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workbright

Upgrading HR Teams with Workbright and MyOutDesk

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You don’t automate to get rid of the human; you automate to empower the human. And that’s essentially the name of the game for Workbright; a set of HR tools built for small and medium businesses. We’ve chosen to highlight this particular product in our monthly tech blog because it’s one of the most commonly used services by our clients in the HR industry. Not to mention it’s the kind of software that pairs perfectly with virtual assistants, for several reasons which we’ll cover below. So if you’re in the Human Resources business and exploring ways to increase efficiency, team morale, and revenue… then read on and see why virtual assistants paired with Workbright is such a potent combination.

What exactly is Workbright?

Workbright is a professional toolset built to handle the repetitive and time-consuming tasks that slow down the hiring process. Just like our virtual assistants! The entire platform is online and has an emphasis on being mobile-friendly. With busy professionals being on the go so often, plus the leaning towards working remotely as of late, having an expansive platform like Workbright accessible from virtual anywhere is immensely useful. Just like how our virtual assistants work remotely, and thus are accessible to their teams and leaders from virtually anywhere as well. Starting to see the parallels? Workbright has all of the features and flexibility necessary to help HR teams do their jobs as efficiently as possible. As well as to allow new hires to get through the onboarding process in the same manner. This software guides both HR teams and new hires through an efficient and intuitive process, that gets everyone to work faster. What’s not to like about that? 

Here are some of the things that Workbright has in common with our own virtual assistant professionals.

workbright

What can Workbright do?

As we mentioned above, the entire platform is useable 100% remotely. Being able to work from anywhere is a hot topic in the professional world, and Workbright was ahead of the curve with this toolset. Using technology to automate not just mundane tasks but important time-consuming tasks are imperative these days. Most job hunters are doing so from a tablet or their phone, or even just a laptop in a coffee shop. They need software that will fit itself to the device they’re using, in an easy and effective way. Workbright does exactly that with its highly intuitive and customizable interface. Everything can be tailored to fit different business needs, adapting it to fit your established processes. Workbright doesn’t need to take over your entire HR department, it just needs to empower them to do what they already do, only better. 

Safe and Secure

With all this talk of technology and ease of use, what about accountability and accuracy? Workbright thought of that too, by enabling granular control of all forms, fields, reports, and admin permissions across the platform. Not to mention an extensive reminder and alert system. Automated event reminders and notifications can be customized and enabled for both the HR professional and new hires. Ask for digital signatures, send secure documents, report and export data, make adjustments in mass, and even check for tax credits automatically. The entire hiring process can be monitored remotely, with pinpoint accuracy and up-to-date information. Imagine handing over software this robust to an experienced virtual professional. It’d be like having an entire HR team in one person! 

Forms and Compliance

One of the most important aspects of HR is keeping everything safe and legal for the company and the employee’s sake. With Workbright you have access to a robust forms feature as well as a safeguard for compliance concerns. Convert existing hiring packets into a library of smart forms, and send for digital signatures. Even Form I-9 can be done 100% remotely and instantly submitted for E-Verify cases. No more manual entry with more opportunities for human error. Everything is audit ready because all of that data is auto-stamped with time, date, and the IP address of whoever worked on it. Never worry about an audit again! An HR virtual assistant can manage and review all documents and packets for an HR manager, ensuring everything is where it needs to be when it needs to be there, and with everything, it needs to have. Workbright even comes with guarantees that can result in a refund if any promises are not kept or expectations are not met. 

Human Automation

As you can see, automation technology isn’t about removing people from jobs and letting some artificial intelligence take over. It’s about simplifying, streamlining, and overall improving the processes that humans must do, by integrating technology into those processes. Workbright aims to do just that, by giving HR professionals the tools they need to make the entire hiring and onboarding process a breeze for everyone involved. When you combine a platform like this with a virtual assistant like ours, you get a recipe for a strong and effective HR team with half the calories so to speak. “Empowering people to get to work” is the motto of Workbright, and it might as well be ours too. Because that’s exactly what we do, just with remote working professionals rather than software. So mixing the two creates a professional powerhouse. And if today’s professional climate is any indicator, HR teams could really use a helping hand.

MyOutDesk + Workbright = Future Proof

The world of HR is tumultuous, to say the least right now. Recruiters are desperately trying to attract the right talent, while the talent is extra cautious about where they devote their time and energy. The average time to hire someone new in the US is 43 days. Do you have over a month to spare, just to hire someone whom you don’t even know will stick around? If you’re a growing business, then you probably don’t, and shouldn’t be anyways. Time is money, stop wasting both. You can hire an assistant for your HR team, from us, in just one week. Then pair them up with your local HR leader and software like Workbright, and watch your HR woes melt away. Don’t believe us? Have some questions? Hit the link below to request a Q&A session with one of our experts. They’ll answer all of your questions, and determine if our service is right for you.

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MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
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labor market

The Recruiters Guide to The Labor Market in 2022

The Great Resignation is basically over. Welcome now, to the Great Stagnation. According to recent Labor Statistics data, there were about 11 billion job openings as recently as February, and two jobs for every person looking for one. The workers have left, they’ve gone home. Now businesses are sitting with gaps in their teams, searching for reliable professionals to fill them. Some blame it on the inability of many recruiters to adapt to the new world we live in. Others blame it on Americans simply not wanting to work or having new standards set unrealistically high. No matter the cause, what we’re experiencing now is a kind of stalemate. A game of chicken so to speak, between employers and professionals. Companies need professional talent and they are getting desperate to recruit it. While Americans are waiting for employers to catch up to the new norms of the professional world.

So what does this all mean to you and what’s next? That’s what we’re going to explain in this article. So that you can better understand how your business fits into this equation, as well as what some of your next steps should be. MyOutDesk is the longest-running virtual assistant provider in the world. We have 15+ years of experience matching virtual assistants to professional roles across industries, at companies big and small. We know a thing or two about the labor market and how to stay several steps ahead of it. So take our hand, and let’s get to stepping.

What’s going on?

The pandemic changed our world in unprecedented ways, and we’re still in the wake of those changes. Many professionals lost their jobs, and many just transitioned to some form of work-from-home arrangement. As conditions began to settle and return to this “new normal”, professionals found themselves accustomed to their new flexibility at work. And the ones not working at all found themselves wanting more incentive to even return to the workforce. With rumors of a flourishing job market, many professionals left their positions, setting their eyes on greener pastures at that other company. This has left recruiters and HR professionals in a very weird position, as they scramble to understand it and respond effectively.

unemployment

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99 Million Americans are not looking for work

According to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate is going down(3.8% as of the start of March). Even still, the number of people not actively seeking work remains high; at about 99 million people according to the Census Household Pulse Survey. Of that number, nearly half were retired. After retirees, the next-largest group of “unemployed and uninterested” was the 18 million who gave “other” as their reason, and 7 million who gave no reason at all. In that same month of February which had 11 million open positions, the monthly quit rate(a government measure of worker resignations) reached 2.9%. With the pandemic in our rearview and inflation making the dollar worth less and less, why aren’t more people really trying to get a job? 

Money isn’t everything. Until it is.

