With the pandemic causing trouble worldwide, many businesses have been forced to look for remote and digital alternatives for operations that were formerly done in person. For instance, rather than requiring their workers to come and work in the offices, the companies started to offer remote work instead. Surprisingly enough, because of the pandemic, businesses began to realize the benefits of remote work. Today, office workers would prefer to work remotely even after the pandemic is over.
That being said, the office isn’t the only aspect that went virtual when COVID-19 happened. In fact, office assistants also went virtual, and this is a godsend for many businesses. With many virtual assistants worldwide, administrative tasks and other responsibilities can now be tackled without the fear of spreading the virus!
If you want your business to thrive amid the worldwide pandemic, here’s everything you need to know about virtual assistants and how to make the most out of them:
What is a virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant is a freelancer who offers assistance for administrative tasks, creative tasks, and various other responsibilities from a remote location. These assistants generally have college degrees while still boasting plenty of work experience to allow them to offer high-quality assistance without the extra in-house costs.
What are the ways a virtual assistant is being used?
Because the tasks of a virtual assistant will depend on the needs of the employer, how a virtual assistant is used can differ from one case to the other.
With that, there are a few common ways virtual assistants are being used. For instance, some companies have hired them to do some content writing for their blog, and some others have hired a virtual assistant to take care of their social media activities. Virtual assistants are also commonly hired to manage email accounts and even produce newsletters.
As you can see, these professionals can do many things. However, keep in mind that although they can do many tasks, they might not be the best at it. If you aren’t clear with what you want them to do, the chances are they will do something different. Because of this, whenever you task your virtual assistant, be sure to clearly explain what you want and let them know of your expectations. This includes sharing a step-by-step operating procedure to complete certain things in such a way that anyone without training can follow and complete the task successfully. In doing so, the virtual assistant can track everything you’ve told them to do and bring you expected results.
What type of expenses can you expect from a virtual assistant?
Different types of virtual assistants will have varying costs. You may find some for as cheap as $5, while others can cost around $45 or higher. Generally, the more specialized the virtual assistant you hire, the pricier they become. This is a factor you can easily consider, simply because the tougher and more specialized a task is, the more expensive the person you will hire to tackle it.
However, the most crucial aspect of this is that you hire the right person for the job. No matter how cheap (or expensive) the service is, financial consequences will be the least of your worries if you hire the wrong person. For this reason, we highly recommend looking for a matchmaking service to help you connect with the right virtual assistants. This way, regardless of the charge they cost, you can ensure that you are getting the expertise needed to tackle a task!
How to pick and choose the right virtual assistant for my business?
Speaking of picking correctly, whether you are working with a digital agency to hunt down the best virtual assistants or you are doing it all by yourself, knowing how to select the best one is equally important. This is because, at the end of the day, the final decision is yours.
With that in mind, here are a few pieces of advice you can follow to pick the right virtual assistant for your company:
First, jot down all the things you need to do, and make a list of things you need to complete in a day, week, and even month. From there, note which ones you can do by yourself and which ones you would want to delegate to a virtual assistant. This way, you can ask a virtual assistant whether they can complete a particular task without totally forgetting to ask about it. Plus, when you list down your activities, you can get a clear picture of what type of virtual assistant you need. For instance, you may realize that you are better off with a person who knows how to manage the calendar over someone else who knows how to write content.
Second, avoid going for the cheapest option. It is tempting to do this, thinking that you might be saving more money. However, remember that you will get what you pay for, and in most cases, cheap costs mean cheap services. In the end, this can translate to lower productivity and work quality, which can seriously affect your ability to make money in the long run. It may not make sense at first, but the reality is that more expensive options save you more money and time. This is because their work will be exemplary, and you do not need to burden yourself with terrible experiences that a cheap virtual assistant may give.
Third, follow your guts. After all the back and forth with a virtual assistant, how do you feel about them? If you are still reluctant to hire them or feel doubtful, it will be best to look for another virtual assistant. On the other hand, if you are happy with the virtual assistant you have talked to and are ready to train them, then hire them by all means! Your gut feeling is important because some things can’t be given a monetary value, such as trust. However, from your experiences in communicating with them and seeing what they have to offer, it might just feel right!
Conclusion
A virtual assistant can be an incredible help for any business looking to save money while going remote. Virtual assistants can tackle many tasks, and although they may not offer the same level of expertise as a traditional employee, they can take care of the many other more straightforward tasks to free up your time to focus on your business growth.
With that being said, if you are looking for a virtual assistant, be sure to take the time to compare the different assistants you may encounter. Just like hiring a new employee, you want to make sure you hire the right type of assistant for the job. Making the right decision will go a long way when trying to keep your business up and running during the pandemic!
CrewBloom strives to help businesses connect to affordable professionals who can offer the support roles needed to keep companies thriving and succeeding. If you are looking for a virtual administrative assistant or any other expert in the US, hire the talent with us today!
