Virtual Assistants
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How to Hire a Virtual Assistant
Although it seems like you can find a virtual assistant just about anywhere, identifying a talented individual who can provide professional online assistant services is harder than you think. The kind of skills and experience you look for in a VA will depend on the needs of your business, but there are a few standard qualities that all personal assistants should have.
FAQs
What does a virtual secretary do?
A virtual secretary, also known as a virtual assistant, online assistant, or personal assistant online, is an independent contractor who offers administrative services remotely or virtually. Your virtual assistant doesn’t work in the same office space as you do, and can work from home or anywhere else. You give the online assistant access to all the documents and tools they need to complete their job, such as calendars, files, or even your phone system so they can answer calls. Other important tasks might include:
- Making travel arrangements for you
- Managing your email account
- Blog writing
- Social media management
- Marketing services
- Graphic design
- Bookkeeping
Advances in remote working and virtual office places have made the freelance virtual assistant a much more popular career choice. You can easily share all the documents your online assistant needs to provide administrative support to your business, and communicate with them via video chat or phone call. If your business is location-independent, or if you are an independent contractor yourself, hiring a VA can be a smart move. Since online personal assistants come with a wide skillset, you can hire a virtual assistant contractor for only the services you need.
How do I hire a virtual assistant?
To find a virtual assistant, look through freelancing job boards where qualified VA’s offer their services. Find someone with the experience and skills that match your business’s needs. Once you find a promising candidate, set up a short interview with them so you can get to know them better and see how well you’ll work together. After you select an online PA, you can set up a paid trial period to see how well they do and if they are a good fit for you.
What skills should a virtual assistant have?
Virtual assistants need a range of administrative, organizational, and communication skills in order to succeed. When hiring an online assistant, look for these must-have skills:
- Experience with word processing: No matter what kind of business you run, you’ll likely need data entry or note-taking. Look for a VA who can type around 35 words per minute and who uses word processing programs such as Microsoft Word proficiently.
- Oral and written communication: You’ll need to communicate with your virtual personal assistant regularly throughout the day. They may also contact clients on your behalf. The person you hire for virtual assistance should be able to express themselves clearly, succinctly, and in a professional manner both in conversation and in written communication.
- Proficiency using a computer: For a remote assistant, having a computer is a must. They’ll need to be able to access online documents and calendars, as well as communicate with you via Zoom, Skype, Slack, and other professional tools. Your new virtual PA should not only have a computer but know how to use it well. They should also have a decent internet connection.
- Self-discipline: Working from home without the boss down the hall sometimes makes it hard to stay disciplined and 100% focused on work. Look for VA’s that demonstrate extraordinary amounts of motivation for their work.
- Flexibility and decision-making: The ability to quickly adapt to new situations is a must for both personal assistants and virtual workers, so for virtual assistants, it’s doubly important. Your new online assistant should be flexible with your schedule and know how to make decisions quickly when there’s a problem.
- Lifelong learner: You want a freelance virtual assistant who continues to improve. Whether it’s taking a course on their own to improve their typing or finding ways to make your business’s workflows more streamlined, they should have some ambition to make themselves and your business better.
How much do virtual assistants cost?
Online assistants are independent contractors who can provide a wide array of services for your business. You can choose to pay your VA hourly or for completing certain projects – it depends on the work you want them to do. An hourly rate that includes the various tasks your business needs is the typical arrangement. You pay your virtual secretary for their skills and experience, so the more proficient they are with the specific tasks you need (such as blog writing or data entry), the more you can expect to pay. If you want a personal assistant who helps with financial and marketing services in addition to administrative functions, you can also expect to pay more. The hourly rate for a VA may also depend on their location, which affects their cost of living.