Don’t rush your assistant hiring. Remember, the right support can make a huge difference in your entire everyday workflow.
Should you go for a virtual assistant or a personal assistant?
While both can help you in significant ways to continue to rise, it’s still highly necessary to understand their unique distinctions. That way you have a clear understanding of which assistant can bring more value to your business.
Let’s dive deep into virtual assistant vs. personal assistant. We’ll break down the differences, perks, disadvantages and when is the best time to hire one over the other.
A virtual assistant is a contractual remote professional who offers business-related services to business owners and entrepreneurs.
VAs operate independently from their own makeshift office, typically from home, using their own resources to support an organization’s daily operations.
Aside from general administrative tasks, virtual assistants commonly offer specialized services to clients across different domains. This is mainly because they thrive in a remote environment.
A personal assistant is a traditional office employee who directly supports a business owner or a team.
Personal assistants often carry a broad scope of administrative and personal duties while working closely with executives and top management.
While virtual assistants and personal assistants can help you make the most of your precious time, they operate uniquely from each other. Their main differences loom largely on the factors below.
Virtual assistants hail from all parts of the globe, operating without any geographical limitations. They rely on digital tools to communicate and collaborate with clients.
In contrast, personal assistants go to a physical office, working side by side with you. They provide quick aid to your time-sensitive needs.
Virtual assistants handle a variety of tasks, from administrative to more complex, specialized work.
PAs focus more on giving personalized support on business and personal tasks.
Virtual assistants are the most cost-effective staffing solution that you can find today. You only pay them for the services they render, clocked in by the hour or by project. You also don’t need to pay for equipment or any compensation benefits since they are contractual workers who function remotely.
Personal assistants are traditional employees who bring employee-associated costs and enjoy employee benefits. They are expensive to recruit and onboard.
Remote professionals are versatile. They can scale their level of support in line with your workload demands, which comes in handy when your business is experiencing peak times and sluggish seasons.
Meanwhile, personal assistants are less versatile. They work around fixed hours based on the typical employee arrangements.
Check out this matchup between virtual assistant vs. customer service.
Many business owners and entrepreneurs are looking for a cost-effective and flexible staffing solution, and that is what embodies virtual assistants.
They are the most versatile and economical hire you can make for your company. You can access skills and expertise from all over the world without breaking the bank.
When you build a virtual global team, you can reduce operating costs by up to 78%. Working remotely eradicates the need to set up a working space, office equipment and other additional employee-associated expenses.
Your only challenge due to a lack of physical presence is availability. Since VAs operate in different time zones, it will be difficult to receive real-time support for tasks that need prompt action.
However, this hurdle is not something that can’t be fixed. Communicate with your assistant and come up with a working schedule that works best for you to ensure real-time interaction.
Personal assistants can offer great advantages, such as a wider scope of work encompassing office administration and personal domains while working full-time.
But perhaps the most unique perk of hiring a PA is receiving real-time personalized support. This can drive better engagement and enhance lifetime value.
Conversely, the biggest downside of hiring them is the high cost. Since personal assistants check in at a physical office, you need to set up a workspace and provide office equipment. This is in addition to the compensation benefits that PAs enjoy as full-time employees.
There are a variety of ways you can search for your virtual assistant. However, the best way to find the right VA who can really make a difference to your growing business is through a virtual assistant company like VAV.
Your business needs dependable and consistent support. A virtual assistant outsourcing expert can guide you through your virtual collaboration, offering reliable assistance and expertise from recruitment to onboarding.
Just because you’re working with a talented VA doesn’t mean your virtual collaboration will be successful.
Learn to manage your remote workforce effectively.
At the beginning of your partnership, set clear expectations. When your assistants are guided on the path to success, they can focus their efforts and efficiently meet your needs.
Here, check out the following tips on setting clear expectations:
A virtual assistant goes by many names, reflecting their many roles. Oftentimes, they are referred to as remote workers and digital workers. Nevertheless, their main purpose stays unchanged: offering efficient and personalized service to clients from anywhere, anytime.
No. A virtual assistant functions remotely, working from anywhere in the world, while a personal assistant works in person, closely collaborating with executives to handle a wide range of office management tasks.
Yes, a virtual assistant can be a personal assistant. In fact, VAs perform many of the same duties as PAs, like answering phone calls and preparing reports.
Ultimately, remote professionals can only serve as your personal assistant for office chores that can be supported remotely.
A virtual assistant is a remote worker who manages repetitive, mundane tasks like research or data entry.
On the other hand, an executive assistant is an office employee who provides comprehensive assistance beyond administrative duties. They can support complex project management and other crucial decision-making processes in the business.
A personal assistant is also called a personal secretary or a personal aide. It is a job title for someone who assists a person with their everyday personal or business dealings.
Deciding on “virtual assistant vs. personal assistant” is heavily influenced by your business structure, current needs and budget.
You can start asking yourself the following questions:
Your answers to these questions will somehow point you to the right assistant your business is looking for.
However, if you’re seeking the most efficient solution in today’s digitally driven business landscape, hire a virtual assistant. They have the power to reduce your spending significantly and streamline your most grueling operations, so you can focus on core functions.
So, go virtual and hire a trustworthy virtual assistant agency to partner with. VAV can help you find the right VA that matches your needs perfectly.
