What are Virtual Assistants? The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
How do you feel about the idea of having a personal assistant? Do you think it sounds like a luxurious experience or perhaps a little too high-maintenance? For some people, virtual assistants are their saving grace. They may not be able to afford an in-person assistant, but they can hire one without leaving the comfort of their own home. Virtual assistants have many practical uses that can make our lives easier such as searching for information on the internet and remind you of things. They can answer questions, do research for you, and remind you of things. Here, are some tips to get started!
What are Virtual Assistants?
A virtual assistant is a digital representation of a person that is hired to perform tasks for you.
Setting up your projects with virtual assistants
There are two types of projects you can use to make your assistant: continuous vs. project-based. Continuous projects are tasks that you set up once and keep on keeping on until you get it done. This is probably the best way to go as you don’t want a virtual assistant that’s waiting for you to tell it what to do. Projects are things that you can take on and off as you need them. You can put it on when you want to, and take it off when you need a break.
Hiring A Virtual Assistant For The First Time
When you are hiring a Virtual Assistant for the First Time, you may be confused about what a virtual assistant actually is. Think of it as your very own assistant. Many virtual assistants are helpful in coordinating tasks and errands so they can free up your time. However, they also provide you with a list of tasks to complete so you know exactly what to do with your time and that you are getting things done.
You need to choose your virtual assistant based on a few factors: Do you have a specific project in mind? Is it related to a certain task? Do you have enough tasks for your virtual assistant?
Why Would I Want A Virtual Assistant?
One of the main reasons why people need a virtual assistant is to do chores for them. The assumption is that you’re too busy and busy people do not have the time to do all the household chores on a regular basis. It’s true that technology has made it more convenient to carry out certain tasks.
However, we still are confronted with certain challenges. One of the challenges in looking for the information we need, and it is tedious to find it on the internet. What are your options? Having a good virtual assistant can make your life so much easier. It is true that virtual assistants have become a thing of the present.
The Benefits of Hiring a VA
According to an article by Reuters,
“Virtual assistants can handle a wide range of tasks, from keeping track of a company’s finances to writing press releases”
They Do the Unfamiliar
There are few things more overwhelming than a list of chores, which you know you have to get done, but have no idea where to start. By having a virtual assistant, you get someone who is familiar with your environment and knows exactly how things are done. You don’t have to stress over the “unknowns” that you normally have to figure out, and can rest easy knowing that you have the support of your virtual assistant throughout the process.
They Provide Clarity
When you ask your assistant for a specific task, be prepared to give them everything that you need. This will ensure that you’re getting the best possible help and they’re able to solve your problem, which is what you’re paying for.
They Are Willing to Try New Things
What do you get when you hire a virtual assistant? If you’re like most people, you get peace of mind and the convenience of not having to take care of every task yourself. You no longer have to plan your week or remember to pay your bills on time because a virtual assistant will do that for you.
Virtual Assistants Save Your Cash
Businesses can use them to save money or they can also provide businesses with more access to information. Depending on the business’ needs, a virtual assistant may be able to run their day-to-day operations or they can be a boon for professional services like accounting. Of course, it all depends on the business itself.
How to Find the Right VA for You
The first thing you need to do is find a VA that can give you the help you need. Some of the types of VA most companies use are “Virtual Receiving Agent” which is a virtual assistant who is helping a company send out their packages to customers. This may sound quite simple, but if your company has thousands of customers, it can still be a large undertaking! Some companies have VAs available to do this for them. Some companies hire Knowledge Management Assistants who are experts in the field and help you solve legal problems, draft documents, and assist you with the legal process.
Your Virtual Assistant should be accessible all the time
Your virtual assistant should be accessible at all times. Don’t let them fall off the face of the earth. You should be able to ping them anytime and get a response quickly. Be careful about who you let into your personal life and who can access it. If you let a VA into your Gmail
You have some choices when it comes to finding the best virtual assistant. The first step would be to research a bit. There are a lot of companies that offer virtual assistants online. If you find a service that seems reputable and which offers a price that seems to be reasonable, you could definitely consider that option. A good example is HiredSupport.
