Should You Hire a Real or Virtual Assistant?

We all remember notable sidekicks like Cary Grant's "Girl Friday" and Batman's ever loyal, Robin. Without these hardworking assistants, a superstar's shine becomes a little dimmer and heroes have less swagger. Do you need an assistant to accomplish everything on your list? If your spread thin and feel like you'll never catch up-you might!

A good assistant is worth their weight in gold but small businesses don't often have extra gold lying around. Before you make the decision to hire an assistant, you should consider the pros and cons. Here is a quick rundown of the things you should consider before putting out your "We're Hiring" sign.

Pros to Hiring an Assistant

• An extra pair of hands to achieve everything on your list

• Someone to do unprofitable tasks like mailing envelopes or decorating the store

• You'll have an extra representative for your company

• Help you remember meetings, deadlines and important details

• A fresh perspective

• Assistants make you appear more professional

Cons to Hiring an Assistant

• Extra costs from pay and potential benefits

• Training time which could be extensive

• Troubleshooting mistakes new assistants will make

Virtual or Real?

Once you have decided to hire an assistant, you will need to choose between a real or live assistant and a virtual one. Here are some major differences between the two.

Virtual Assistant

• Working from the comfort of cyberspace, your virtual assistant won't actually have to meet you or work from an office. This could offer the small business owner considerable savings.

• Virtual assistants work mainly through electronic communications like video conferencing, emails and conference calls.

• A virtual helper will be limited geographically and may not be able to run errands or other local tasks for you.

Live Assistants

• Live assistants do work from brick and mortar stores. This may require a higher hourly wage.

• Real-time assistants working from your office can gather your mail, direct office visits, and manages faxes.

• These kinds of assistants may depend more on personal contact from their employers than virtual ones.

• This kind of employee will be familiar with local businesses, landmarks, and community details.

Take your time when choosing an assistant. You don't want to hurry a decision that you may regret quickly.