In the old days, it seemed like simply offering money for someone to do a job for you was all it took. Offer a bit more money and you get even more interest. Nowadays it’s not all about the money, it’s also about workplace environments, benefits, flexibility, and work-life balance. US professionals have come to expect more from their employers, and not just from their paycheck. They want the flexibility to work from home(or something hybrid), they want competitive benefits for their families, and more PTO to enjoy life. But that isn’t stopping recruiters from leaning into the temptation of money to attract talent. In fact, 19% of HR professionals surveyed said they need to increase benefits and compensation for current and new talent. Transparency around wages in job listings is growing, even becoming required in some states like Colorado and soon New York. It’s predicted that, as inflation continues and more Americans burn through their savings and credit cards, the dollar sign metric will soon be a top priority once again.

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Nearly ⅓ of people who quit one job for another said they felt surprise or regret, according to a survey of 2,500 US adults conducted by The Muse, a job-search and career-coaching company.

You catch more bees…

Recruiters are using money to entice professionals, with bloated salaries, enhanced benefits packages, and big hiring bonuses. According to a July 2021 Robert Half survey of almost 3,000 senior managers, 48% are offering signing bonuses and 43% are giving more PTO.  Someone not even looking for work reported being offered 3x their previous salary by a prospective employer. It’s a blunt force method of getting what you want, but it has proven effective. Especially now that(plot twist!) a lot of those professionals who left their positions willingly, are actually coming back. Millions left their jobs during the pandemic, many to see if the grass really was greener. But many faced a realization that no matter where you go, things will never be perfect. Some companies over-promised on autonomy or the flexibility to work from home, or simply didn’t have the kind of culture they were accustomed to. So as the dust settles and the picture becomes more clear, many are looking back at their old jobs through rose-tinted glasses. Which is turning the job market into a revolving door as of late.

The SHRM State of the Workplace Study

Let’s look at some cold hard statistics, shall we? The SHRM State of the Workplace Study for 2021-2022 is a survey of 1,737 HR professionals and 642 US workers. They reported back some eye-opening data that really give you a preview into the year ahead. For example, resignation rates are continuing to climb; 26% of small companies reported climbing resignation rates, and 53% of large companies reported the same. It is interesting to note that remote working organizations are faring a bit better. For example, the labor shortage is a top challenge facing 74% of remote companies, and 87% of in-person companies. Furthermore, another problem facing 67% of remote businesses and 80% of in-person was legal and compliance concerns. While we’re on the topic, here are the top four challenges facing businesses of all sizes…

  1. Labor shortage
  2. Legal and compliance concerns
  3. Health and safety
  4. Inflation concerns

We already mentioned the labor shortage and legal concerns, but what about health and inflation? It makes sense that those two don’t really come up for remote workers because they’re more detached from those hurdles. When you work from home you’re not as likely to catch a cold or worse from a coworker or bring it to work for others. And with inflation on the rise, it pays to stay home and save on gas money, daycare, less need for PTO, not eating out as much, etc. Same for employers who don’t have to worry so much about office overhead, on-site insurance, amenities, etc. Simply put, the more remote working professionals you have, the less you have to worry about. The same goes for finding, maintaining, and retaining talent. Remote organizations were rated 2.5x more effective in those areas than in-person offices. 

Looking Ahead

Of the many HR professionals surveyed, there were four target areas of improvement for 2022. While most of them reported satisfaction with how their organization handled the pandemic, continuing to navigate the aftermath of the pandemic continues to be a priority. Here are the top four efforts being prioritized by HR professionals in 2022…

2022 challenges

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It’s no question that fewer brick-and-mortar facilities can equal more cost savings and fewer headaches for business owners. There’s even evidence that remote working can increase productivity for those not in the office. Not to mention the cost-saving benefits for the employees themselves. Focusing on more flexibility with remote work options, coupled with competitive wages to keep up with inflation, seems to be the recipe for attracting talent. 

It’s time to think outside the b̶o̶x̶ building 

These are unprecedented times we’re in, facing new yet familiar obstacles in the professional world. So why not respond with new but familiar ideas? Take for example the blended(or hybrid) work model. It has been around for ages but recently has gained traction in the face of increased work-from-home flexibility. With a hybrid work model, organizations can hit all of those 2022 checkboxes with relative ease. By outsourcing roles that can be done remotely to virtual assistants in another country, business owners are realizing they get the same benefits as a local hire. Plus the added benefit of massive cost savings, which can then be re-allocated to their local experts. Improve what little office space you need, and offer better compensation and benefits for the few employees who are local. That’s how you attract and keep the talent you want.

MyOutDesk > other virtual assistant services

We’ve already made it clear that the labor market struggles we face today likely aren’t going anywhere all year long. Efforts to attract and retain top talent need to be amplified by any business hoping to stay ahead of the curve and set itself up for massive success in 2023. Now it’s time to make clear why MyOutDesk specifically has been and continues to be the secret weapon for missions like that. Outsourcing busy work to virtual assistants in another country isn’t new. In fact, it’s often discussed by business owners off the record and in whispers, due to archaic stigmas surrounding the industry. We’re here to dispel those concerns with facts and evidence.

For a more in-depth analysis of the benefits of virtual assistants, LEARN MORE HERE when you’re done with this article.

Our virtual assistants are based in the Philippines. Did you know they have a 95% literacy rate wherein the medium of instruction is mainly English? And they’re ranked 27/100 countries globally on the English proficiency index, and ranked #2 in Asia. So we aren’t giving companies language barriers to work with, we’re connecting them with fluent English-speaking professionals. On top of that, we have a very thorough interview process for our hires, ensuring they have the experience and/or education preferred. As well as reliable equipment and internet, coupled with a rigorous background check. In other words, assurances for you. The kind of assurances you simply don’t get with a random local hire or someone of a contract service like Fivver. And if there is one thing that is like gold to recruiters and HR teams right now, it’s assurances.

Your labor market friend in 2022

With our history and expertise in the remote working professional world, coupled with the struggles of our current labor market, it really is MyOutDesk’s time to shine. And we invite any business trying to grow while staying ahead of these obstacles to shine with us. We hope this write-up was informative and interested enough to have kept you this far down. We are in a prime position to support growing businesses of any shape or size right now with our proven and reliable virtual assistants. Your success is quite literally our success, so let’s be successful together. Use the link below to request a talk with one of our experts, where they’ll go over any questions or concerns you have. Zero obligation or pressure, just a friendly and educational conversation, as long or as short as you need. We’d love to hear from you!

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

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recruiting retention

Wasting Time and Money – The True Cost of a Bad Hire

Would you agree that the only thing worse than trying to recruit the right person is trying to keep the right person? Imagine spending all of the time, energy, and resources to find that ideal fit, only to lose them shortly after and have to start the process all over again. No one wants to go through that, especially after finding out that they don’t even have to. Well, that’s what you’re finding out right now. With a MyOutDesk virtual assistant, you don’t have to go through that, ever. We go through it so that you don’t have to. And that’s what we’re going to cover here; why and how you can stop wasting time and money trying to find that perfect fit. Because we already did, and they’re ready to work for you right now.

