THE BLOG

What Virtual Assistants Do

(and how to become one)

Oct 7, 2024

What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
Virtual Assistants / Remote Work

You’ve probably seen it everywhere - people becoming “virtual assistants”, working from their laptops, quitting their jobs, and many of them making TONS of money doing it.

But you're probably here because you have no idea what the heck a virtual assistant does. So, let’s talk about it! I’ve been a virtual assistant for 8 years now, so it’s safe to say, I know a thing or two.

Who Hires Virtual Assistants?

When we think of a business, we often think of a large corporation with hundreds of employees. But that’s not all there is. There are many small business owners, entrepreneurs, and self-employed people who run businesses as well. 

Because they run businesses on their own, or with a small team, there's A LOT they need to get done. Constant emails in their inbox, bookkeeping, paying vendors, doing market research, running social media accounts, booking travel, not to mention running their household, taking the kids to soccer, and planning a family Thanksgiving dinner...

Whew! This can be A LOT to manage!

So more and more business owners and entrepreneurs are outsourcing to virtual assistants (VAs) to help manage multiple tasks for their businesses, help handle the day-to-day, and have someone to offload a few things off their plates. 

That’s not to say that ONLY small business owners hire VAs. I’ve worked with clients who run pretty large businesses as well! Freelancing has opened the door for business owners, of any kind, to hire people other than employees (a.k.a., freelancers) to help them run their businesses. 

The "Virtual" in Virtual Assistant

No, we are not like Siri, or Alexa, or those annoying bot autoresponders on your bank website.

We are admin assistants, except that we work remotely. A virtual assistant works from their computer and keeps in contact with their clients through email communication, video calls, or phone calls to manage various business tasks. 

Unlike a traditional office assistant who works at an office from 9-5, a VA is a freelancer, so we run our own business, have multiple clients, set our own hours, and work from our laptop from home or anywhere in the world!

Virtual assistants are meant to be a business owner’s right hand person. We help them with whatever day-to-day tasks are overfilling their to-do list so they can focus on more important things.

What Types of Tasks Can a Virtual Assistant Do?

The type of tasks VAs do depends on the client. Every client is a different business owner, they all have different types of businesses, and each needs something different. 

For example, a general VA can relieve a business owner with basic tasks such as inbox management, scheduling appointments, data entry, travel arrangements, etc. just to name a few. 

Virtual assistants can also range upward to other titles such as online business managers who help with social media, project management, digital marketing, course management, coaching support, and more.

A bookkeeping and invoicing virtual assistant might monitor expenses, create and send invoices, manage accounts payable and receivable, and keep track of the books for businesses. 

The other cool thing about being a VA is helping business owners creatively, whether that’s creating original social media posts, graphic designs on Canva, or video editing, the possibilities are endless! 

When it comes to picking a niche or a specialty as a virtual assistant, there are so many options to pick from! Anyone with expertise and experience in any field can use those transferable skills to become a virtual assistant.

Why Hire a Virtual Assistant?

Clients seek out virtual assistants because they have way too many things on their to-do lists. They basically need another ‘them’ to take over some of those things that are piling up. That’s when a virtual assistant coming on board becomes a game-changer for business owners. Here are a few ways VAs are business life-savers:

• Time Saver - Time is money! By delegating projects and other duties to VAs, business owners are saving time, and focusing on more important things in their business, or freeing up time for their personal life. 
• Specialized Skills Accessibility- Having a VA who has a specific skill you need like accounting experience, customer success management, or a marketing strategist, can give a sense of relief because you have now hired an expert in that specialty. A skill the business owner doesn’t have!
• Reduce Stress - The support of having a virtual assistant can feel like a weight off of a busy business owner’s shoulders, especially during super stressful times in their business like meeting deadlines. Just imagine being able to turn over that never-ending to-do list to your trusty VA! 
• ROI - Virtual Assistants can offer businesses a HUGE return on their investment. By having an extra set of hands and eyes to work on your business, you can scale faster, get more done every week, save time and money, and significantly grow your business.

In a Nutshell

All in all, a virtual assistant can truly be the lifeline you never knew you needed in your business. Whether they are helping with project management, bookkeeping, or social media management, VAs can truly make a positive impact on business owner's efficiency, productivity, and overall peace of mind. In addition, they aid with saving time, reducing stress, and specialized skills, making them a trusted and reliable asset for any business owner or entrepreneur. 

It’s all about working smarter, not harder! 

Aspiring Virtual Assistants

If you have been thinking of becoming a Virtual Assistant, there truly hasn’t been a better time to start! More businesses than ever are turning to freelancers and virtual assistants today.

You can turn the skills you already have into a service-based business, work from the comfort of your own home, work with clients you genuinely enjoy working with, and have more freedom than a regular 9-5 job. 

As someone who’s been in the game for 8 years, I can tell you - it’s a pretty fun gig!

If you want to learn how to become a virtual assistant, you CANNOT miss this free training I created for you. I deep dive into the world of freelancing, tell you how I started my virtual assistant business, and give you the absolute BEST tips for getting started and finding clients.

Want me as your coach? Join my online course, Virtual Freelancer Academy, where I teach you EVERYTHING you need to know and give you all the tools you need to succeed as a VA (just like I've done for hundreds of students just like you).

Have more questions? Message me here!