Remote Operation: Why Designers are Bringing on Virtual Employees
Original photography posted at Unsplash by Mailchimp.
Original article posted at Business of Home by Haley Chouinard.
While the pandemic has made much of the working world recognize the extent of what’s possible to accomplish virtually, for many people, working remotely has long been their preference. Sarah Durnez, a virtual design assistant who has been freelancing for over a decade, says that the crisis just shed light on a category of workers who’ve always been there. “I think the past year has made a lot of designers be like, ‘Oh, right—the internet!’” she says. “People thought they were inventing something, but we’ve been doing this for years.”
As COVID led to a business boom for designers and widespread adoption of the work-from-home model, it’s easy to see how the concept of remote, project-based hires became more appealing than ever, pushing designers who previously may never have considered such an arrangement to give it a try. “I have a staff of four and I work out of my house, so I’ve had to be really smart about adding employees, even before COVID, because I’m working with a fixed amount of space,” says Daniella Hoffer, a designer in Springfield, New Jersey. She had originally considered hiring a general virtual assistant through an agency, but ultimately wanted someone with knowledge of the design industry.
In early 2020, she saw the topic mentioned in an interior design Facebook group and got a recommendation from one of the other designers there. “We’ve now been working with her for a year and I can’t imagine how I lived without her,” says Hoffer of the hire. “She handles project management and procurement for the firm. She’s always in front of a computer, so I can call her when I’m running from site to site and I know she’s got all the information I need at her fingertips. It’s been amazing.”
Particularly in the design world, which is made up of so many small businesses, utilizing a remote staff can be a game-changer—a way to level up your business without dramatically increasing your overhead. Houston-based designer Courtnay Tartt Elias, the owner and principal of Creative Tonic, started tapping into remote resources two years ago as a means of taking some pressure off her small staff. “My firm was going through a growth period, but so much of our time was going into AutoCAD,” says Elias. She mentioned the issue to another designer, who gave her the name of a virtual design assistant. Elias reached out and, soon after, began outsourcing all of the firm's AutoCAD needs.
Since then, she has also begun using a virtual marketing assistant, personal assistant, and business coach, and she’s on a waitlist for a company that will handle all her firm’s procurement needs remotely. “When you have a smaller team, you really have to ask yourself, ‘What’s the best use of everyone’s time?’” says Elias. “Tapping into these outside sources, I’m able to keep my core staff happy and doing the things that they enjoy doing while peeling off these other rote tasks.”
Even with a return to the office on the horizon for some firms post-pandemic, the financial practicality and productivity boost offered by virtual assistants aren’t likely to ebb anytime soon. “With all of these remote additions, I’m on the cusp of making my business the most efficient it has ever been,” says Elias. “It’s a way to keep your full-time staff lean while leveling up in the areas where you actually need the help. And, really, who cares where anyone is located nowadays? It’s a brave new world.”