It’s not always easy finding capable staff to represent your practice and deliver friendly, professional service to your clients.  There is so much that goes into placing qualified candidates including recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training and keeping them satisfied and on board.  For those advisors who would rather not deal with these headaches and are also interested in saving money, contracting a virtual assistant is a viable and worthwhile solution.

Since virtual assistants work remotely, there is no need to secure extra office space or purchase additional office equipment such as a computer, phone, printer, etc. Another bonus is that virtual assistants are paid by the hour, not salaried, so you pay only for work done and nothing more.

Virtual assistants can handle most, if not all, of your back office administrative and front office client service needs. Here is a starter list of some of the tasks your virtual assistant can provide.

1. Open and maintain client accounts.
2. Schedule appointments and maintain calendars.
3. Prepare for client meetings.
4. Setup client access to various technologies.
5. Accept and place client trade requests.
6. Research and resolve account notifications and NIGOs
7. Prepare for audits and follow-up with examiners.
8. Answer incoming phone calls and emails.
9. Assist with social media posting and email marketing.
10. Assist with special projects.

Before you begin searching for another assistant, do the math to determine which option suits your practice best. An experienced, financial services assistant in the Tacoma, Washington area is paid $40,000 – $60,000 annually, not including benefits. If you do not need an assistant for a full forty hours a week, hiring a virtual assistant for $40 an hour might make better sense!

If you’d like to learn more about Financial Advocates’ Virtual Assistant services, give us a call today!