Sure, you can have as many secretaries as you like. This office support is pivotal to office management success, anyway.

But in this age and time, you have the option to hire a different type of secretary. Wait, is there a type? Yes, they are the remote working type who can operate without being physically present.

Outsourcing secretarial services is the new norm. It is much cheaper and more flexible than hiring a secretary the old way.

Want to know more about virtual secretarial services? Read along. We will compare the differences between virtual support and onsite secretaries. Then explore the benefits to give you insights into which support is best for your business.

Do You Really Need a Full-Time Secretary?

In a fast-moving business landscape, hiring a full-time secretary who can bring coffee to your office is not the smartest choice.

The Bureau of Labour Statistics reports that onsite secretaries are paid more than $35,000 (on average) annually, excluding other expenses like compensation benefits and office equipment.

Independent contractors like virtual secretaries operate depending on the level of your operation. You can hire them for a short-term project and pay only for the service used. It’s a straightforward arrangement that does not compromise the quality of work.

So, do you really have to hire a full-time secretary when you have a flexible solution available? That’s right, a big NO!

What Is a Virtual Secretary?

A virtual secretary is a remote administrative expert who supports your daily office functions.

Their role is to make life easy for you by covering your most labour-intensive tasks so you can enjoy both—your career growth and personal adventures.

What Are the Tasks of a Virtual Assistant?

When you think of “virtual assistant,” you start associating it with someone who can basically do anything work-related.

VAs are versatile workers who can handle the most basic tasks and the most complex activities.

Check out these virtual secretarial services that you can start outsourcing right now:

• Email management
• Phone-call answering
• Travel planning
• Data entry
• Report filing
• Store digital files
• Manage social accounts
• Organise and coordinate virtual gatherings
• Send invoices
• Make client follow-ups
• Run personal errands

Any routine tasks you have trouble accomplishing because of your limited time can be handed to a virtual secretary. It’s the most efficient thing to do since you’re the boss who doesn’t have time for mundane stuff. You want to look to the future and see the bigger picture.

Who Needs a Virtual Assistant?

Almost anyone struggling to balance work and personal life can benefit from a virtual parentship. With remote support, you can breathe a little and learn to enjoy things outside of running your own business or advancing your career.

But since you asked, here is the list of people who have more to gain by having a VA in their lives:

• Entrepreneurs
• Startups
• Executives
• Business Owners
• Medical Professionals
• Coaches

What are the Perks of Virtual Secretarial Secretaries?

Virtual secretarial services allow you to experience full growth potential for your company. They can streamline processes and hit your bottom lines with minimum investment.

Have a thorough look at the best benefits of outsourcing virtual assistants.

Improve Operations

Virtual assistants can set up task automation to improve operations. This is easy for them since they are updated with the current tools and know how to use them effectively. As a result, you can save resources and free up your time to do strategic activities.

Enhanced Efficiency

Working on tasks you’re bored to do or lack the skills to complete will drag the process, taking more time than necessary.

A virtual secretary skilled in the arts of handling the tasks we just mentioned above is no doubt more effective and efficient at them. After all, they’re already equipped with the right tools and knowledge to perform optimally and meet your expectations.

Flexibility

Since you’ve never hired a virtual secretary before, you’ll be surprised at how streamlined they operate. They can handle multiple tasks at once. On top of that, they can adjust their efforts to match your operation needs during peak or low seasons.

Their amazing flexibility can greatly benefit many startups and small businesses.

Low-Cost Hire

When you hire traditional onsite workers, you bear the entire cost of full-time employment. From rent to compensation benefits, expenses add up fast before your employee has even started.

A low-cost alternative is what defines a virtual assistant. You can hire them for half the price of their in-house counterparts.

What’s more? They’re also fast and easy to employ. Your VA is already skilled in what they do, so you can get them to work right away.

What Separates a Virtual Assistant from a Secretary?

Virtual secretarial services have become mainstream staffing solutions in recent years. And it makes sense, considering they can offer you cost-efficiency, flexibility, productivity and efficiency.

Now, you might think that virtual secretaries are just like the secretaries you knew, but they’re not. This isn’t just a matter of working locations; these two approaches work quite differently.

Working Environments

Traditional secretaries commute to physical office space, while virtual secretaries can work from anywhere else.

Judging by this distinction alone, we can say that VAs have greater flexibility and can enjoy work-life balance. These advantages are also salient in the way they handle their clients, providing easy access and adaptability to your evolving needs.

Communication

The classic secretaries communicate face-to-face. They sit outside your office door and personally interact with you. On the other hand, remote secretaries engage using different collaboration and communication tools like Skype, emails and Trello.

Work Schedule

Since traditional secretaries follow conventional ways of working, they conform to a strict working schedule. Virtual professionals are not confined by the same rigid work schedule.

Since VAs work in different time zones, their service goes beyond the 9-to-5 timeframe. To meet your demands, they can operate around unconventional duty rosters.

Cost-Factor

Let’s face it: housing an employee within the organisation is expensive. You have to set up a workplace and pay for equipment and benefits.

Virtual secretaries can offer you a cheaper hiring route. There’s none of those overhead costs; your online support provides their equipment and sets up their own makeshift office at home.

By our calculations, you can save as much as 78% in operational costs alone.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What Is a Virtual Assistant Website?

A virtual assistant website is like a VA’s virtual business card. It becomes their portfolio leveraged to impress the likes of you who are looking to work with a remote assistant. Through a VA website, you can find and connect with them for collaboration.

What is Another Name for a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual assistants are commonly referred to as digital secretaries, virtual secretaries or online assistants. The VA titles vary now and then, depending on the job or task they’re managing at the moment.

Are Virtual Agents and Virtual Assistants the Same?

A virtual assistant is a human remote worker who manages business-related tasks delegated by their clients. Conversely, a virtual agent is a software programme, powered by machine learning. This bot is commonly used in customer service to help consumers without human interference.

Do You Need a Computer to Be a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual assistants need a computer or laptop and a reliable internet connection to deliver their service. These are built-in tools that come with the job of remote working.

Depending on the job role, additional equipment may be added.

Is Office Assistant the Same as Secretary?

A secretary is your right-hand person, taking on general administrative work like organising reports, answering phone calls and scheduling meetings.

Meanwhile, an office assistant is an administrative assistant, responsible for managing more tasks, some of them complex, like creating presentations.

What Is the Difference Between a Virtual Assistant and an Office Assistant?

VAs operate from any location with very flexible working hours. Beyond the traditional office duties, they handle specialised tasks like social media management or content creation.

On the other hand, office assistants provide basic onsite support around a 9-to-5 schedule.

Wrapping Up!

Bringing in a virtual secretary inflicts a strong shift in your everyday business dynamics.

You see, VAs are low-cost, scalable solutions that can handle a myriad of tasks at once. That is revolutionary, especially for a business like yours aiming to make it big in the digital world.

We source skilled virtual secretaries to cater to your business needs. If you want reliable remote support,give us a call.