Most of us wish for more hours in the day at least once a week. Whether it’s for time to spend with the family, complete your admin tasks or even just a bit of time to yourself, it can often seem like we run out of hours and keep adding to our to-do lists.
In this blog, we take a look at the solution to this conundrum in the form of a virtual assistant. For those of us who already have the support of a VA, we often refer to them as a godsend, a massive help and a person who helps you claw back that all-important precious time. But for those of us who don’t yet have a VA, let’s look at what they actually are and how they can benefit and even grow your business exponentially.
An introduction to a virtual assistant – what even are they?
A Virtual Assistant (VA for short) is a real person who doesn’t sit in your office, that you effectively ‘buy’ time from. Unlike an administrative assistant or personal assistant, the purpose of a VA is to save your business money and help make money. They can support a huge variety of important daily tasks, including managing your email inbox, building your social media platform, and speaking with your clients.
The major factor of a VA is that they work externally from your business whilst still supporting you for the amount of time you need. They provide extra strength to your business whilst not taking up desk space in your office and not being a PAYE employee – saving you time, money and energy.
The advantages of hiring virtual assistant services for your business
As our time is stretched, our task list grows, and our budget tightens, we are all looking to get the best for our businesses without breaking the bank. Many business owners benefit from a VA for those reasons and many more.
A VA can manage daily tasks that are important but not at the top of your to-do list, such as your social media accounts. Having a VA managing this task can take a lot of stress from your mind, and ultimately it gains you an online presence, which is only growing in its importance in today’s business world.
A VA can complete administrative tasks such as note-taking, dictating, scheduling, email management and corresponding with clients on your behalf. VA’s are trained to a high standard and often come from previous PAYE roles in which they would be undertaking many administrative tasks. They are organised and meticulous when representing you and your company, so you can be confident that they will do a brilliant job.
A VA can manage other aspects of your daily life, dependent on what you require from them. Personal errands are often a service that a VA will offer, so you don’t have to worry about missing an anniversary, birthday or trying to get into the restaurant you have promised!
One of the best advantages of using a VA is that they will offer you a package of hours based on what you require. They time their minutes spent working for you so you can have complete clarity on what you are getting from your VA, and they will let you know when your package of hours is running out for the month. Most VA’s will also offer ‘over time hours’ at an hourly rate, so if you feel you may need them for extra hours during a hectic month, as long as your VA has the capacity to support, they should be able to do so.
Virtual assistants drive business value.
Not only do VA’s offer amazing customer service and complete the business tasks you require them to do, but through their dedication to your company and clients, a good VA may inadvertently drive your business value and increase your sales and client retention.
If you have chosen to have the support of your VA for a customer-facing role, they will often be the first voice your client hears when speaking with your company. Taking customer inquiries, building a relationship with them and suggesting various products and services well create trust between your brand and client, often resulting in returning clients and increased retention. Once you start to see the increase in performance in business, you will soon start to think of your VA as a valuable asset to your team.
Virtual assistant services vary, depending on the type of VA you require and the industry you are in. At Content Clever, we work incredibly closely with a brilliant VA who specialises in the Medical Aesthetics and Cosmetic Surgery industry. If you are looking for a patient coordinator / medical secretary / personal assistant, you can be sure that you will receive incredible customer service and attention to detail from Exigency-VA.
You may also be interested in:
Our 2021 guide to writing a great press release
The benefits of working with a local copywriter
Learn more about Content Clever
Choosing a virtual assistant to benefit you and your business
Having a virtual office assistant in your business can give you a great work-life balance and support converting leads to sales and ensuring your office stays in an organised fashion. Our top recommended VA’s are:
- Amy Lee – Exigency-VA
- Katy Whyte – SmartPA
If you are looking for the guru of virtual assistants, including how to become a brilliant one, our top pick would have to be Lucy Everett – Virtually Supported. Self-made and a complete expert, Lucy has set herself apart from the rest with her look, branding and expert courses.
If you are looking for someone to become an asset to your team without employee costs and desk space, look no further than a Virtual Assistant and the services they can offer!
