What benefits does a VA bring?
As every experienced photographer knows, the only way to make a living is having the opportunity to take photos. If you're too busy answering questions, scheduling or handling billing, that time is eaten up so quickly.
Have you ever sat down to design an album, or plan a family session, or been on your way to a session with a client and not been able to concentrate on because you're too busy answering clients questions or trying to book another shoot. One of the things a photographer has constantly on their mind is being bogged down with all of the administrative task that they had to take care of. There are emails to answer, shoots to schedule, invoices to be sent, blog posts to research and schedule. You are never really free to just create without a constant reminder in your head of the things you need to get done to grow your business.
The Cost Benefits of Working with a VA
Now that you’ve seen what a virtual assistant can accomplish in an hour or less, the next questions are what is the cost, and is it worth it?
While it seems to be a pricey service, keep in mind the following:
- Virtual assistants are often more productive, so an hour of their time might be the same as 3 or more hours of yours
- There is no equipment or office space you need to provide for a virtual assistant
- Because VA’s work from their own home, they are not late to work, and they can work even when the weather is bad
- Virtual assistants are often independent business owners themselves, and have the ability to see the bigger picture because they understand the ins and outs of running their own business
- There is no need to provide benefits or insurance for a virtual assistant, and there are no labor laws or employment taxes to look out for since a VA is an independent contractor
- A big benefit to photographers is that virtual assistants are more likely to work outside of normal business hours, because they are able to set their own schedule
What about taxes?
Photographer VA is a completely separate business and your VA does not become an actual employee of your business.  I work as an independent contractor, so you really shouldn’t owe any additional tax.  Obviously, you need to consult a professional tax accountant licensed in your state to determine your tax liabilities, but there should be no tax owed on a VA.  In fact, it’s a great write-off!
Still Unsure?
Most of my clients have never hired anyone before, and are nervous about committing to an additional expense.  That’s completely normal.  When it comes down to it, you need to decide if you dare take a small leap in order to free up an ENORMOUS amount of your own time and worry so you can grow your business, or if you’d rather stay where you’re at.  Hiring a VA is not right for everyone, but with no long-term contract, I feel extremely confident that most photographers will see a life-changing benefit to their business by hiring a VA.
You could certainly hire someone local to be your VA, but I’ve worked in this industry supporting photographers remotely for the last two years and have learned what works and what doesn’t work in their businesses.  Let me take that knowledge to help your business grow.  Nearly every stressful thing you have to do in your business, you could pass off to a VA.  I hope you’ll give me a chance to support you in your venture.
Please take the time to view my website at PhotographerVA.com and make sure to Like our FB Page. I'll be running a Facebook promotion within the next week for some items to win, so make sure to like my Facebook page and stay tuned.