Virtual Administrative Assistants: All That You Need To Know

When you start a business, you become not only an entrepreneur but also a parent. The startup is your 'baby,' and you devote many sleepless nights to caring for it. After all, every parent wants their child to grow into a happy and successful adult.

And just like in ordinary life, some people support you through the journey. In business, these 'people' are your colleagues, partners, employees, and other staff. But one person always stays by your side through thick and thin – your assistant.

Today is the age of administrative virtual assistants. They carry the same responsibilities as your typical assistants, like booking appointments and responding to messages. However, they aim to take over your administrative tasks, so you can focus on the critical activities that grow your business.

However, virtual administrative assistants come with more perks. For example, they are more affordable, flexible, and sometimes better skilled than your employed assistant.

Who are Virtual Administrative Assistants?

A virtual administrative assistant looks after your responsibilities, so you don't have to do them personally. But such tasks are essential to an entrepreneur. Without completing them, you won't be able to manage your time and schedule.

A virtual assistant takes charge of all your administrative work. But they work remotely. Even though virtual assistants don't come to the office, they handle their tasks well. Thanks to technology, a virtual assistant always keeps in touch, ready to assist you in several ways.

When your administrative needs are handled, you can concentrate on developing ideas and strategies for long-term success. Indirectly, a virtual assistant allows you to think freely and develop creative solutions to grow your business.

What Does a Virtual Administrative Assistant do?

An admin virtual assistant can fulfill many roles for you. They have the skill, training, and experience to handle the daily tasks necessary for the success of your business.

An executive virtual assistant will check your messages and answer phone calls like a receptionist. Need to reach out to a client or colleague? Your assistant will connect you or make the call on your behalf.

Emails are an essential means of communication. Your virtual assistant checks, organizes, and responds to your emails. They will also clear out spam messages from your inbox.

Need to fix a meeting with a client? The virtual assistant will contact the other party and fix it. They take care of your entire calendar and schedule.

Virtual assistants manage your social media as well. They will create and share posts on your account and respond to important messages.

If you need bookkeeping support, your virtual assistant is there to help. They can manage reimbursements, payrolls, and time sheets. If you need to pay the bills and transfer funds, a virtual assistant can do them.

In case you plan to travel, your virtual assistant will prepare your itinerary, from booking flight tickets to hotel rooms.

When new staff members join your team, a virtual assistant will help you design instructions and a training manual. They are also good at content writing and can make thank-you notes, cards, newsletters, and discount offers.

A virtual assistant is good at performing simple HR duties. They will also proofread your documents and convert them into the required format.

Benefits of Hiring Virtual Administrative Assistants

A regular administrative assistant makes your life easier and more productive. But a virtual assistant adds much more to it.

Hiring a virtual assistant is beneficial in many ways. Some of the benefits are discussed below:

Save time

The day never ends for an entrepreneur at sunset. Ideally, you would add more hours to the 24-hour limit instead. But that is science fiction.

However, a virtual assistant can create more time in your hectic schedule. They take on repetitive administrative tasks and clear up many of your daily commitments. You can use that extra time to do the things necessary for your company's development.

Save money

Hiring an administrative assistant in your company is a costly endeavor. You will pay them a full salary for working 40 hours a week. As a startup, you may not have enough tasks to keep your assistant occupied. In that case, the assistant will spend downtown at your cost.

With a virtual assistant, you will not face this problem. You can hire them on a project-wise or hourly basis. You don't have to pay if you don't need them on a particular day.

Virtual assistants do not use your office resources since they work remotely. Therefore, you will save on office supplies, stationery, power consumption, coffee, and more. Every penny counts in a startup.

Unlike your employees, you don't have to give additional benefits to the virtual assistant. This means no miscellaneous expenditure on pension, healthcare, or insurance.

Increase productivity

By handling your administrative tasks, a virtual assistant gives you more time to be productive. Administrative work can be tedious and repetitive, killing your drive. But, as an entrepreneur, you need to keep yourself stimulated.

Even your other employees will benefit. Usually, in a startup, one person performs multiple jobs. But with the addition of a virtual assistant, they can work on their respective roles.

As for the assistant, not having to travel to the office gives them more free time. It allows them to relax and invest more in themselves. When the assistant is happy, they become more productive.

Get more time for yourself

Running a company is not a 9-to-5 job, especially in the beginning. You, the leader, are involved in all the departments and operations. So when a virtual assistant looks after your administrative tasks, you finally get a well-deserved break.

On the one hand, you can use that time to work more. Or, more free time could mean more opportunities to relax with family and loved ones. Try investing in self-care. It will motivate you to return to the office more passionately and focus.

Emotional benefits

Entrepreneurs should know what's happening in every department. But you don't have to do everything yourself. Avoid unnecessary pressure by delegating to a virtual assistant. They will look after many of your responsibilities.

When you are free from administrative tasks, use that time to reconnect with friends and family. Social interaction is a basic human need. Invest time in a hobby or go on a short vacation if necessary.

Grow your business

Daily administration work distracts you from the more critical business operations. But, as a leader, you must always keep your eyes on the prize. A virtual assistant looks after your repetitive but crucial administrative tasks while you think of the next big idea.

