Virtual Assistants
What is a Virtual
Assistant?
Virtual Assistants are skilled professionals who can accomplish a diverse
range of tasks offshore such as; administrative, graphic design, event
planning, social media management, marketing and advertising research
for the benefit of small, medium and large companies.
If you are concerned about your local employees who may avoid doing some tasks, hiring a Virtual Assistants is the next step for you. As
Michael Brodie said, “For every task that you don’t like doing, there is a Virtual
Assistants who does like doing it.” VA’s can alleviate tasks and can help you
focus more on your core business. With the help of technological advancements,
communicating with your Virtual Assistants is easy, effortless and productive. For
a larger range of Virtual Assistant tasks that can be outsourced offshore, check out this
link . Virtual Assistants are a major contributing factor in the reason
outsourcing has increased in popularity and have become assets to companies by delivering
high quality work. Hiring a Virtual Assistant is as beneficial as hiring a local
employee because and can bring a new set of ideas that you might have
missed, and the next thing you know, that idea has sparked a positive outcome on
the company’s revenue.
Virtual Assistants come in several forms;
1) VA's can work at their own convenience
2) They can work home-based on an hourly rate logging on and off
3) Work in an office
4) Anywhere they choose depending on how flexible their employer
is
**In-House VA's get the support of local management and team.
Freelance Virtual Assistants are independent professionals recognized
for their skills and experiences and also for their capability on delivering top-quality
work. Virtual Assistants are mostly freelancers because of projects that arise
from a needs basis. They are experienced independent workers who are self-managed
and do not need to be monitored as closely as internal office staff. Companies
have started investing more in Virtual Assistants because it improves efficiency and saves costs.
Qualities of a Freelance Virtual Assistant
Adaptable
to change – accustomed to different working cultures
and practices because their clients come from different parts of the world.
They are quick to adapt and able to learn at a dynamic rate because of the
projects they handle.
Good
set of skills – They practice their own expertise for a few
years before settling in as a freelance Virtual Assistant. After all, it is a
requirement to have built a strong reputation and background in order to gain the
trust of your prospect companies.
Flexible
– Freelance Virtual Assistants work
without a structured routine, they work at their own pace with their own
resources. This has been an attractive advantage of a freelance Virtual
Assistant. However, this can also have a negative effect if the freelancer is
taking too long on a single project which could result in multiple delays.
Innovative
– Freelancers have the time and luxury which helps in creative stimulation.
They also come up with breakthroughs that can help a company solve an issue.
Working
with multiple companies – After accomplishing a task for Company
A, a freelancer will eventually look for another short-term assignment or another
offer from Company B. This goes to show how freelancers are concentrating more
on the tasks and projects and not focusing in helping your business grow.
**VA's that attend an office can increase structure and discipline.
2. Full-time Virtual Assistant
Full-time Virtual Assistants are considered the most reliable of
the VA workforce. These employees are employed by an Outsourcing Company and are
classified based on their expertise. These highly-skilled workers are more
stable than a freelance Virtual Assistant because they work closely with one
company as an extension of their team. Meaning, they are able to focus on
contributing plans and implementing it to the company’s process and profits.
Here are some reasons companies prefer investing in full-time Virtual
Assistants:
Companies
are more secure – Companies feel more secure as full-time Virtual
Assistants are being monitored by the management of the outsourcing company,
plus the confidentiality of the files are safer and more secure.
Credible
experience – In most cases, full-time virtual employees
are hired because of their credible experience. Outsourcing companies prefer
employees who can stay in the company for a long period of time because they
are saving on the time and cost in training employees. This helps maintain strong
relationships with the companies as well.
Highly
skilled – VA’s are highly skilled and talented
individuals in their chosen field. These employees are properly curated by an
outsourcing company according to their line of expertise.
Loyal
and committed – Full-time employees are only working for
one company, hence, having all their focus and loyalty.
International
– VA’s love working for
international companies and in most cases get paid more than what they would if
they worked for a local company.
Full-time
stability – Hiring full-time Virtual Assistant employees
will create a harmonious work-flow since and consistency. You also get to grow
your team and grow your business.
Profits
increase – Hiring Virtual Assistants offshore costs
about one third of what you’d pay for a local VA, therefore, increasing company
profits by lowering salaries.
Productivity
– Hiring Virtual increases productivity as they are office based
and can focus 100% of their energy on their given tasks without distraction. Local
office base staff are often distracted by reacting to local issues that crop
up, whereas VA’s can focus.
Summary
The economy has accepted the fact that “Virtual Assistants” have indeed
earned their spot as a valid career because of the various advantages it
continues to reveal. Both types of Virtual Assistants are contributing to the development
of small, medium and large companies all over the world. A freelance Virtual
Assistant fits companies that require short-term projects or tasks because they
work with multiple companies and are more focused on the projects rather than the
core business itself. Full-time Virtual Assistants are more stable, get to know
the business, can accept long-term projects and become part of the team because
they work with only one company and focus on business’ growth. With the help of
outsourcing companies, this new process of outsourcing Virtual Assistants is improving
efficiency, increasing company profits and produces focused, high quality work.
Written by: Czarina Quiwa