Just The Facts

The average time to hire in the US is 43 days, in other words almost two months. The average length of time to go from requesting a MyOutDesk virtual assistant to having one at your disposal, ready to work; is 14 days or less. That’s less than half the time. How do we do it? Let’s take a quick look at our process…

Our Recruitment

  1. The professionals apply through our careers page.
  2. We schedule them for an exam, specific to the field they applied in.
  3. Our recruitment specialists review the completed exams and make their selections.
  4. Those selected are scheduled for a Zoom interview with a recruiter.
  5. If approved, they are scheduled for a 2nd/final interview with a manager.
  6. If selected for hire, we begin the next phase…

Verification and On-boarding

  • Verify all provided references(3 professional, 2 personal) with FBI-grade background checks.
  • Verify their identity and location.
  • Run a system check of their computer and home network to ensure it meets our standards.
  • Place them in a pool categorized by experience and skillset. Ready for work.

Did you know that MyOutDesk gets an average of 150 applications per day? Compare that to our current pool of 200 available virtual assistants. Goes to show that we can have plenty of professionals ready to work for you, while also making sure they’re up to our standards first. Ensuring that they not only can do what you need but that they’ll stick around doing it! It’s a win/win for any growing business, even yours. Just look at what they can do for you!

Training Day

Clark Sandlin is a business owner who saw the value of outsourcing done right and has been using two of our virtual assistants. And just this week he added a third to his team! One of the most common concerns we hear from interested clients is regarding the onboarding process. People worry that training their virtual assistants remotely will take extra time and be less effective. The truth is our professionals are verified to be experienced, tech-savvy, strong English speakers, and fast learners. They’re often familiar with the same platforms used across various industries in the US. So they can jump in and hit the ground running after just a bit of education on your own processes. It’s all part of the benefits of a blended business model, which we cover in greater detail HERE if you’d like to learn even more.

“Our MOD virtual assistants finished their internal training and SOPs in 2 days, while our local team hires typically take 2 weeks.” – Clark Sandlin, President, and CEO of Zyrka

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Treat Yourself (and your business)

Reap the rewards of our hard work. Get yourself a virtual assistant to take care of your day-to-day busywork, while freeing yourself up to focus on the higher value tasks you actually want to do. You can skip the headaches and have a reliable, experienced, educated professional at your disposal in a matter of days. Remember; the two most valuable things you have are time and money; a bad hire wastes both. A virtual assistant from MyOutDesk comes with a talent-match guarantee. And in today’s volatile hiring market, guarantees like that are even harder to find than decent gas prices!

Click here to request a consultation with one of our experts. We’re always available to answer questions and discuss concerns. If it looks like a virtual assistant is even a good fit for your growth needs, we’ll pitch a plan for you to consider. No obligation, no catch. Your success is literally our success, so let’s see if we can be successful together!

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

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mod movement

MOD Movement: The Non-profit That Serves the World

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We recently had someone reach out to us, inquiring about what we do to support our valued employees overseas. Rather than take offense, we actually appreciated the voice of concern! As it gave us an opportunity to talk about something very dear to our hearts at MyOutDesk. A little something with a big impact we call MOD Movement. Being of service to those in need is a core value of ours. So it only made sense that we find a way to utilize our successful platform to expand how we serve. And what better way to give back than by helping underprivileged communities receive opportunities they might not have otherwise. Are you wondering how exactly a big business like ours achieves this, or maybe just why you should care? Read on to learn all about it in this informative case study.

What is MOD Movement

MOD Movement is a charity organization started by the generous employees of MyOutDesk in 2013. It’s a California-based nonprofit corporation made available to the public and backed personally by our CEO Daniel Ramsey. As a provider of the best virtual assistants for any company trying to scale up, serving others is ingrained in our business philosophy. It’s just part of who we are, which means it doesn’t stop at the product we offer. Our efforts to serve others extend beyond our 9-5 hours, beyond state lines, borders, and even oceans. That’s why in addition to 100% of all contributions going directly to our charitable missions, MyOutDesk matches all local donations. So even if you don’t donate directly, by hiring one of our virtual assistants you’re already making an impact on someone’s life. With 130 customers currently contributing, our ongoing mission to create an impact in the world is very much on track.

Your Donation

We offer two different ways to contribute to our charity; single donations or monthly. And all contributions are completely tax-deductible. Tax-exempt 501c3 status has been approved for MOD Movement since March of 2018, and donors can deduct contributions under IRC Section 170. Every project we channel our contributions to is verified and disclosed publicly. We also measure a project’s success by the number of lives impacted. Because the two highest priorities associated with MOD Movement are: transparency with our customers about what the money is being used for, as well as the level of impact the chosen project has. We even track and publicly report our hours of contribution each year. These assurances are why we’ve been so successful at rallying involvement from internal employees, vendors, clients, and our virtual assistants themselves.

What MOD Movement is doing

BoysTown Orphanage

The MOD Movement participates in an annual day of giving at the BoysTown orphanage, a non-profit organization in the Philippines. In 2016 for example, we brought in a carnival for the kids and food and supplies for all of the residents. MOD Movement also paid for renovations to their basketball court and new sports equipment. We continue to work with BoysTown eight years later, matching donations to improve the way of life for over 600 children and families. We have also focused efforts on expanding their senior living facility in Manila, Philippines. It is here that 40+ seniors are living in a tent with medical conditions. Donations to this charity will grant them new housing to keep them healthy and comfortable. And overall improve their basic quality of life. The planning phase for this ambitious project is underway right now.

boys town orphanage

The HOW Group

Our latest pursuit of community service is in partnership with The HOW Group charities organization. Its mission is to help families break the cycle of poverty and participate in the American dream via homeownership and financial freedom. We’re working with them right now to help fund the renovation and construction of eight homes in a West Philadelphia neighborhood. The HOW Group buys dilapidated homes in Philadelphia and then works with reputable contractors and vendors to renovate them. The homes are then sold to low-income families at 30% – 50% below market value, granting them instant equity and a strong foundation to start anew. Donations like ours from the MOD Movement charity make these housing projects not just possible, but necessary. Below is an example of a project house before and after a donation-funded renovation.

Below is an audio clip from a call with one of the families served by the HOW Group, as well as a before and after image of a house renovated by the charity. The positive impact on a family’s life by this organization is immeasurable, and we love having tangible proof like this.

Philadelphia homes

This program helped me improve my financial literacy, pay down my debts and qualify for a mortgage. I now have a mortgage that is less than my rent was, and am able to save extra money every month. I have dreamt of being a homeowner for many years because I wanted to show my children that if you work hard, you can accomplish your goal. We are forever grateful. – said by a homeowner served by the HOW Charity

Help Us Help Others

MyOutDesk is the leader in outsourcing for virtual assistants, and a lot of our success has to do with core values. Having a servant’s heart is such a big part of who we are, and it shows in how we service our clients. As well as how we embrace and support our remote working professionals all the way in the Philippines. We are in a unique position to spread our desire to serve outside of our industry. Be that building homes in another state or building communities in another country. Our 2022 goal is to reach half a million dollars in community impact, and so far thanks to generous volunteers we are on track. If you’d like to speak directly to one of our experts you can request a consultation via the link below. We’d be happy to discuss our mission and how helping your business grow with virtual assistants contributes to that mission. Thanks for reading, and if you click that donation button, thank you for that too. 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

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virtual assistants 2022

The State of Virtual Assistants: 2022 Update

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In this 2022 update on the State of Virtual Assistants, we’ll tell you how the recent advancements in virtual assistants will affect you, your business, and your career. It’s time to stop thinking that virtual assistants are just resources for CEOs and tech-savvy managers – they’re much more than that. Virtual assistants are becoming as ubiquitous as traditional employees today.