Spend your precious time on increasing company profits. Study your team and decide if you should scale up operations. Keep an eye on your competitors and study their moves to outdo them.

A competent resource

Virtual assistants have diverse skill sets. Administrative duty is one example. Your assistant can handle your social media account, create content, transcribe voice notes, manage bookkeeping, and more. They truly become your right hand.

Since they are paid by the hour, virtual assistants value time and make the best of it. They meet deadlines and never procrastinate. Working remotely means your virtual assistant will not waste time chatting by the water cooler.

You don't have to invest in training your assistant. They are highly qualified and experienced. In addition, they regularly update their skills to catch up with the new industry standards.

Specialized task assistance

Virtual assistants excel at organizing your calendar. They schedule your meetings according to priority and remind you of upcoming commitments.

Their organizing skills extend to other areas of your work. For example, a virtual assistant can file everything in order in your inbox, Google Drive, or physical documents. They will also make presentations for you and manage essential spreadsheets.

Virtual assistants make good researchers as well. From looking for the best hotel accommodation to finding critical metrics for a project, your virtual assistant does thorough research.

Easy scaling

Hiring a virtual administrative executive assistant is significantly easier than getting a full-time employee. A quick online search and a few mouse clicks are enough to find capable virtual assistants.

When the workload increases, you can request your virtual assistant to put in more time. They will happily do so. Conversely, they can be laid off if you don't need them. It is effortless to rehire a virtual assistant and more accessible to find a better replacement.

Smooth Communication

Some employers hesitate to work with an assistant they cannot meet in person. But that does not affect the assistant's ability to do their job well. You can easily communicate with a virtual assistant through phone calls, video chats, emails, and messages.

If you hire virtual assistants from another country, they will work while you sleep. Also, since virtual assistant outsourcing is affordable, you can hire multiple assistants. That will ensure that a virtual assistant is always available to meet your needs.

How to Know When You Need a Virtual Administrative Assistant?

With so many stated benefits, are you still wondering whether you require a virtual assistant? You need a virtual assistant if you're:

Constantly stressed

Are you stressed about work all the time? Is it difficult to switch off your mind before bed? Are you falling behind on productivity? If your answer to these questions is a decisive 'yes,' you need a virtual assistant. They will share your workload and relieve your stress.

Pressed for time

Are you struggling to finish your daily tasks? Do you need help with scheduling meetings and booking calendar dates? Do you need more time to devote to your company goals? If yes, a virtual assistant is what you need.

Turning down opportunities

Is it difficult for you to make new commitments? Do you lose good opportunities because you need more time? Then, you should hire a virtual assistant ASAP. The assistant will create more time for you, allowing you to grab those opportunities.

Lacking administrative skills

Can you manage administrative tasks alongside your core business tasks? If yes, you must admit that some professionals can perform the administrative role better than you. So take the help of a virtual assistant who will handle such tasks competently.

Factors to Consider While Hiring a Virtual Administrative Assistant

Now that you know how vital a virtual assistant is for you, don't jump the gun and hire anybody. Look for these qualities in your ideal assistant:

• Reliability, confidence, and a friendly personality
• Decision-making and time-management skills
• Ability to use technology, software, and tools
• Good education (with at least a High School Diploma)
• Good training and essential skills
• Accountability and responsibility

Wishup to Cover All Your Administrative Hassles!

Finding the right assistant is not easy. But a virtual assistant company like Wishup makes the search convenient for you. Our platform hosts highly-qualified and skilled candidates.

For a busy entrepreneur like yourself, quality is key. Here's why Wishup matches up to that high standard:

Top 1% of applicants

At Wishup, we believe in hiring the best. Therefore, our candidates undergo a rigorous selection process so that you can be sure of their skills and abilities.

24-hour onboarding

Finding a suitable candidate can be a long process. But at Wishup, we do the dirty work for you. You only have to select a virtual assistant. They will join your team in a day.

Instant replacement

If you are unsatisfied with your current assistant, we will provide you with an immediate replacement. There are many qualified candidates in our pool.

7-day risk-free trial

Not sure if Wishup is right for you? No worries. Try our virtual assistant for seven days. Then, if you're still not happy, we will gladly return your money.

Conclusion

Virtual assistants take away the stress of administrative tasks from your work. They answer phone calls, organize your calendar, reply to emails, make travel arrangements, and more. This gives you more time to work on critical business activities like ideating and strategizing.

Our Wishup assistants go beyond administrative work. They have many skills up their sleeve. From bookkeeping duties to data entry and social media management, our assistants excel at multiple tasks. Their affordability and flexible working hours are a bonus.

Arrange a free consultation with us to know more about our virtual assistants. You can also get in touch through email at [email protected].

Virtual Administrative Assistant FAQs

What does a virtual administrative assistant do?

A virtual administrative assistant looks after the administrative work of their boss. They organize their calendar, schedule meetings, book hotels, and more.

How do I hire the right VA?

Get in touch with reliable virtual assistant agencies like Wishup. Find out their reviews through client testimonials.

What is the difference between a virtual assistant and a virtual administrative assistant?

A virtual assistant is a broader term. On the other hand, a virtual administrative assistant specializes in administrative tasks.