Every now and then I have a request from a client to do things that are outside my skillset. For me these are usually things involving finance, such as BAS or payroll matters such as superannuation that I don’t have the experience or knowledge to handle. Most of the time, the clients are just asking and are more than happy for me to find them someone who can do the job properly and get to done professionally. Other times, they get upset and push for me to do what they want. It’s these clients that can be a problem.
Firstly, if you’re that client you might find yourself having issues with regard to whether your Virtual Assistant is a contractor or an employee. In Australia, the definitions of employee and contractor can tread a fine line, and the penalties for getting it wrong can be extreme if you’re determined to have been doing the wrong thing deliberately. The Australian Tax Office actively looks for businesses that are doing the wrong thing.
One example is that in Australia your BAS can only be submitted by an employee or a Registered BAS Agent. So it’s important to make sure that if you want your Virtual Assistant to handle BAS for you, that they are a Registered BAS Agent. If they’re actually submitting your BAS but aren’t a BAS Agent, then you’re both setting yourselves up to be taken to task by the ATO and the Tax Practitioners Board. Sometimes you’ll find a Virtual Assistant who is also a registered BAS agent, but mostly they’ll be bookkeepers or accountants so make sure you know who is doing your BAS.
When it comes to the financial aspects of your business, there’s still a lot that your Virtual Assistant can do to take the load off. They can handle the data entry into your accounting system, perform account reconciliations as well as the accounts receivable and accounts payable functions and even help with the regular payroll. Often, once the invoicing and reconciliation functions are taken care of, the rest is easier to handle.
The other main area that can occasionally be an issue for me is websites. I can create and manage WordPress websites and use and edit templates, plugins and widgets to get the look and functionality that the client is after, I can even work with CSS and HTML confidently. But sometimes, a client wants or needs more. Personally, I draw the line at websites requiring custom coding, I’m not a coding expert and usually the cheaper option is to pay a bit more for someone who can do what you need and get it right the first time. I get really frustrated when I see people who’ve been sucked in by someone who has “had a go” at doing something on their website and leaves them with a mess that costs them a fortune to get fixed, or more often needs a total redesign.
Of course, it’s not just websites and finance; there are plenty of other areas this applies to as well. Fields such as graphic design, copywriting, business cards, flyer creation and other desk top publishing jobs are all things that some people seem to feel do not require any particular skills and can be easily undertaken by anyone.
To a certain extent that’s true, anyone CAN produce a flyer and anyone CAN do their own copywriting, make their own logo or knock up their own website. Often, particularly when a business is new, that’s the best that finances will allow. The thing is, you will get a much better quality of work when it’s done by a professional, so it’s worth getting things done properly as your business becomes more profitable.
There’s a reason that people who have a high skill level, often backed by experience and studies, are paid highly. It’s because they’re worth it. And to my mind, if you don’t act like you think it’s worth spending the money to get it done professionally; it says a lot about your business.
