What is a virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant, often fondly known as a VA, is considered a valuable extension of your team. A virtual assistant is more often than not, a self-employed female professional, that provides administrative, technical and creative services to support your business. Their assistance will help you streamline and improve the efficiency of your company. There are many benefits of using a virtual assistant. A VA can help you find valuable time to grow your business and help you focus on putting your energy where it is needed most. Hiring a remote virtual assistant can often be more cost-effective than employing a full-time assistant, and they don’t need to share your physical office space.
Interestingly, the demand for a VA has exceptionally grown throughout the pandemic. Not only has COVID-19 made offices virtual, but there has also been an increase in the demand for office assistants. The quality of most virtual assistants is extremely high; most have extensive work experience, college degrees, valuable skills, and have the ideal disposition to work effectively from a remote environment.
If you are trying to run and scale a business single-handedly, you’ll understand how challenging it is to juggle responsibilities. Naturally, people tend to put off their least favourite tasks. Imagine that you are busy building a business and don’t have the skills (or the inclination) to maintain your books, update your website, carry out essential administration duties, or simply need a trustworthy extension of your team and an extra pair of hands. A virtual assistant is just what you need.
Benefits of using a virtual assistant
Imagine a well-qualified office manager and the tasks that you would delegate to them. A virtual assistant is simply that. She is your right-hand-woman who can help you with all sorts of tasks. Imagine if you could simply hand various tasks to a trusted assistant. They can help you with a plethora of essential assignments, which makes your day run seamlessly. The following is a list of duties they can help you with;
- Secretarial duties
- Office administration, translation, and transcription
- Inbox, appointment and calendar management
- Data entry, updating spreadsheets,
- Payroll, and Bookkeeping
- Building presentations
- Blogging, social media
- Client management, following up leads, offering comprehensive communication
- Manage travel bookings for meetings
What should you consider when hiring a VA?
There are many virtual assistants around the world, but there are a few essentials that you should consider to see if they can meet your business needs or not. Think about these questions when shortlisting your VA;
- Do they have a complete understanding of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and security?
- Are they in the right time zone?
- Does your VA need to have local knowledge?
- Are there any cultural or language barriers?
- What are their skills and experience? Can they provide references?
What are the benefits of hiring a VA?
There are a couple of ways to hire a virtual assistant. The most beneficial to both parties is a monthly retainer. You’ll both agree on set hours or tasks that they will complete each month. Alternatively, they can charge you hourly. You can considerably reduce your overheads because the VA either runs their own company or they are freelance. Therefore, you do not need to consider costs such as:
- Tax and national insurance
- Paid vacation, sick or maternity leave
- Overtime
- Healthcare and life insurance
- Office expenses such as equipment
- Travel expenses
A reputable virtual assistant is worth her weight in gold; once you’ve considered what is right for your business and your operational capacity, the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant are extraordinary. The We Group offers a comprehensive range of business administration services including PA and virtual assistants. Reach out to us via our contact form and we’d be happy to answer any enquiries.
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