Table of Contents

Two Definitions of ‘Virtual Assistant’

There are two definitions of what a virtual assistant is: a type of software and a type of service. As software, it refers to a program that provides assistance with everyday tasks. The other type of assistant is a person who helps another person with their personal tasks (administrative, management, etc.).

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

The Types of Virtual Assistants: Smart Machines & Human Expertise

A virtual assistant serves different purposes, from routine administrative tasks to complex research. Virtual assistants can be software programs designed to make a person’s life easier. They can also be highly specialized professionals that help with a variety of different tasks, depending on the situation’s needs.

Now and in the future, both of these types will continue to grow in popularity and diversify — here’s how they’ll change:

Software Virtual Assistants Will Be Everywhere

Software virtual assistants are already becoming more common, and their use cases are expanding as well. Many companies offer virtual assistants for business use – some are even planning on releasing more affordable versions for individual consumers as well.

Statistics:
There are currently 100 million virtual assistant software programs installed on mobile devices globally.  More than 25% of all mobile searches are carried out via voice – Google alone has over 2 billion voice searches per month. Already, 20% of consumers believe that virtual assistants like Siri will replace all apps over the next 5 years.

Other interesting stats:
 Many experts believe that virtual assistance software will be a $1 trillion industry by 2025. Additionally, 67% of business owners and executives think that their companies will use virtual assistants in the next 3 years.

Alexa and Siri were the first, but many more are entering the market as well. Google has Google Assistant, Microsoft has Cortana, and Amazon has Alexa. These virtual assistants are constantly improving with each software update – and soon, they will be able to perform even more tasks that make your life easier.

Virtual assistants have many uses in the office or at home: you can use them to schedule simple appointments, track packages being delivered to you, create reminders for important dates on your calendar, and even send texts to your friends or colleagues.

Your software virtual assistant will soon be able to complete even more tasks — they’ve already been integrating with smart devices to simplify your life: Amazon’s Alexa can turn on your lights with a voice command, smart locks can let you in when you’re home and keep intruders out, and the Nest Thermostat can keep your heating and cooling bills low every season.

Occupational Virtual Assistants Are Exceedingly Common as Well

Virtual assistants (as a professional occupation) that have talent and expertise are more affordable than their colleagues who are in the office, and they also complement well with software advancements in business operations. Many companies are willing to pay for this higher level of virtual assistant service. These virtual assistants are generally trained to be faster at completing specialized tasks than in-office employees, and they are hired for their ability to learn and adapt well to new skills over time as well.

Statistics:
Experts predict that in just a few years, the virtual assistant workforce will double in size. Already, 1 million people work as virtual assistants worldwide. In comparison, there were 25,000 virtual assistants worldwide in 2008. This figure will grow to 2.3 million people globally.

Popular occupational virtual assistants

There are five types of occupational virtual assistants in 2021, according to this report:  Sales, Customer Service, Marketing, Administrative, and Artificial Intelligence. And this list continues to grow in 2022 as the professional world evolves to new standards and preferences.

  1. Sales assistants are real hires for sales-driven organizations who want a perfect sales assistant who can prospect, cold call, perform inside sales, and perfect calling scripts.
  2. Administrative assistants are real hires who help in the organization and coordination of tasks that require administrative skills.
  3. Customer service assistants are real hires who help companies in responding to customer inquiries and requests. They will also assist customers on issues such as payment, returns, and refunds while having them provide feedback about the service experience. A customer service virtual assistant is fully in charge of administering customer service technologies (open, manage, and close tickets) – delivering that genuine customer satisfaction that all buyers demand.
  4. Marketing assistants are real hires who help companies with advertising, promotions, events, campaigns, and sales through digital media channels in real-time.
  5. AI assistants are artificial assistants that perform tasks based on voice, touch, and text. They are designed to be proactive and context-sensitive in order to be of more use to their users.

While promising, AI doesn’t quite cut it (just yet)

There is no doubt that the presence of AI in today’s businesses has helped companies operate smoothly when teams cannot afford more customer service employees. For some, businesses are finding that their retention rates are dipping while using AI customer service software.

So what is the perfect balance in incorporating AI, yet still fostering innovative and efficient productivity?

Enhancing the Digital Learning Curve

With dozens of AI bots on the market, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to automate your operations. It’s natural to look for automated solutions first. After all, IT solutions are often more cost-effective than hiring team members.

Many aren’t yet aware that competitive businesses are assigning a full-time occupational virtual assistant to pair with their digital technologies. Occupational virtual assistants are providing the human touch needed for up to less than 70% of the cost of a traditional full-time employee – often in the same tier of low overhead costs as some popular digital software subscriptions.

Increasing Retention Rates plus KPIs, with “hybrid” virtual solutions

Businesses find that they can finally deliver the genuine customer satisfaction that all buyers expect – when the power of virtual AI meets the power of human virtual assistance – fortunately at a lower amount of overhead costs than a full-time physical employee(allowing the best profit margins).

An experienced, qualified Virtual Assistant provider is capable of supplementing the rest of their service needs. They can handle administrative tasks, marketing, sales, customer onboarding, and training processes, along with Tier-1 support and Help Desk tasks.

Important to a growing business: Affordable, value-oriented talent

In today’s digital & service economy, excellent service is the deciding factor for most businesses. If teams do not focus on creating a good experience across each and every interaction, you will lead to negative feedback, bad reviews, and increased churn.

Despite the hype, commercial AI is still maturing. While it can be useful for basic key-phrase recognition and providing canned responses to common questions, ultimately it’s confined to the limitations of a predefined workflow. AI cannot yet think outside the box and adapt to situations that require a degree of empathy and comprehension—and it often falls apart when asked even simple questions outside of what it is programmed to recognize.

Relying on AI as a front-line customer interaction tool alone can be dangerous. So rather than attempting to replace human assistance with AI solutions, it’s better to combine them for optimal customer service. The modern workplace is increasingly collaborative, and human assistants remain intrinsically more capable to foster relationships than AI alone.

There’s a place for automation, and there’s also a place for real, human staffing – and virtual assistant providers such as MyOutDesk virtual assistants are the top-tier solution for your high-tech help desk & customer service roles for a fraction of what business would pay locally.