Your Virtual Assistant Must Be Affordable
It may be more affordable to hire a virtual assistant than a full-time employee to do these kinds of tasks, but in many ways it will be the same as hiring a person to do these types of tasks in a regular office. However, there are some differences when you’re comparing the two.
Take The Number Of Tasks Into Consideration
First, you have to take into consideration how much of the tasks you actually want to outsource versus how much you actually want to do yourself. If you have a lot of errands to perform, then you must definitely hire the one who is qualified to do them at a rapid pace.
If a business has multiple employees, they may need more than one VA for the amount of work each person is assigned. How to Find the Right VA for You There are many resources to help you search for the right virtual assistant. Online tools, like VaSquared and VirtualVocations, can help you search for virtual assistants to match your business needs.
Look for Qualifications
The first thing you need to know about hiring a virtual assistant is that they must have the necessary skills to perform the tasks assigned to them. All of these tasks need to be completed on a regular basis to keep the job afloat. You should also take the time to interview a prospective employee to make sure you know about the qualification.
Many people use virtual assistants for marketing, answering emails, and transcription services. Each job has a unique set of tasks and a different set of requirements. It’s easy to see how virtual assistants could become the unsung heroes of our day. If you are a service provider in the medical field, and you can think of a task that could be outsourced easily and you are likely looking for a VA for that task.
For example, doctors have thousands of patient records in their patient registries. These patient records often contain patients’ vital statistics, so it would be beneficial to hire a VA to search the database for information about those patients. They could also analyze data and identify patterns for each patient. Those who work with insurance companies frequently deal with thousands of medical
Creating a Great VA-Client Relationship
The first step in hiring a virtual assistant is getting to know the person who will be working for you. You can ask questions about their experience, their current job title, their specific skills, and even about their family. It is important to get to know your virtual assistant so you can find the person that will be the right fit.
Be A Good Listener
An important tip to remember is that you need to be a good listener. Your virtual assistant wants to learn about you, your family, and your needs. They will be providing you with assistance and will need to know what you need help with before it becomes a problem. Your virtual assistant should also have a good work ethic. You want to make sure that you find someone that knows their job, respects you and your time, and understands how to get the job done.
Consider Hiring A Pre-Trained Virtual Assistant
Many virtual assistants will have some basic qualifications. For example, some virtual assistants have professional experience in the field. Others have undergone special training, like becoming a certified virtual assistant through online courses. The best virtual assistants have experience in the field.
However, some people don’t have the time or are too busy to go through training to become a virtual assistant. That’s when it can be useful to hire a pre-trained virtual assistant. There are plenty of resources available online, such as Coursera and Skillshare. Here, you can learn more about virtual assistants and how to hire one for a company.
Designate A Time For Chat
Designate a time each week that you can chat with your virtual assistant. Schedule a time every week for your VA to make sure you are getting the service you want. Make sure to only talk about business-related matters with your virtual assistant. It is also important to be cognizant of how often you are contacting your VA.
It may be important to give them a reminder periodically to reach out. Some people like to use their VA only when something happens so that they are not looking to them on a regular basis for things. Working with an in-person VA may be a better fit for some people.
Conclusion
After reading this blog post, you should have a clear idea of what virtual assistants are, how and when to hire them and how to keep a great relationship with them. You should be well aware that you have to conduct interviews in order to know about the qualification of your virtual assistant.
Maybe this complicated process of hiring is confusing you to hire another person who will help you to hire a good virtual assistant. Well, HiredSupport comes as a savior to avoid this stupidity. HiredSupport has picked world-class virtual assistants and has trained them with a rigorous process to help you. Moreover, we are also offering a 7 day free trial on all of our services. Just fill a form and boom! Our representative will contact you.
