Why You Need a Virtual Assistant – and How You Can Select the Best One

More and more business owners, especially those who operate small- and medium-sized enterprises, are looking into outsourcing specific tasks to virtual assistants, which has proven worthwhile in many ways. It’s become a popular endeavour indeed, and the hands-on support provided by virtual assistants has helped numerous business owners get back some of their freedom and peace of mind. Because of the demand for a virtual assistant’s skills, many virtual assistants have popped up – but not all of them are cut from the same cloth. The big question on your mind may be why you need a virtual assistant – but also, how can you select the best one? Here are the answers you need.

Know exactly what they can do 

First of all, you should know precisely what they can do. Virtual assistants can provide a plethora of services, and they can offer remote work, which means you don’t have to worry about providing them with an office – they have their own. You need to determine their skills before you engage their services because some are more skilled than others. But it’s equally important to understand precisely what you need so you can maximise their skills for your business.

There are some general skills you can expect from a virtual assistant, however. These include data entry, schedule and appointment management, travel arrangements, correspondence management, research on the Internet, and other administrative support services. Your virtual assistant can even help manage your personal affairs, such as helping you plan and organise a celebration or event, book and reserve restaurants and theatres, send out invitations, send out cards for holidays, gather quotes for car or home insurance and so on.

What you should assess before getting a virtual assistant 

As mentioned, a virtual assistant’s skills can vary depending on their experience and expertise. Still, any good VA should show you that they follow the best standards when it comes to quality and professionalism. So, if you want to make an ideal decision for your virtual assistant, below are a few points to consider:

• Can they provide you with testimonials and references for work they have done in the past?
• How can they prove that they have the appropriate skills you require?
• Can they demonstrate a proven track record of their development and training, and are they updated with various technology (especially those you use) and do they have proper knowledge regarding the tasks you require doing?
• Can they show you what systems and procedures they have in place to secure confidentiality for their clients?
• Are they able to demonstrate how committed they are to continuous training and study and ensuring their skills are also up-to-date?
• Will they be able to show an outline of the system they use for billing and timesheets, if necessary?
• Can they commit to your timescales and provide you with an outline of their fees for each project/work? Can they commit to a contract? 

Whatever it is you need for your business, the skills of a virtual assistant can prove invaluable. With a virtual assistant, you can keep down your costs whilst still relying on a professional – and the time and freedom it gives you is priceless.