Focus on your growth and scale your operations

Envisioning a New Reality for Your Business

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a ‘Double Your Business’ strategy consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

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The Missing Piece of the Healthcare Puzzle: Virtual Assistants

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The healthcare industry has been undoubtedly affected by world events in numerous ways. But to be fair, a lot of the issues this industry faces have always been there.  After doing some homework of our own, three particular areas seem to be major pain points in this industry. So we wanted to take the time to point out how one missing puzzle piece in the healthcare equation can effectively “cure” all of that pain. That piece is a virtual assistant, and we’re going to break down how and why. While this article is for healthcare professionals and business owners, the lessons within apply to many different businesses. Specifically, those who are ready to try something different to grow their business but also want a high chance of success. Because nowadays more than ever, time is money. And MyOutDesk is not in the business of wasting anyone’s time; we’re in the business of saving you time(and money while we’re at it). Let’s go over exactly how we do that.

Wasting time & energy?

There are many tasks a qualified professional can confidently perform remotely. A big one is general administrative tasks, like data entry, document review, scheduling, email/calendar management; the list goes on.  All of those listed items tend to add up and bog down an otherwise productive and effective team. But letting that happen to your local staff is unnecessary when you could outsource those tasks to someone somewhere else. Someone just as experienced, skilled, and capable as anyone locally. Someone familiar with industry applications like Behaviorsoft, for example. And at up to 70% less cost! Because our virtual assistants are all based out of the Philippines; one of the most English-speaking places in the world. Not to mention a treasure trove of hardworking professionals anxious for steady, consistent work. Why waste your time and your energy juggling a bunch of tasks that take you away from more high-level, dollar-generating duties? You need to focus on that stuff, the stuff that only you and your loyal team can do. Let our virtual assistants handle the just as important but less exciting tasks everyone else dreads.

Benefiting roles: Patient Service Representative, Director of Credentials, Document Specialist, Billing/Accounting Specialist, Administrative Assistant

Poor client experience?

Are you tired of getting negative feedback about your client experience? Have you pinpointed what exactly is leaving more to be desired? Perhaps it’s the slow application process, inconsistent appointment scheduling, or even the speed at which you process incoming leads. Someone somewhere in your equation is not getting the fast, accurate service people have come to expect these days. With tech companies offering white-glove quality service to wow and retain customers, a healthcare company has to be at least on par. If your local team is feeling overwhelmed and stressed juggling duties, this is another instance when a remote working virtual professional can step in to lighten the load. By alleviating pressure from the person handling these tasks, you give them more room to provide the highest quality of customer service possible. Does your company use Klara? That’s just an example of a system for healthcare companies that our virtual assistants can manage in your name, to improve the client experience. 

Benefiting roles: Recruitment Specialist, Virtual Patient Service Representative, Profile Coordinator, Technical Support

Employee attrition?

We’ve talked about the “great resignation” in recent articles. It’s a very real problem facing numerous industries as of late. Professionals are leaving companies for greener pastures or trying to start their own businesses. The standards for what professionals expect nowadays are only rising, and employers need to work a bit harder to keep up. That is if they want to solve their employee retention problems. Some ways of doing so; lighten the workload so they feel less stressed, and increase pay/benefits. These two answers are surefire fixes, even if implementing them is easier said than done. You can accomplish both, however, with the help of a virtual assistant. By outsourcing tasks to a reliable, experienced virtual assistant you effectively remove pressure from your local staff. In doing so you also save money, which can be reallocated where you see fit. Like, a cost of living adjustment, improved benefits, or regular bonuses. You’ll probably even have some cash leftover for something else, like upgrading your marketing efforts. Our virtual professionals long for the opportunity and work hard to prove it. Meanwhile, your local staff appreciates not having the weight of the world on their shoulders, coupled with a bit of extra cash in their hands.  It’s a win/win.

Benefitting roles: Director of Recruitment, Human Resources, and virtually everyone else!

Conclusion

It may sound like hyperbole to say that virtual assistants can solve numerous problems all at once. Well, MyOutDesk has been providing virtual assistants to businesses in various stages of development since 2008. Long before it was “cool” to outsource and work remotely. We have testimonies from clients who saved literally hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. And while being able to actually hire more local talent and keep them around too. All because they outsourced one or more tasks to virtual assistants we helped match them up with. Our mission is to empower businesses to scale and grow in cost-effective ways while remaining true to their own mission and sustaining it indefinitely. Our success is literally your success, which is why we don’t mess around with this stuff. We tell it like it is, and we’d love to tell you personally.

Let’s Talk Help

So if you’re at all interested in how a virtual assistant could help your business, do use the link at the bottom of this blog, or anywhere on our website, to request a consultation. Our experts like to hear you out first, and understand your needs, wants, and concerns. Then, we pitch a plan to address all of them. It’s not always the right fit, but it’s always worth your time. So reach out and let’s have a chat. Because we’d love to help. Thanks for listening!

So use the link below to request a consultation with one of our experts. They like to hear you out first, so they can understand exactly what you need. Then, if we’re a good fit, they pitch a plan involving one or more virtual assistants for you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so don’t hesitate. Now more than ever, the clock is ticking for businesses everywhere.

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Entrepreneurs Die Chasing A Fantasy: Addicted to Hopium

This is part 1 of a 2 part blog that aims to help professionals learn how to focus their ambition and vision to achieve greater, more sustainable success.

“Focus is a matter of deciding what things you’re not going to do.” That’s a very wise quote from John Carmack, co-founder of iD Software, a video game studio that started in the ’90s. He was the lead designer on titles that even the most non-video game adept person likely still knows about; like Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein. He knew then what our CEO Daniel Ramsey preaches today; you can’t have vision without focus. And that’s not about your eyeballs, it’s about the mission you’re on with your business. John Carmack helped make his company one of the most successful and beloved software developers in the world by focusing on the right things. iD Software didn’t sell one game and then decide they wanted to produce and sell consoles too. They’re a software company, not a hardware company. Their customers just wanted them to keep producing bigger and better video games. So they listened to their fans and delivered on the expectations while evolving things the fans didn’t even know they wanted yet. Leave it to companies like Sony and Nintendo to handle the console side of things, that’s a whole different league. This is an example of a focused, successful vision. And they didn’t become a global phenomenon overnight; it took time and focus to grow their brand according to the wants and needs of their community. Long-term success means short-term focus. 

Narrow Your Focus

The purpose of this article is about how important a focused vision is. So let’s make sure this article does that too by getting to the point, shall we? Daniel speaks to a lot of other business owners; ranging from entrepreneurs growing a startup to seasoned CEOs managing major corporations. One such business owner was recently telling Daniel about his growth plans for the residential business he owns. They are currently planning and building a 5,000-unit apartment building. Holy crap! That is a massive project. Daniel asked about their most recent completed projects and was surprised to hear those apartments all ranged from only 50 to 75 units. Going from under 100 to 5,000 is quite an ambitious move. And in Daniel’s eyes, it’s an unnecessarily high-risk move.

