The Hidden Cost of Admin: How much is it really taking from your business?

Let’s face it, if your to-do list had a personality, it’d be that overbearing friend who insists on tagging along to every event. Emails, invoices, diary management, client follow-ups… it can feel never-ending. You know the ones, the email that turns into a three-thread saga, the client request that “should only take five minutes” but eats your afternoon, or the meeting that could have been an email (and everyone knows it). Research shows it’s not just your imagination. UK business owners spend around 7.3 hours per week on administrative tasks, which equates to nearly £19,000 worth of time annually. That’s a lot of hours that could be spent on strategy, growth, or even leaving work on time for once.

So, would hiring a personal assistant or some business admin support help? On paper, yes! Pay someone, delegate tasks, and your workload lightens. Simple. However, the reality is more complicated. First, there’s the recruitment process. On average, it takes 30 days to fill a vacancy in the UK. Then come the costs of job adverts, reviewing applications and CVs, and conducting interviews. That’s time and money, and you may not even find a suitable candidate. Imagine spending weeks interviewing someone only to discover they’ve never used Teams or Zoom properly, have no idea how to format a professional report or presentation, or think “booking a meeting” means sending an email and hoping for the best.

If you’re lucky enough to recruit the right person, the costs don’t stop there. Payroll, pensions, National Insurance contributions, training, desk space, equipment, holiday cover, and sick leave all add up quickly. Before long, what seemed like a simple solution has become a complex, costly project in itself.

This is where executive virtual support comes in. Unlike hiring in-house staff, you don’t need to worry about office space, equipment, or long onboarding processes. At Time Savvy, our VAs are highly trained, including GDPR, cyber security and ADHD VA accreditation so they can step in and start adding value from day one. Working virtually means no overheads for desks or IT, and we’ve invested in professional systems and tools to ensure work is done efficiently and to a high standard.

Virtual support isn’t just about ticking off tasks; it’s about streamlining your operations. From diary management and client communications to professional documents and presentations, executive virtual assistants help you work smarter, reduce stress, and reclaim hours of your week without the hidden costs of a traditional hire. Picture it, your diary finally synced correctly, inbox cleared and a client presentation polished to perfection, all while you enjoy a coffee that’s still hot.

And the benefits are tangible. Research from Sage shows that businesses using digital tools and virtual support can save 2–3 hours per week, time that can be redirected to higher-value tasks. Over a year, that’s not just money saved, it’s energy, focus, and sanity regained. Think about it: instead of spending Friday afternoon buried in emails, you could be preparing for a client meeting, plotting next year’s strategy, or getting to your weekend plans.

So, how much is your time worth? Could smarter support help you reclaim it, reduce stress, and let you focus on what truly matters?

If this resonates, a brief Discovery Call with Time Savvy is a great first step. No pressure or pushy sales, just a conversation to explore where executive-level virtual support could make the biggest difference for your business. Because at the end of the day, time isn’t just money, it’s the one resource you can never get back.