Oh, having your own company is fantastic, all right. But making sure it keeps floating and growing in the next few years is a bit tricky. From then on, there are so many things to do that you’d barely remember having a life outside the four walls of your office.

If you want to make a difference in the workplace without compromising other aspects of your life, go get help from a virtual assistant.

Remote workers may not be sitting pretty outside your doors, but they are very cost-effective and incredible multitaskers, which is what you need to earn more time.

However, we’re not just talking about any VA; you need someone with virtual assistant skills to make a huge impact. These are essential skills that allow any virtual support to make your company better.

Read ahead and learn what is needed for your future virtual assistant.

What Exactly Does a Virtual Assistant Do?

First of all, a virtual assistant is a contractual worker who offers administrative support to clients all over the world from a remote location.

Here are the following tasks that are typically delegated to a VA:

• Scheduling appointments
• Making phone calls
• Managing emails
• Organizing travel arrangements
• Managing social media
• Managing databases
• Marketing
• Customer Support
• Data-Entry

How Do They Work?

Since a virtual assistant is not an employee but a contractual worker, your company doesn’t have to pay for rent, office equipment and other compensation benefits.

Your remote worker works remotely and will be the one to provide their work equipment, such as an internet connection, a phone and a laptop.

The ability to cut costs significantly is one of the main reasons why small companies and startups rely on virtual assistant services to sustain their operations.

Here’s what your remote professional can offer that you rarely get from an onsite worker:

• Cost-effectiveness
• Flexibility
• Enhance Productivity
• Increase Efficiency
• Round-the-Clock Service
• Superb Customer Service
• Scalability

Virtual Assistant Skills

So that the person you hire can complete each assigned task successfully, you need to look for certain knowledge and competence that allow them to do so.

Virtual assistant skills translate to greater success in your business operation. Though some of these qualities and abilities can be developed, others are not so easily earned. That is why we suggest that you put in the time and energy to find the right remote support before committing to a hire.

• Is Virtual Assistant a Digital Skill?

Here’s what we can tell you: the role of a virtual assistant involves a long list of skills, ranging from IT troubleshooting to curating content. It’s a position that requires many skills to succeed.

What Are the Skills Required of a Virtual Assistant?

If you’re looking to hire a remote professional, you might be wondering: What virtual assistant skills do you need to look for?

As you go through the process of finding the right person for the right job, here’s a list of some important virtual assistant skills that will make your virtual collaboration worth your while.

Proficiency in Writing

The ability to communicate ideas effectively is a fundamental quality that makes a virtual assistant great. Your VA will be handling tasks such as writing emails, reports and articles, which is why they have to be skilled at articulating information across different platforms.

Effective Communication

It’s rather difficult to collaborate with someone from millions of miles away if they can’t effectively communicate with you, the clients and team members. A single misunderstanding is like a drop of poison that can turn your operation dysfunctional.

A virtual assistant with the ability to communicate clearly understands their tasks and your objectives. As such, they can strongly contribute to your overall efficiency.

Tech-Savvy

You are working in the digital world; of course, you need a remote worker who is technically proficient. This comes in very handy when your virtual assistant is streamlining operations and systems in your business, such as appointment setting or email management.

Digital literacy skills will let your VA navigate platforms and connect with others seamlessly while protecting sensitive information from prying servers.

Creativity

Creativity is a virtual assistant skill that’s necessary when you’re creating content and trying to find workable solutions to complex situations.

Look, everyone has their own innovativeness. The point is to look for a VA who embraces these creative abilities and can integrate them well into your business.

By looking at problems from a position of creativity, your virtual helper can help you overcome unique challenges.

Critical-Thinking Skills

At the heart of being a great VA lies critical thinking skills—a pivotal asset in maneuvering the intricacies of handling different tasks at once.

A virtual assistant who has critical thinking abilities has a proactive approach at work and can make data-driven decisions that are sure to prompt the overall success of your empire.

Time Management Ability

When throwing multiple tasks on your virtual assistant’s plate, you need them to be organized in handling their time. They need to have a strategic approach to things to be able to juggle tasks and meet deadlines with little supervision.

If they can master the art of dividing and controlling their time, they can get more work done in less time.

Organizational Skills

Your virtual assistant’s level of organization can affect their efficiency. If they can maintain order and systematically work on their tasks, they are likely to be more focused and meet deadlines. This increases consistency and collaboration between you and your VA.

Customer Service Skills

Your greatest asset is your customers; without them, you can’t stay in business. This is why you need to look for a remote assistant with a virtual assistant skill that could help nurture positive relationships in whatever channel.

Their commitment to customer satisfaction will boost your brand’s image, establishing reliability that could easily translate to sales and growth.

Social Media Management

Billions—that’s how many people are surfing social media channels. While this is a great free marketing opportunity, it’s hard to leverage effective brand promotion without capable hands managing your social media accounts.

Your VA’s proficiency in this area will allow them to maintain a strong online presence. They can approach your social media management strategically, so you can gain as much visibility and engagement in the oh-so-competitive digital landscape.

Marketing Skills

So, as they say, good marketing can make your business look smart. In that case, you need a remote employee with virtual assistant skills in marketing who can run campaigns and contribute initiatives to further your brand.

Adaptability

The modern business landscape, thriving in the digital sphere, is truly fast-paced. This makes adaptability such an important virtual assistant skill to look for. A remote professional who is adaptable can pilot through changes and excel at maximizing productivity. Thus, they become key players in your company’s dynamic setting.

Effective Decision Makingy

When current trends shift all the time, quick decision-making becomes instrumental for a business.

Virtual assistants, navigating a dynamic realm, encounter demanding situations that prompt immediate responses. Therefore, having efficiency in decision-making is paramount. It’s the skill your VA needs to make choices that contribute to your organizational goals, making them overall effective.

Discipline

Discipline is the one trait that keeps your virtual assistant growing. At work, it’s the virtual assistant skill that keeps them committed, reliable and effective in supporting your business goals.

When your VA is disciplined, they adhere to standards and maintain professionalism, which we dare say is the groundwork of successful virtual support.

Also, since remote settings often require working independently, discipline serves as the foundation for self-motivation, which is important for maintaining consistent productivity.

Final Thoughts

Growing your company to what you envision it to be is notoriously laborious. That’s why you need all the help that you can get to prompt up your mission.

It’s not enough that you hire a virtual assistant; you need to work with a professional with virtual assistant skills so that they can thrive in their roles.

But before you start looking for a Rockstar remote assistant with multiple skills, ask yourself, “What do you need help with?”

There are different sorts of remote workers for your unique business needs. This means that not every VA skill we just mentioned has to be present in a single virtual assistant.

Instead of going for just one general virtual helper, you can hire a global team of remote assistant managers or digital marketers with areas of expertise.

This team of virtual assistant experts is better equipped to take on the job and deliver top-notch results.

Think first about which VA you need and tell us all about it!