Don’t Get Addicted

This kind of blind ambition is what some, including Daniel, refer to as ‘hopium’. It refers to when someone is metaphorically high on a false sense of hope. They are literally banking the success of their next big venture on hope and a prayer. This can be a dangerous habit to form, as by expanding one’s vision one also expand their focus. You’ve probably heard the phrase “keep your eye on the prize”; that is a simplified basis for this lesson. By trying to do the most we often fail at doing even the minimum. Grandiose ideas too often lead to failure and disappointment. It’s much more efficient and reliable to focus on what you’re already doing right and grow that incrementally. You got your start by providing something for a specific customer and you did it well. Don’t sabotage that progress by biting off more than you can chew. Have you ever eaten too much and felt like crap after, and said “my eyes were too big for my stomach”? Overstepping your business goals and stretching yourself thin leads to similar regret. But it’s not just about doing too much, it’s also about what you do at all.

 

“That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” – Steve Jobs

Love The Now, For Future’s Sake

Daniel Ramsey had an idea of how to solve a problem, and he executed it well. As things went smoothly, he focused on why they were going smoothly. What was working so well for everyone and how can it work even better? He didn’t expand his vision to include call centers with local professionals or start selling energy drinks to help business owners stay caffeinated. Instead, he added a proprietary tracking application for his virtual assistants, to better suit the concerns of prospective clients. He worked on adding more diversity to the expertise offerings of his virtual assistant pool to widen his net of potential customers. These moves expanded the business and grew its success, without chasing some dream of a detached venture that did nothing for MyOutDesk at the time. This is a big lesson he preaches often and one which we’re trying to teach here. Love your current team and their accomplishments. Love them every time they push the goal post a little further. Don’t take the small steps for granted because you’re trying to skip ahead. Don’t assume that because you nailed this thing, you can nail that other thing too. As they say, “stay in your lane”. 

 

“It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world. The great man or woman is the one who never steps outside his or her specialty or foolishly dissipates his or her individuality.” Og Mandino

Foundation First

Being a good leader isn’t about some lofty vision you preach to impress everyone and make them think you’re going places. It’s about being consistent with your vision and the actions that support it. So you successfully completed a project with 75 apartment units; next time up it to 100. And how did that go? Did you knock that out of the park with ease? Great, maybe double it and do 200 next time. You’re still a far way off from the thousands, and that’s okay. These smaller victories are the foundation upon which you build something truly grand. You won’t have all of these small victories that build you up if you keep losing your focus by aiming for something else. Something else isn’t a reality, it’s a fantasy. The reality is what you have today, and you need to intimately know why you’re successful today and focus on that. Why did your customers choose you and why are they sticking around? Why do your employees support your vision? Once you know the answers to those, you’ll better know how to grow your business than you ever did before. 

Ground Your Dreams

If you’re the best yoga studio business in the city, where do you go from there? Some might think the answer is to expand the business into fields adjacent to yoga, like the healthcare industry. That seems like an ambitious and smart move that pivots perfectly from what you’re already doing! Wrong. That’s getting ahead of yourself, that’s losing sight of why your customers made you the most successful yoga studio, to begin with. Instead think about growing the reality of your business, as it is now. Maybe that means starting your own line of yoga mats that you can offer clients when they visit and even sell online to those who aren’t local. Something that simple adds value to your existing customers and even expands your offerings to those outside of your community.  While staying grounded and humble with today’s success, you naturally set yourself up for even greater opportunities for success. Being an entrepreneur isn’t about dreaming and wishing you had something you don’t. It’s about being passionate about what is real now, for you, your customers, and your employees. It’s about being awake and present in the now, and loving every second of it. Because if you don’t, then you’re in the wrong line of work anyways.

Conclusion

We’ve mentioned several quotes that support the wisdom behind this lesson, but I’m sure you’ve got some counter quotes of your own. Like that cheesy poster in the classroom that said “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you’ll land among the stars”. Sure, that’s an inspiring quote and all, but remember that space is a cold, vast nothingness of darkness and silence, waiting to pull you into a black hole from which there is no escape. So keep that in mind. Hire a virtual assistant to help you focus on your target and keep you out of black holes.

Click the link below to request a consultation with one of our experts. Mention this blog and the lesson it teaches, and we’ll talk to you about how virtual assistants support this model. We’ll talk about where you’re at professionally, if a virtual assistant fits your needs, and how. No obligation, no pressure; just knowledge and support. 

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social media

Virtual Assistants Are Upgrading Social Media Management

This probably sounds like a broken record, by now. Everyone knows that social media is an effective and inexpensive way to get your product or service in front of consumers. But it’s easy to get bogged down trying to manage it, especially as you become more successful. So let’s talk about not just why you should keep social media as a priority for your business, but how best to do so. Hint; virtual assistants are the key!

The Importance of Your Social Media Presence 

While it’s easy to create a social media page for your business and get some likes and followers, the work doesn’t stop there. Nowadays, users are expecting more personal experiences when they engage with businesses. They want to feel like they are heard and valued, so they expect quick and helpful responses over social media. For example, according to Social Media Today, Facebook users commenting on a brand’s page expect a response within 24 hours; if the comment is based on a complaint, the expected response time drops to under an hour. And if it’s a public comment, rather than a private message, well then everyone else can see if, when, and how you responded. That’s another important detail to never forget.

There are over 2 billion social media users worldwide, and 81% of the U.S. population has at least one social media profile. 

Keeping on top of the increasing demands and expectations of social media users can be difficult when you’re trying to maintain the day-to-day running of your business. A popular post can receive hundreds of questions and comments containing potential leads that you want to follow up. But there’s only so much time in the day. Besides, you and your team are likely too busy with more dollar-generating tasks to hang out on Facebook all day. This is where a virtual assistant fits into your equation perfectly. 

Try to Keep Up!

Supporting your social media presence with a marketing virtual professional helps you maintain a balance. They can respond to time-consuming questions and comments. Providing a filter so that you can focus on the hot leads and prospective clients. In addition, a marketing Virtual Assistant can produce posts according to your brief or create content independently for your approval before posting. So you can have as much or as little control over your social media posts as you want. Often times it only takes a few weeks of working together before the assistant is up to your speed and ability to hit the ground running on their own.

social media

Pay to Play

In the 3rd quarter of 2020, Facebook stated that 10 million active advertisers were using their platform. While fairly straightforward to create, the key to successful paid social media ads is tracking performance and effective targeting. A Virtual Assistant can create your social media ads and help you determine your target audience. This is imperative so you reach the right people. Then, all you need to do is set your budget, approve the ads, and pay for them. The assistant will maintain your ads, renew them as needed, and track their progress. Providing you with scheduled reports on how your efforts are doing, so that you can make the decisions about what to sideline and what to focus on.

Spend Less, Grow More

Social media has become crucial for business, and it’s now expected that companies should have a robust social media presence. While outsourcing the running of your social media accounts to a marketing agency or hiring in-house is an option, it’s also an expensive one. A virtual marketing professional can free up your time to concentrate more on your business and free up your budget to create quality shareable content and targeted social media advertising. Here at MyOutDesk, we have a pool of virtual professionals with a variety of marketing experiences, including paid advertising and social media management. They can do the same job a local hire would, at up to 70% less cost. Save money, not quality. 

If you’re at all curious, use the link below to request a consultation with one of our experts. It’s a no-pressure conversation, where we like to hear your concerns or ideas first and see if we’re even a good fit. And then we pitch a plan to get you exactly what you need with one or more of our talented and reliable virtual assistants. So don’t hesitate to reach out and let’s grow your brand more, for less!

