Stuck in the Old Ways? Move In with the New; Work with a Virtual Administrative Assistant

Work with a VirtualAdministrative Assistant

The supply schedules are behind, the travel arrangements are chaotic and now, the phone calls are going off like fire whistles, burning on your desk.

Yes, you’ll get to it, but in a long minute.

Running a business is hard work from top to bottom.

There are customers, financial challenges, and operation responsibilities that need your immediate attention. But you only have little time for so much work.

So, wouldn’t it be nice to have an administrative assistant to lift some of these office burdens?

Someone who is reliable, organized, skilled, and can do as much work.

Given today’s digital age, everything is almost possible, including getting yourself a remote administrative assistant hailing from some foreign land to help you with office orders.

This is the best solution for a win-win situation — getting all the support you need in the most effective and flexible way.

What Is a Virtual Administrative Assistant?

A remote administrative assistant is a person who remotely provides assistance to the company by handling non-core tasks such as answering emails or phone calls, transcribing documents, coordinating schedules, and setting travel calendars.

Generally, they take care of the administrative work to maintain a smooth sailing business operation. It’s the same as an in-house admin assistant, but on a different setting and on a virtual screen!

What Does a Virtual Administrative Assistant Do?

A remote administrative assistant covers many duties from project management to communication and coordination, depending on your requirements. So, you can focus on the more important deadlines. That’s why they are a godsend for any organization.

They will make calls, sort out emails, prepare presentations, arrange travel schedules, set appointments, and organize documents.

Primarily, the job description is to give support when needed.

And they will do so from a remote location and in a flexible working environment.

Is a Virtual Assistant the Same as an Administrative Assistant?

In matters of semantics, a virtual assistant and an administrative assistant might be different, but in actuality, they are closely related like two sides of the same coin.

They both provide assistance to your business functions.

However, there are some slight variations that separate these two roles apart.

These distinctions are attached to what a virtual assistant and an administrative assistant have to do with, the mode of employment (full-time or contractual), and salary.

Mode of Employment

The biggest difference between an admin assistant and a VA is that the former is usually employed as a full-time worker.

The latter on the other hand, are contractual workers who are mostly self-employed and choose their own schedules and even clients.

Salary

Salary expectations between a virtual assistant and an administrative assistant boil down to skill level, the range of their responsibilities, and even the employer budget.

But let’s not forget, that an admin assistant works on a full-time basis. That alone tips the salary level on one side, because they get to enjoy other special benefits like insurance and paid leaves.

That being said, a virtual assistant has a much lower overhead cost on insurance, benefits, and tax, than an administrative assistant.

VAs have flexible working hours. They render service for a specific time and only get paid for the time they spend doing a certain task.

Thus, their work is for a short period of time, in a month which affects their salary.

Alas, to answer the question, of whether or not a VA is the same as an administrative assistant.

A virtual assistant and an administrative assistant share almost the exact set of responsibilities that they somehow appear interchangeable.

If it weren’t for the small modifications, they’ll be fused into one title.

But, it’s not the case. So, yes, they are the same but not quite!

What Are the Top 3 Services That a Virtual Assistant Can Offer?

In this new digital age, virtual assistants are definitely the next big thing.

Especially after the pandemic, virtual assistant jobs exploded into the online scene and are literally everywhere.

And it’s not hard to see why.

Compared to your usual office personnel, virtual assistant skills are commendable. They are organized, analytical, computer proficient, excellent in communication, and quick thinkers.

That’s why we suggest that you work with one and read about these top 3 services a virtual assistant can offer your company.

Bookkeeping

For most entrepreneurs, hiring a full-time bookkeeper is a luxury. Because it can get expensive and most people don’t have the time to do it, but it is important to assist and maintain the financial vitality of a business.

So, instead of growling over the accounting sheets and turning to the costly in-house accounting staff, work with a virtual assistant instead. They will prepare process payroll, and send out invoices efficiently in a much considerable bargain.

Online Marketing

Marketing is the heart of the business — because, through it, offered services and products get the attention that they need for branding and engagement. It helps and propels consumers buying decisions.

And in today’s, fast-growing reliance on the internet, everyone needs some excellent online marketing.

From posting content on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to creating advertising campaigns, hiring a VA online marketeer is the perfect fit to expand your reach.

Administrative Work

The little non-core tasks can lead to big success!

The whole admin gamut runs the operation. From answering calls, and setting appointments, to processing data, it’s the small work that helps accomplish big functions.

With a virtual assistant on your team, you can have a 24-7 admin staff who can keep the business running beyond your normal working hours.

How do I hire a virtual administrative assistant?

With all the amazing services a virtual assistant can offer, you’re finally convinced to hire one, awesome!

To kickstart your first virtual administrative assistant, read on and learn about the necessary steps of the hiring process.

Setting Up Guidelines

To ensure fewer headaches, it’s commendable to document the entire hiring process first and come up with a set of guidelines for you and your prospects to follow through.

The Right Job Description

If you want to find the right virtual administrative assistant, then you need to know what you’re looking for.

You have to be transparent about your company’s objectives, the tasks, and the skills and qualities you need which may somehow include specifically wanting an English speaking virtual assistant.

Hire and Onboard

Start searching for freelance market pages, designed to easily locate this special type of contractors.

Or, you could use your referral network for fast recommendations.

And when you find the right candidate that fits your criteria, have an interview via Skype or Google Meet and get to know them better.

Closing Out!

The business ecosystem is largely shifting toward the digital community.

So, if you want to scale your company, then you need to stay on top of trends.

And with the variety of services virtual administrative assistant skills can offer in your growing firm, we believe it’s time to look to the future and start working with one.