The outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent explosion in remote working has led to a wave of business interest in the use of virtual assistants. However, misconceptions exist surrounding the virtual assistant’s role.

If you’re wondering about what VAs are, how they work and what functions they perform, these FAQs will help to demystify the concept.

Questions asked on a regular basis include the following:

• How can you find and hire a virtual assistant?
• What tasks and disciplines do VAs specialise in?
• How do they operate, and what do you need to provide them with?
• What is the minimum period for which you can hire a VA?

Virtual Done Well supplies virtual assistance via a service model that lets businesses get started right away—just what the doctor ordered for beating the disruption caused by a global health crisis.

 

6 Frequently Asked Questions about the Role of Virtual Assistants

 

If your company is struggling, as many SMEs are, to recover in an economy crashed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual assistant may provide the lifeline you need to keep on top of business.

In these Frequently Asked Questions, we explore the roles of virtual assistants, how to find them, how to hire them, what they can do, and what makes them such valuable, yet flexible assets to the smaller business.

 

Our Top 6 Virtual Assistant FAQs – And the Answers

 

Q: What is a Virtual Assistant?

A: A VA is typically someone who is self-employed, may work from home, and offers technical, administrative, and/or creative help to clients, using digital technology to provide services remotely.

 

 

 

 

Q:  What is the difference between a VA and a remote worker?

A: Virtual Assistants are not full-time members of staff and are hired for specific tasks by the hour/day/week/month. Some are hired to take full control of a particular piece of work. A remote worker, meanwhile, is a full-time employee who works from home rather than going to the office every day. Remote working of this nature has become a common practice since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

 

Q: How can a VA help me?

A: Depending on your requirements, you can find a VA who can perform one or more (sometimes even all) of the following tasks:

• Write emails, update files, answer telephones
• Market your product/service, through telemarketing or social media promotions

 

 

 

 

• Create your website and keep it up to date
• Take care of all of your graphic design needs

 

 

 

 

• Act as your Customer Relations Manager
• Write content for your blogs and websites

 

 

 

 

• Manage your social media
• Create and edit your videos

 

Q: Do I need to provide a VA with a phone, laptop, or other office equipment? 

A: VAs typically have their own office equipment and the latest software. If necessary, you may need to provide them with access to technical tools and solutions specific to your operation.

 

Q:  What is the minimum period that a VA will work for you?

A: Some VAs don’t mind being hired on a per-hour basis, but others specify a minimum number of hours per contract. For one-off tasks, the hour-by-hour VAs are the ones to look out for, but if you have regular work it is better to find a VA who wants a more secure contract and would prefer to be part of a team.

 

 

 

 

Q: How do I go about finding a VA?

A: Some Virtual Assistants post their résumés and list the skills and services they offer, plus their rates, on freelancer and job-seekers’ sites such as Upwork. Others sign up with a reputable BPO company and, once trained to the satisfaction of the firm, become part of the skills-for-hire team.

 

 

 

 

Many clients have found that going the BPO route saves them the headache—and time—of scouring online sites for VAs who, for all they know, could be exaggerating their skills and competencies.

 

Virtual Done Well’s Modus Operandi

 

Why not take a look at how we do things here at Virtual Done Well? Scanning our tailored FAQs will give you a good insight into how a professional outfit such as ours operates. You will note that we go out of our way to find you a VA closely matching your specific requirements.

Because of their skills and their affordable rates, hiring a VA for shorter or longer periods could well save your company from Coronavirus-linked problems. Come to think of it, he or she could simply save your company, period.

 

 

 

Best Regards,
Chau Lim
Email: chau@virtualdonewell.com
Phone: +61 413 981 888