 

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Top 3 Reasons Companies Seek Virtual Assistants

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There are a lot of reasons for a company to seek out virtual professionals. They range from just needing an extra hand on some mundane busy work, to needing an entire team to manage a particular department. We surveyed some professionals recently to get an idea of what the leading reasons for seeking outside help are, right now at the start of 2022. While the results of the survey certainly help us focus our efforts appropriately, we felt like sharing them outside our organization too. Because sometimes knowing more about what other companies are doing can be beneficial to a company still figuring things out. So here are the top three issues/concerns that led businesses to knock on our door.

Number 1 – Wasting Time / Workload Too High

This one being by far the most common response comes as no surprise. The very definition of assistant is: “a person who helps in particular work”. A lot of companies are facing a situation where even just one pair of helping hands could mean so much to their productivity and peace of mind. It could be that your company is experiencing sudden and rapid growth, and you’re struggling to keep up with demand. Or maybe you’ve always been juggling duties and stretching your team thin to maintain a certain quality of service. Either way, you’re tired of wasting that time and energy. This is when a virtual assistant can step in, remotely, and work all day or all night on just about any task you’ve got for them. Customer service, accounts receivable, marketing, sales, the list goes on. Give your local team some breathing room by adding a virtual assistant or two to lighten the load.

Learn how a VA can help you stop wasting time and energy:

Number 2 – Low / No Prospecting

Another obvious result because sales are something we see a lot of our virtual assistants being used for. The beauty of an inside sales agent(ISA) is that they can be anywhere. All they need is a phone and access to a computer. Educate them on your product and your vision and they’ll do the rest. Why not have a select few expert ISAs locally, and outsource a team of remote ISAs to do all the cold calling and manage email campaigns. It’s the perfect system for effective and productive prospecting. Virtual assistants can bate all the leads from there around the clock efforts, while your local experts hook them. You pay less for your sales efforts while getting more leads in return. We can see why that’d be the 2nd most popular reason to seek out our help.

Learn how a VA can help you tackle low prospecting:

Number 3 – Other

This one made the top three, despite not being anything specific. But if we step back and look at the various reasons leaders come to us and what our virtual assistants end up doing for them, it’s not hard to fill in the blanks. One example that might fit here, is when a business doesn’t need an assistant but is just curious how to maximize their results while spending less. Often times a successful company is successful because they’re doing everything they should be doing already. They’re seeing their success grow for a reason, right? But you can always stand to do a little better. 

Where do you fit?

Do you fit somewhere in this top three list? There are many other reasons why companies seek help from a remote working virtual assistant and even more reasons why they choose us over the competition. Not only do we provide experienced, skilled, and often educated professionals who are hungry for steady work, but we do so cost-effectively. We may not be the cheapest service, but we’re also not the most expensive. We do happen to be the best, according to several publications that have placed us as #1 for virtual assistants over the years. We’ve been giving growing businesses the help they need or just want, since long before the pandemic made remote work the new norm. 

If you have some questions or concerns, anything at all, please do click the link below to request a consultation with one of our experts. It’s not a pushy sales call, we promise. We just want to at least know what’s on your mind, and then tell you a bit more about us. Like how we can guarantee such high-quality professionals at up to 70% less cost than a traditional local hire with the same experience. So reach out, and let’s see if our service is a good fit for your business. 

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The Right Place At The Right Time – Facebook/Meta and MyOutDesk

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Did you know that the stock market has fangs? Well, one “FAANG” to be precise, and that’s just a cute acronym on wall street for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. The tech giants of the world. And those giants took a beating on the NYSE last week thanks to Facebook’s Meta. Or was it Apple’s fault? It’s a complex situation and we’re going to break it down for our readers here today. Because these businesses are so big that when they take big steps, forward or backward, we all feel it. The shockwaves of big tech success or failure are felt through almost every industry, for better or worse. MyOutDesk is proud to have gotten ahead of the competition in our respective industry, much like Facebook is trying to do with Meta. But the road to success is a bumpy one. So whether it’s a smart move for the social media giant or not remains to be seen. In the meantime, here are the facts. 

What Happened?

Facebook, or “Meta” as they’ve rebranded themselves, experienced their biggest one-day stock drop ever. Shares of Meta closed down more than 26%; a massive hit to their market value. This shocking devaluation of one of the biggest and most successful corporations in the world reverberated through the entire market. Companies like Amazon, Netflix, Google, Gamestop, Twitter, Snapchat, and Etsy all experienced a day in the red on the NYSE. And Zuckerberg himself experienced a net worth loss of $31 billion. Yikes. In an odd internal communication, Meta employees were told that Mark had “scratched his cornea” and thus might appear to cry at their company-wide video meeting. Whether that was a tongue-in-cheek joke or an embarrassing attempt to save face remains to be seen. Real tears not, Facebook/Meta stock continues to drop even as I write this article. 

Who’s To Blame?

No one entity is to blame, but rather a combination of unprecedented things all happening at once. The drop last week kicked off with a weaker than expected forecast from Facebook, regarding their revenue growth into the next quarter. This sparked concern in investors, resulting in a major dump in shares. Facebook cited a declining user base in key markets as one thing influencing their financial woes. As well as macroeconomic challenges like inflation and continued supply chain issues disrupting their advertiser budgets. They also mentioned competition from TikTok hurting their efforts to pivot into video-focused social media. Facebook Reels, short videos similar to TikTok’s format, have not been nearly as successful.

Another important factor is Apple and its recent privacy changes. We actually spoke here before about how Apple was making major changes to iOS regarding marketing and privacy. These changes give users more flexibility and options to determine their experience with ads and what information they do or do not share. It was expected that this would impact other companies who utilize digital advertising, as they would start to have access to fewer data from users who opt into these privacy safeguards from Apple. It appears those expectations were accurate, as they hit Facebook’s ad-targeting and measuring efforts hard.

What The Heck is Meta?

While the examples listed above surely affected Facebook revenue, the elephant in the room is Meta. For those out of the loop, Meta isn’t just a rebrand of the Facebook name in the face of public disdain. It’s also an entirely new platform of virtual engagement that Facebook is leaning very heavily into for the future. The concept simplified is a virtual world, like a massive videogame, that people and even companies/brands can log into and interact with. While Meta itself isn’t available to the public yet, early invites and similar platforms from different brands have been met with a controversial experience. Whether it’s boredom in the virtual world or consequence-free harassment, the optics aren’t good right now. But Facebook is banking on it as a product with less short-term revenue, but massive long-term potential. The question is will the massive losses be worth it to be “first” if and when the virtual world takes off? 

What Happens Now?

Zuckerburg is still worth $90 billion after the drop. But it’s his employees, often compensated for their success with stock options, that can’t afford big drops like this. And when the CEO doesn’t take responsibility for controversial business decisions that result in losses for his employees, those employees lose confidence. Then they become tempted to join this “great resignation” that’s been facing our nation as of late. Will Meta retain its top talent and power through this speedbump? Can they afford to eat losses in the short term for the promise of a big win in the long term? Only time will tell, once the dust settles. Rebranding Facebook as Meta has not been the success hoped for yet, but he appears to be in this for the long haul nonetheless. 

