content, following up, creating email newsletters, social medial engagement, managing my inbox, handling invoices, setting up meetings, tracking the teams tasks…
I mean screw it, I even have people do my personal life if I need them to. Call this hotel and tell them I have a package coming. Call AT&T and tell them to renegotiate pricing. Here are my expenses. Tally up where I am spending. Find the vendors. Renegotiate terms on my behalf. Find alternatives.
Why do you think I am able to spend all my time on sales and marketing. Camping on social media. Going all over the world to events. Networking. GROWING my business.
Because I have people doing all the Sh*t in my business that I do not and should not be doing.
If the first reason you come up with to not go full time is “you do not think you have enough work”, you are just not thinking like a business owner. Your job is to put honest, loyal, and hardworking people into a seat and have them do work for you so that you can…. BINGO… Make more money. Do higher value tasks…
Yet so many people are afraid to make an investment.
Let’s talk money.
- A part time employee in California can cost you $25 per hours. Let’s say they work 30 hours per week. That is $3000 per month. And let’s be real. The frontline labor force is high turnover. Do not expect golden unicorn employees in this range. It’s a battle.
- A full-time VA costs $1000-$2000 PER MONTH. 200 hours per month. No payroll taxes. No benefits. AND you are paying TOP DOLLAR in these countries. Getting access to talent worth $100,000 in your own country.
So if your goal is cost savings… You are already outsourcing. How much lower of a cost do you need? If you know that part time is met with failure and if bucking up a couple extra hundred dollars is the break between success and failure, why on earth would you still choose part-time?
I guarantee you will pay even more in turnover, lost productivity, absolute frustration, and constant retraining.
It is fundamentally not worth it.
SO – I do want to be exceptionally clear that there are some roles that fundamentally work on part-time and project based.
I have seen it work very well for specific types of roles.
- Software development: Project based. Works great in sprints. Does not need too much daily engagement.
- Bookkeeping & Accounting: This is mainly monthly reports. Not daily tasks.
- Digital Marketing: Again, more task-based.
These are roles where I have seen somebody step in, execute, and step out without the need to live and breathe in your business. But for sales, customer service, and executive assistance, that is not the base.
I am always hiring. Even if I do not have an immediate job for them, I bring them on. If I see top talent, I am smart enough to take it.
Because I know that a business is JUST a collective group of people. And if you have the best people, you will have the best business.
The collective brain power of your business is the most important IP you have.
I know if I secure them now, their value will compound over time.
Finding good, honest, reliable, and loyal people is such an incredible challenge. When you find these magical unicorns, do not skimp out on them. Take them.
My raw advice: Stop thinking small. You are wasting your time & money convincing yourself you can only go part time. The hidden costs are greater than you think. For these roles I am speaking about, hire full-time or don’t hire at all.
