When you run your own business, it can constantly feel as though you’re walking on a knife’s edge. There are so many factors which can make or break your business, it’s little wonder than many entrepreneurs find themselves struggling to drift off to sleep at night. Especially when their livelihoods and reputations are so closely tied to the wellbeing of their enterprises.

For entrepreneurs, their vision, leadership and steadfast dedication are the driving force behind their ongoing success and growth… but they’re hardly the only factor. There’s also the behaviour of customers, the ever-present threat of competition, the skills and attitudes of individual staff members, and the ways in which the brand markets itself to its target audience. While these are myriad factors, they are at least within the business owner’s control. But there’s one more important factor which no entrepreneur can control… the economy.

Hope for fair weather, prepare for foul

Fortunately, Australia’s economy is in a really good place at present. A combination of strong regulatory bodies, a proven adaptability to global changes, and a diversified, services-based economy have all led to a consistently steady growth even in a fairly turbulent global economy. Indeed, the country’s economy is forecast for an average GDP growth of 2.7% per year over the next five years. That’s the highest growth rate of any major advanced economies.

Yet, while Australia’s economy may be strong… business owners know that they should always should hope for the best while preparing for the worst.

Markets can be unpredictable and forecasts can be unreliable, so prudent entrepreneurs always have contingencies in place if the economy should have an unfavourable impact on their operations. The good news is that virtual staff can be a tremendous asset to your business in the event of an economic downturn.

Here’s how...

They save on staffing cost

One of any businesses' highest costs is its staffing. Employees not only need to be paid, they also need in-work benefits such as sick pay, holiday pay and pension contributions. Generally, employees more than pay for themselves in terms of the value they bring to your business and the contributions they make towards facilitating growth.

But in an economic downturn, sometimes employees are surplus to requirements and the lack of demand means that they have no way to offer a substantial return on the investment that they represent.

Virtual staff, on the other hand cost a fraction of what you can expect to pay a full-time member of your team. They are readily available as and when you need them and can even be available on a 24/7 basis. And you’ll never need to pay them sick pay or contribute to their pensions.

The service provider takes care of training and incentivising virtual staff

Every entrepreneur knows that while it’s important to find skilled and talented employees, they are raw material that is shaped and sculpted by ongoing training and a continuous course of professional development. They also need to be properly remunerated and incentivised if they are to perform at peak level.

And this can get quite expensive.

While you may bear these costs with a smile on your face when a steady stream of customers is pouring into your business, they can become too much to bear in leaner times.

The good news is that when you hire virtual staff, the service provider takes care of training and incentivising virtual assistance so you are spared the cost, logistical complications and potential downtime that come with regular training and development.

You get the highest quality service at a recession-friendly price.

They provide the standard of service that customers expect from your brand

During an economic downturn, your business may receive fewer customers. But that doesn’t mean that those loyal patrons deserve anything less than the very best! If you have to make some team members redundant, this can have a detrimental effect on the standard of customer service that people have come to expect from your brand.

Team members may be stretched thin or have to double up on their responsibilities in order to keep your organisation afloat. This is where virtual staff can be an absolute godsend. They can ease pressure on frontline employees and deliver the kind of outstanding customer service with which you want your brand to be associated.

They can make sure that the phone is always promptly answered, that customers never feel neglected and that messages get to relevant team members promptly. This makes for happier customers, happier team members and a more harmonious working environment.

And when you have all of these, your business can weather any economic storm.

Their services can be tailored to the needs of your business

If there’s one thing that all businesses need to do (especially in times of economic downturn) its avoid wasteful spending. The trouble with many subscription-based virtual services is that their pricing structures may be rigid and / or include services which are surplus to requirements at present or maybe were simply never suited to your business operations.

Our services, however, are flexible and scalable so that they always suit the needs of your business without needing to worry about unnecessary spending. Thus, you get all the benefits in terms of customer service without needing to worry about extraneous costs. And that’s always a win, whatever the state of the economy!

You can enjoy all the benefits of a virtual receptionist for 7 days without spending a cent!

Not only do virtual staff services result in potential savings for your business, they can even be put to effective use for free. If you’re still on the fence about what remote outsourced staff like virtual receptionists can do for your business, why not start our completely free and zero-obligation 7 day trial?

Enjoy outstanding customer service and reduced pressure on busy frontline team members with absolutely zero financial risk to yourself.

Of course, if you’d like to talk more about what our skilled, Australia-based virtual receptionist services can do for your business we’d love for you to get in touch with us today.