Time seems to be the one thing that’s never fully on your side when it comes to getting everything on your to-do list accomplished.
Church leaders and pastors have numerous administrative tasks to handle every single week, but not enough hours to do it all. This is where creating a virtual church office could be beneficial.
While you could train volunteers or members to do these tasks, it’s quicker and more cost effective to outsource common tasks so you can focus more on ministry.
Handle Numerous Time Consuming Tasks
Think about everything your church does daily and weekly. You have bookkeeping, social media management, answering emails, keeping track of your calendar, answering questions/comments from your website and much more. These all add up to hours every week that could be going to other areas of your church.
With a virtual church office, many of these tasks are handled by someone else. You outsource the tasks to a virtual assistant who is skilled in one or more of the tasks you need done. In fact, it’s easy to outsource numerous tasks in various areas of your church. Unseminary provides ideas on what to outsource and how to do it effectively.
Costs Less Than Full-Time Employees
Your first thought is outsourcing costs too much money. However, 59% of businesses outsource as a way to save money. At the same time, 57% say outsourcing also gives them more time to focus on core business functions. As a church, this means you save both time and money.
Just consider what your time is worth. Wouldn’t it be nice to spend more time focusing on ministry? You’d be able to make a bigger impact in the lives of your members and online supporters.
Thom S. Rainer even suggests churches could save on personnel costs just by outsourcing more tasks. He states American churches likely waste millions yearly on personnel costs alone by trying to do everything in-house.
Little Training Involved
A virtual church office means you outsource tasks to people who already know how to do them. While you might have to train them a little in how you prefer things done, they already understand the basics. When it comes to things like bookkeeping or website maintenance, you outsource to professionals who don’t need any training at all.
If you use volunteers or hire someone in-house, you’re likely going to have to spend hours training them and answering questions for several weeks. Instead of saving time, you lose more time.
More Reliable Than Volunteers
In an ideal world, you could always rely 100% on your volunteers. If they say they’ll be there, they will. However, the world isn’t perfect. Volunteers move on, suddenly have other obligations or may not work well with the rest of your team.
Virtual assistants are being paid to do a particular job. It’s their livelihood and that makes them far more reliable. While you will run across some who aren’t as reliable, it’s easy to fire them and find someone else. This is why it’s vital read reviews and hire from reputable providers.
Nothing To Supply
Creating a virtual church office means you simply look for the right people to outsource too. They take care of everything else. You don’t have to buy any more computers or mobile devices. There isn’t any software to purchase. You don’t have to set up a special office for them either.
Easier To Find The Right Fit
Sometimes, it’s hard to find the right fit for what you need done. The good thing is virtual assistants and outsourcing companies are available for every skill and task. You just have to do the research to create your church’s outsourced dream team.
Start with trials to see how things work. Try different budgets to find the right mix of cost-effectiveness and quality of service. Without any personal ties, it’s easier to hire and fire until you get the right combination of help to run your church.
Use Multiple Assistants For Different Skills
You’re not limited to just one or two people. The great thing about outsourcing with a virtual church office is you only pay for the time the people actually work. If they only do bookkeeping an hour a week, that’s all you pay for. This frees you up to outsource more tasks to different people or companies. Standard virtual assistants typically handle daily administrative tasks while more specific skills require different people, such as copywriting, site maintenance and social media management.
Accomplish More In Your Church
Of course, the biggest benefit of having a virtual church office is getting more accomplished. By creating a virtual team you can rely on, you finally get time back on your side. This represents the perfect opportunity for growing your church and engaging your members.
A great place to start with church outsourcing is through web design and search engine optimization. Contact our team today to find out how we can help!
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