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Let's start with a definition: What is a virtual assistant?

So, what does a virtual assistant do? A virtual assistant is a contractor that provides services to a company remotely, often times from aboard. The term “virtual assistant” emerged in the 90s to describe the burgeoning trend of virtual work— thanks to major technological innovations, workers could begin sharing documents and taking important business calls from outside their offices.

Virtual assistants have surged in popularity over the last few decades due to the evolving nature of business. Many companies are opting to save money on large office spaces and bloated teams instead of investing in flexible work arrangements and schedules. The result is a more agile and modern approach to team organization and project management.

Types of Virtual Assistants

Virtual assistants come with different skills and specializations. Each one can help you with a specific function or department of your business. Below are just a few examples of the different types of virtual assistants available:

1. Bookkeeper – Great with accounting and tracking budgets for various projects.

2. Administrative Assistant – Schedules meetings, completes routine reporting and handles communication between executives and outside entities.

3. Scribe – Types notes during meetings or presentations.

4. Social media manager – Handles the company’s various social accounts.

6. Designer – Designs presentations, infographics, logos, flyers, and other visual collateral.

7. Research Analyst – Conducts research tasks or interviews and analyzes business data.

The role of a virtual assistant can also change depending on the business. Some companies may even hire virtual assistants that handle multiple responsibilities at once.

Three Benefits Of Having A Virtual Assistant

Reduce operating costs

Virtual assistants can provide inexpensive yet invaluable services to your company, allowing your company to reduce costs.

Save time on initiatives and projects

Many of the tasks undertaken by virtual assistants are tactical or repetitive, such as taking notes or submitting weekly or monthly expense reports; however can be as complex as medical chart review. These tasks can take away from more pressing issues, such as client meetings or business development. When leaders delegate time-consuming tasks to virtual assistants, they can focus on the more important tasks on their agenda.

Greater work efficiency

Leaders aren’t the only ones who benefit— other team members may also have a lot on their plate and need either temporary or more regular assistance. Social media managers, for instance, are most effective when they can assign writing, research, or graphic design to assistants, allowing them to focus on editing and delivery.

Five Ways A Virtual Assistant Can Help Grow Your Business

Data entry

Finance, accounting, and data firms rely on carefully organized information, whether it’s a balance sheet or the results of a large-scale study. While the act of data entry is relatively simple, it can be monotonous, particularly if your skills are better applied elsewhere. Having a dedicated virtual assistant to focus on data entry can free up your schedule while developing a more accurate means of data collection.

Customer service

According to Microsoft, 96% of consumers say customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand. Despite its necessity in modern business, customer service continues to be a secondary priority for many organizations. As a result, potential leads and loyal customers risk having negative experiences that can significantly impact their brand loyalty and satisfaction. Having someone, even if a virtual assistant, facilitate these customer inquiries can have a real impact on a company’s reputation.

Administrative tasks

Scheduling meetings, following up on email communications, and maintaining records… these are tasks simple enough that they can be done by just about anyone. But to do them well, it’s worth hiring someone specializing in this type of work. With fewer administrative tasks to keep up with, your team will have more time to focus on areas where they can add real value based on their distinctive skill sets.

Sales outreach

Sales are vital to the lifeblood of a business, but outreach and activity tracking processes are often major time investments. Many virtual assistants are trained to handle cold calling, email campaigns, and other logistical efforts. Since many of these tasks can be done over the phone or on a laptop, it can be the perfect job for a virtual assistant.

Social media management

Despite the widespread use of social media in today’s society, many business leaders still fail to see its value – often, this is because it takes so much time to deliver truly engaging content, consistently. A virtual assistant dedicated to social media can make all the difference—ensuring your company maintains an online presence while creating a two-way channel for loyal customers.

How Much Does A Virtual Assistant Cost?

Virtual assistant fees can vary greatly depending on several factors, including language skills, type and frequency of work, level of professional experience, education, and technical expertise needed. Below are sample rates for different types of virtual assistants offered by Tele-Help-Ing

The following includes 40 hours per week and all taxes & fees.

Administrative: $1250.00 USD - $2,500.00 USD

Medical Professionals: $1,500.00 USD - $3,000.00 USD

Accounting & Finance: $1350.00 USD - $2,500 USD

Sales & Marketing: $1,000.00 USD - $2,500.00 USD

Customer Support: $1,000.00 USD - $2,500.00 USD

How To Manage A Virtual Assistant

Set expectations from the start.

Always start with the scope of the project and the responsibilities expected of the virtual assistant. How much time should each task take? What is considered in-scope, and what is a stretch goal? These are the types of questions you want to ask yourself because it is very likely your virtual assistant will ask once hired. That’s why it’s crucial to provide clear guidelines and process documents such as an SOW (Scope of Work) to set the scope and responsibilities; this prevents any confusion and enhances the likelihood of success.

Define a daily schedule

Once all the contracts are signed, the next step is to define a consistent schedule for work or checking in. Because virtual assistants are not physically present in the office, ensuring they stay on task or communicate clearly can be challenging. Speak with the virtual assistant about their schedule.

Track time and tasks

Accountability is key when it comes to remote work. Nothing stops a virtual assistant from claiming to have worked on something when they haven’t, or conversely, spending hours on a project but not having it tracked. While self-tracking is based on a code of honor, it’s still an effective way to keep tabs on project completion and overall workload. Use project management apps like Monday, Asana, or Pipeline to evaluate your virtual assistants' overall progress and efficiency.

Provide useful performance feedback

To truly support and push your virtual assistants to improve, provide them with monthly or even quarterly reports; this can be as simple as a quick one-on-one conversation, but it is most important to address the greatest strengths and opportunities for improvement. Your virtual assistant will appreciate the honesty and repay the gesture through their efforts.

Last Thoughts….

Going virtual is a big step, and though we always welcome new business, it is not for everyone. However, if you find yourself overwhelmed, too busy to worry about the important aspects of your business, or too busy to make time for business growth and development, then a virtual assistant is for you. Virtual Assistants will not run your business, grow your business for you, or replace someone who must be in person, but it is a solution for many businesses seeking a more affordable, productive, and manageable tomorrow.