Welcome to my first blog post! I am so excited to begin this journey with you all and wanted to start this first post out by explaining exactly what is a virtual assistant.

Maybe you’re here and this is your first time hearing the term, or maybe you’ve heard about virtual assistants and have wondered how a virtual assistant could help you as a small business owner. Well, you’ve come to the right place! This blog is going to cover everything you need to know about virtual assistants and what they can do for you. So let’s dig in!

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What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant (VA) is a self-employed, remote worker who provides administrative, creative, or technical services to their clients. VAs come alongside business owners and entrepreneurs and take over essential business tasks that the owner either does not want to work on or does not have the time or resources to work on. This helps keep the business running smoothly while freeing up time for the client to work on higher-value or priority tasks.

One of the most amazing things about virtual assistants is that they typically work remote meaning they can work from any place, at any time. VA’s are also only hired for the work that is needed whether that is 10 hours a month, 30 hours a month or on a specific project basis. This provides flexibility not only for the VA, but also for the client, as client’s only pay for the support they need rather than hiring and housing employees.

Speaking of employees, another huge benefit to hiring a virtual assistant is that they are self-employed. As a freelancer, they set their own rates and hours and pay their own insurance, taxes, vacation time and any other benefits a typical employee might receive. Since VAs run their own businesses, they are often very knowledgeable about the backend structure of a business. They have a general knowledge of how businesses are run which can be very helpful when they are working with clients.

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Types of Virtual Assistants

Though it is a relatively new industry, the virtual assistant industry is a rapidly growing field and one that is very diverse. From general VAs to VAs with years of specialized training and skills, there are virtual assistants for virtually anything…pun intended. 🙂 There are real estate virtual assistants, social media virtual assistants or marketing virtual assistants and though we could go on and on, for this post, I am going to narrow it down to 3 general categories.

Administrative Virtual Assistant

This virtual assistant is very similar to an Administrative Assistant that you might find at a corporate company, the main difference being that they are virtual. They handle a variety of office tasks like managing email inboxes and calendars, compiling meeting materials, organizing databases, coordinating travel, and filing expense reports.

Technical Virtual Assistant

A technical VA handles all the tech and provides backend support for your business. Common responsibilities they might handle are updating a website, managing an online course, implementing integrations/automations and troubleshooting errors. Tech VAs typically specialize in a few key platforms but are tech-savvy and capable of understanding new programs easily.

Creative Virtual Assistant

A creative virtual assistant…you guessed it…provides creative support to their clients. Their services might include designing graphics or websites, creating social media posts or blog content, managing newsletters and campaigns, and marketing and branding.

With such a variety of virtual assistants for every niche market, deciding which type of VA your business needs comes down to your business goals. Is there a particular task that you don’t enjoy or find yourself procrastinating on? Or maybe, you know your business needs to be implementing a certain process but you aren’t sure how to get started or even manage it once it is up and running. This is where a virtual assistant can help! They’ll walk you through their process and everything you need to know about working with them.

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What can a virtual assistant do for you? Benefits of working with a VA

As a small business owner, it can be scary to let someone else into your business. You’ve worked hard to build your business up in a way that reflects you and the values you care about. Choosing to hire a VA is an investment in your business and is not a decision to be taken lightly. If done right though, it is a decision that has the power to reap amazing benefits!

Virtual Assistants Save You Time

One main reason you might choose to hire a virtual assistant in your business is to save time. Perhaps you’ve reached a point in your business where you can no longer do it all or maybe you are unable to take on new projects due to capacity overload. Even not enjoying certain tasks is reason enough to outsource. For instance, maybe you have a blog because you know it helps your business but you really hate blogging so you find yourself procrastinating and when you do finally sit down to write a post it takes you hours. Hiring a VA and outsourcing blogging not only frees up your time but it also frees up your mental capacity which allows your creativity to run free so you can focus on growing your business and increasing your income.

Virtual Assistants Save You Money

Believe it or not, hiring a virtual assistant can actually be a cost savings to your business. Let’s go back to our blogging example above. That post that took you 5 hours to write may only take your VA 3 hours. Not only is your virtual assistant able to complete the task in less time, but you are able to take those 5 hours you would have spent blogging and work on launching a new product or taking on more clients which in turn increases your income. When you work on projects or tasks that you actually enjoy, you are able to be much more productive, so consider outsourcing any tasks that feel draining.

Virtual Assistants Elevate Your Business

Virtual assistants, especially those with a specialized set of skills, are subject matter experts (SME) in their respective fields. They have spent time and money to learn the skills that will help you elevate your business. Whether it is Pinterest or social media or working with a specialized market like the wedding industry, VAs are very knowledgeable about their niche and they require very little training on how to do their job. No business owner can do it all and even if you can, you may not be able to do things as efficiently or effectively as you would by outsourcing work. This is where a virtual assistant can help. By investing in your business, you are investing in yourself and your values.

If you’re ready to take the next step in your business or want to learn more about what it’s like to work with me, reach out! I would love to connect and see how I might be able to serve you!

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FAQ

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant (VA) is a self-employed, remote worker who provides administrative, creative, or technical services to their clients.

What are some responsibilities of a virtual assistant?

Depending on what you are looking for, there is a virtual assistant who can help! VAs can specialize in a range of skills or industries depending on their area of expertise. Their tasks can range from data entry to marketing to tech support to blogging to social media or Pinterest management.

Is a virtual assistant an employee?

No. Virtual assistants are self-employed meaning, they set their own rates and hours and pay their own insurance, taxes, vacation time, and any other benefits a typical employee might receive.

How many hours does a virtual assistant work?

The great thing about virtual assistants is they are available to work for as much as you need! Whether you are looking for ongoing assistance with a wide range of tasks or need help launching a project, a virtual assistant can help. They set their own hours and you as the client can decide how much help you need.