The Importance of Virtual Assistants and Remote Teams In a recent episode of "The Thoughtful Entrepreneur," host Josh engages in a compelling conversation with Barbara Turley, the founder and CEO of The Virtual Hub. The discussion centers around the evolving landscape of virtual assistance and the critical role that remote teams play in contemporary business operations, particularly in light of the shifts prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog post delves into the key insights shared during the episode, offering actionable advice and thorough explanations to help businesses effectively integrate virtual support teams. Barbara Turley begins by explaining the mission of The Virtual Hub, which primarily serves scale-up companies experiencing growth but struggling with operational tasks that do not require their direct involvement. The Virtual Hub provides cost-effective support teams that help free up the time and energy of business owners and managers, allowing them to focus on growth and impact. She discusses the current state of the virtual staffing industry, noting that while it has been around for decades, its popularity has surged since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many companies that previously hesitated to adopt remote teams have now embraced this model, recognizing its potential to alleviate operational burdens. Josh raises the point that while platforms like Upwork and Fiverr offer solutions for finding team members, they come with inherent challenges. Barbara emphasizes that businesses often come to The Virtual Hub when they are already overwhelmed and lack the time to sift through resumes and conduct interviews. She introduces the concept of the "support layer," which encompasses the tasks and roles that are essential for business operations but do not require the direct involvement of business leaders. By partnering with The Virtual Hub, companies can efficiently find and onboard support staff without the time-consuming process of traditional hiring. As the episode wraps up, Josh encourages listeners to visit The Virtual Hub's website, where they can access a masterclass on how to delegate and scale their businesses. About Barbara Turley: Barbara Turley is the Founder & CEO of The Virtual Hub, a leading virtual assistant company. She is on a mission to revolutionize the way businesses operate by eradicating business overwhelm. She helps clients to optimize their operations using offshore virtual assistants, process automation, and streamlined workflows. Under her leadership, The Virtual Hub has grown to a 350-employee company and has helped 200+ business founders, owners, and operators work smarter and scale faster.   About The Virtual Hub: At The Virtual Hub, we provide fully managed, in-house trained and dedicated virtual assistants. Helping companies work smarter, move faster & scale better with a combination of operational efficiency frameworks, tech stacks that work, and offshore team strategies. From e-commerce and SAAS to coaching and service businesses, we help unlock business growth by freeing great people from the time-suck of busywork. Our Virtual Assistants handle all of your admin work so you can focus on growing your business.   Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guest   Links Mentioned in this Episode: Want to learn more? Check out The Virtual Hub website at https://www.thevirtualhub.com/ Check out The Virtual Hub on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-virtual-hub-ltd/ Check out Barbara Turley on LinkedIn at https://au.linkedin.com/in/barbara-turley Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!   More from UpMyInfluence: We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE. Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here. What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here. Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.