The support that you choose to leverage will either boost your productivity or drown you in your workload.
We know that you’re utterly confused about the sort of assistant you should hire. How should you weigh in virtual assistant vs. personal assistant?
Both of these roles can greatly benefit your startup. However, at the end of the day, one simply matches the needs that your business requires.
In fact, let’s be bold by saying that if you wish to reduce costs, remote workers can save you about $11,000 per new team member each year.That’s a lot of saved resources that you can invest in other ventures.
But since we want you to make the best choice for your company, we’ve made an article detailing the major differences between these crucial assistant roles.
Yes, both of these roles are assistant jobs, but they’re not the same.
A virtual assistant is a freelancer who provides broad-ranging business-related tasks to help a company from a remote location.
A personal assistant is an in-house employee who supports top management professionals closely in a physical central office. But unlike VAs, they focused mainly on administrative duties that don’t require expertise.
The responsibilities of a personal assistant rely heavily on the type of industry they’re working in and the professionals they’re working for.
For instance, a personal assistant in the medical industry may assist in scheduling a patient’s appointment or processing insurance claims. A PA in the publishing industry will hardly do any of that stuff.
To understand better what exactly the role of a personal assistant is, we’ve made a list of some of their general duties.
Consider the following positive sides of hiring a personal assistant:
Personalized support. Real-time support can strengthen connections and collaboration.
Working on full-time contract. A staff committed to a longer employment can offer stability.
Handle an expansive set of tasks that goes beyond just admin work.
PAs make your life manageable, but they still come with a few major downsides.
High cost of hiring. When you hire a full-time employee, you will need resources to bring them in. There’s the need for office space, equipment and additional benefits.
Limitation of availability. Personal assistants work around a fixed schedule. Beyond operating hours, specifically the weekends and other unconventional hours, they can’t provide the extra hands and eyes you need.
Virtual professionals usually handle administrative work while operating remotely. This means you don’t really get to interact with them in person.
Just like personal assistants, the job of a VA depends on the industry they’re working in. But unlike their onsite counterparts, remote assistants can cater to specialized tasks as a result of their training and profound experience.
Here are the typical duties that you can delegate to a virtual assistant:
VAs are effective taskers, but clearly, they are beyond just that.
The most cost-effective solution. Work with a virtual assistant and save up to 50% of your labor costs.
Source talents from anywhere. You have the power to tap talents without geographical restrictions, increasing the chances of finding the right one for the right job.
Around-the-clock support. If you need reliable support to handle the odd hours, hire a virtual assistant. Living in a different time zone allows your VA to operate beyond operating hours.
As much as we love to only sing the praises of VA services, it’s best for you to also consider the key disadvantages of a virtual collaboration.
Lack of physical presence. Without being physically present, it will be challenging to forge a personal connection between you and your assistant.
Additional training. Virtual assistants are hired for the skills that they already have. However, if you want optimal productivity, you might have to invest in training.
If you’re doing a coin flip to decide whether a VA or a PA is better for you and your business, you’re better off following these tips in choosing the right hire.
A virtual assistant and a personal assistant flourish in distinct environments. That’s why they require different resources to succeed.
VAs operate remotely around a flexible environment. They use a high-quality computer and a fast internet connection to deliver their service. Since they live in a different time zone, they might not always be promptly available.
To collaborate with them, be remote-ready. Consider the tools and system that you’re going to use to facilitate your virtual partnership. Pondering on these things beforehand will help ensure work flows seamlessly.
Meanwhile, a personal assistant works closely with you. They run office chores and personal errands while communicating with you face-to-face. They function in a more controlled environment as opposed to VAs, who flourish in their independence.
What do you want to achieve? Do you wish to expand your company to the global scene?
If you think about a VA and a PA and what they can bring to the table, which one of them can help you live the kind of business you wish to have?
Take a pause and think about the advantages and drawbacks we mentioned above.
One of the major differences between a virtual assistant and a personal assistant is the cost. It’s really important to know whether your budget can accommodate the expenses of bringing either one of these assistants.
A PA comes with all the employee-associated costs—health insurance, paid leaves, taxes, rent, office equipment and many more.
On one hand, VAs offer a much more economical approach to working.Their remote position is rooted on a contract basis, with no long-term commitments.
If this is a possibility you want your startup business to indulge in, work with a virtual professional.
Set clear expectations and help your virtual assistant understand what is required of them.
Provide guidelines on how you want each task to be performed. This way you can reduce errors and ensure quality standard is met.
Communicate with your remote worker on a regular basis. In the event they have questions, be available to answer them.
Although there are various ways to outsource a virtual assistant, the smartest method to hire one is through a virtual assistant agency like VAV Remote—a VA outsourcing expert that can assist you from recruitment to hiring based on your specific needs.
The difference between virtual assistants and executive assistants boils down to the roles they play. VAs operate based on the tasks delegated to them, from low-level work to more complex roles.
On the other hand, EAs typically support CEOs, playing a more strategic role. They are often considered an executive’s thought partner who serves as the boss’s right-hand man or woman.
A virtual personal assistantis a remote worker who supports business owners or individuals by performing various tasks ranging from administrative to technical. Their presence basically helps boost productivity and efficiency.
Related topic: Hiring a Virtual Personal Assistant Online
Personal assistants deal with tasks delegated to them. They help entrepreneurs and professionals do the things they enjoy to do and less of what they don’t. This oftentimes means carrying out personal activities outside the office walls.
An executive assistant takes a more senior role compared to a PA. While they also handle administrative tasks, they have the added responsibility of making delegated decisions and managing daily office operations.
When choosing the right assistant, consider your working environment, goals, costs and the kind of support you need.
Nevertheless, a virtual assistant is the smarter choice. They offer expertise and flexibility at an economical bargain. This is what you need to push your organization forward in a digitally propelled business landscape.
and let us find you a virtual assistant who matches you perfectly.