Where Is MyOutDesk?

If you zoom out, this really is a sign of the times, isn’t it? The world is different now, and it’s changing our way of life in so many ways it can seem hard to keep up with. Things we took for granted are being taken away or changing into whole new things right before our eyes. And the way we do business with each other is no different. Allowing remote work and looking to outsource specific functions of business are becoming increasingly accepted, as they continue to be successful for growing companies. MyOutDesk is fortunate enough to have been in this virtual assistant business long before it was cool, and long before the pandemic forced hands. Just like Facebook has banked on virtual experiences being the future of the internet, MyOutDesk banked on virtual professionals being the future of business. The only difference is we ended up being right, and now our clients benefit from our success.

You should see firsthand how and why MyOutDesk has been able to leave the competition in the dust. And how we continue to pave the way for growing businesses to scale up so efficiently and effectively. You can do this by clicking the link below to request a consultation with one of our experts. They will answer any questions you have, and they’ll listen to whatever you have to say regarding your needs, expectations, and even reservations.  Our virtual assistant model isn’t a good fit for every company.  But we’ll work with you to determine what’s best for your needs. Whether that’s one virtual assistant managing your social media presence, or three of them cold calling for you. We have lots of options available. Your success is our success, so let’s talk and be successful together.

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Content Creation Made Easy – Virtual Professionals Use Canva

A mechanic is no good without his tools. Just like a marketer/designer is no good without his own creative toolset. In the early days of graphic and web design, those tools were typically Adobe or Apple software costing the designer themselves a hefty sum. Eventually, the creative and tech-savvy began sharing their work online. Websites would offer templates that one could download and customize to fit their needs, giving designers a kind of headstart. Over time, with the advancements of technology on the web, more flexible and in-depth solutions became available. Like entire websites that resembled the legacy software designers were accustomed to using but hosted entirely online. One of those such websites still going strong today is Canva. An invaluable tool to anyone seeking creative solutions, be they an experienced designer or someone without a creative bone in their body!

What Exactly Is Canva?

For those unfamiliar, Canva is a website that offers a wide variety of creative tools and content. From presentation templates and video files to social media and even printable assets. Much of their content library is free to use, while some of their premium assets are restricted to Canva Pro accounts which cost a monthly fee. Anyone can create a free account from scratch or by connecting Canva to your Google, Apple, or Facebook account. From there you’re able to browse their extensive library of free, customizable templates, as well as sample premium content before signing up for a paid subscription. There’s something for everyone and just about every need. 

 

We did a little research on our end and discovered that Canva was by far the most searched-for technology by a large demographic of our clients. We attribute this to the freedom and flexibility Canva offers professionals looking for help producing attractive visuals. The ease of use means that anyone with a computer can dive in and play around until they’ve got a hang of it. With a bit of practice, even non-creative types can start producing professional-grade content. On the flip side, someone experienced in the world of graphic and media design has enough customization at their disposal to elevate the provided content. They can expand on existing templates or create their own content from scratch using the web-based Canva application. No software download is necessary; just log in and start creating. Plenty is possible using the free service, while the Pro tier opens things up even more and at less cost than traditional software like Adobe. 

content creation

Why Should You Try It?

Services like Canva come in especially handy when coupled with a creative virtual assistant. Some companies will have a corporate account for services like Canva and share access with hired marketers, designers, etc. Very handy for allowing group access to projects and maintaining branding guidelines, all while making content creation fast and easy. No matter how skilled your designer or marketer is, they don’t need to spend half the day making social media content from scratch. With Canva your virtual assistant can log in remotely without any software, and pick a template that fits the aesthetic of your business. Then they can customize it to fit your branding, share it for review, then download their creation and start posting it all over your channels. From Instagram posts and stories to flyers and brochures, infographics, A4 documents, and even engaging videos. If the designer was a mechanic, then Canva is their auto shop.

A Winning Combo

With the rising embrace of remote work and outsourcing tasks to virtual professionals, web-based services like Canva are invaluable. Simply with access to a computer and internet, anyone can log in and start creating visually interesting and dynamic content to suit any business type. The results only improve when experienced professionals get their hands on a service like Canva. It’s yet another way to cut costs, increase productivity and maintain product quality. And when coupled with a reliable, experienced virtual assistant, the results are limitless. Our clients can attest to that, and we’re happy to show you how and why. Click the link below to request a consultation with one of our experts. They like to hear you out first, and then pitch a plan with one of our virtual assistants that gets you what you need. It’s easy, quick, and has no strings attached. A creative virtual assistant from MyOutdesk using a free and robust service like Canva is a winning combination. Let us help you win.

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Robert Massie Portrait recruiting virtual assistants

Robert W. Massie Testimonial: 150% More Recruiting At Half The Cost!

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Brightstar is a rapidly growing in-home healthcare organization striving to help Americans with quality, affordable assistance – but when it comes to recruiting the best of the best for their organization, who helps them? MyOutDesk! Just listen to what Brightstar Fairfax Owner & President Robert Massie has to say:

“Mark, our virtual assistant, is basically our recruiting department – and he’s been able to drive us from two hires a week to just over four hires a week in the last 12 months. He’s a very skilled individual who understands the health care market, very technically savvy, and he’s been very effective.”

A few years back, Massie left a successful Fortune 500 executive career to launch a Brightstar Franchise with his wife – and in the process, learned how painfully competitive the market is for qualified healthcare staff. He turned to MyOutDesk to help his recruiting, and in less than a year we gave him 150% higher results, for less than half the cost of in-house staffing! If you want to do the same, schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now!

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So what’s the secret sauce that makes his MyOutDesk VA work? We found him a qualified, healthcare experienced recruiting assistant to handle all of his recruiting and turned it into a full-time role that let his HR staff focus on more important tasks in their daily routines. The results were impressive:

“I would’t have expected it was going to be quite this successful. You know, I thought that if I can get 70% of what I would have gotten otherwise maybe that’s good – but I’m getting 150% of what I used to get and it’s less than half the cost of a really good recruiter. It’s turned out to be very, very good – the outcomes can’t be argued with!”

Robert’s experience is similar to many MyOutDesk clients who rely on our trained recruiting assistants to find, follow up with, prequalify help onboard the best & brightest talent for America’s up & coming organizations. We have experience in several industries and across dozens of national market areas, and know-how to help your organization grow rapidly by outsourcing the phone work & scheduling to a trained virtual assistant.

Brightstar Fairfax is assisted by Mark – a hard-working VA with past experience as a trained nurse. We placed Mark with Robert’s team, and over the course of a year, he took them from 2 hires to over 4 per week: and helped them beat the competition to the highest quality trained labor for their organization!

If you’re trying to grow your organization, a recruiting assistant is an amazing resource to put your team growth into high gear, and is available for less than 60% of what you’d pay for in-house staff! Schedule a Double Your Business Strategy Session now and add a virtual assistant to your team today!

 

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