What are virtual assistant services?

Virtual assistants are remote administrative assistants who handle a variety of services for a company. They help your business run efficiently by providing support for a host of administrative tasks that require consistent and timely oversight. While virtual assistants can work for any company, many are employed by companies that focus on remote work or that have several office spaces in a region.

Related: Administrative Assistant Job Description Sample

Examples of tasks that you can outsource to virtual assistant services

Virtual assistants can perform a substantial number of tasks from their remote position. A few of the most common virtual assistant services include:

• Administrative: Virtual assistants can manage several administrative duties such as calendar management, answering phones, data entry, appointment scheduling and making travel arrangements.
• Personal assistance: You can also outsource some personal duties to your virtual assistant, like maintaining your personal calendar, making personal travel arrangements and doing your gift shopping.
• Content creation: Your virtual assistant can write blog posts, optimize content and post the completed content to your website for you.
• Financial management: Some virtual assistants have the skills to help manage your budget and purchase supplies for you.
• Social media management: Virtual assistants are a great resource for running your social media, since social media management is an entirely online endeavor.
• Research: Ask your virtual assistant to gather research and data on consumer trends, competitors’ sales and other important information for you to use in making business decisions.
• Customer service: Use your virtual assistant to manage customer service concerns.
• Email oversight: Allow your virtual assistant to oversee your email inbox by sorting messages into folders and responding to low-level emails when appropriate.

Related: How to Hire an Administrative Assistant

How do virtual assistant services typically work?

There are some options when considering how to hire a virtual assistant. First, you can hire a freelance contractor or an in-house employee. Generally, if you’re hiring an in-house employee, you’ll find your virtual assistant by posting a job description and interviewing candidates. If you want a contractor rather than an employee, you have two options — hire a freelancer directly or use a virtual assistant service or firm.

Also, you can peruse various websites that allow freelancers of all types to post their skills, rates and availability. It’s a good option if you want to find someone with a specific skill set for a short- or long-term project.

If you work with a virtual assistant service, you’ll acquire a vetted and professional virtual assistant for your company without the work required to vet a freelancing virtual assistant on your own.

Related: 7 Administrative Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

Features to look for in virtual assistant services

When you hire your virtual assistant with the help of a virtual assistant service, keep an eye on these features that the service should provide:

• Provide competitive pricing: Ensure their pricing model is fair and doesn’t include any hidden fees.
• Offer reviews:Read reviews from other companies who use the service.
• Give payment options: Understand the pay structure and how frequently you’ll need to submit payment to the virtual assistant service.
• Work exclusively for you: If you want a dedicated virtual assistant working only for your company, ensure that’s doable with the virtual assistant firm.
• Give a clear contract: Know if the contract requires you to pay a flat rate for all services or if you can pay by specific task.
• Provide oversight: Ensure the firm will provide effective oversight of your virtual assistant.
• Maintain security: Check their website and payment forms for appropriate levels of security to protect your personal information.

Usually, virtual assistant firms provide you with several candidate options to choose from. Look for these qualities and features when considering hiring the virtual assistant. They should:

• Have experience: Ideally, the virtual assistant you hire will have experience working in your specific industry or field.
• Be responsible: Make sure the virtual assistant you choose can take responsibility for any work errors and quickly learn from their mistakes.
• Make suggestions: Look for a virtual assistant who’s willing to make suggestions and changes to processes they know they could improve.
• Be connected: Your virtual assistant should have excellent internet and phone service so you can reach them whenever you need them.
• Accept feedback: Just as you want a virtual assistant willing to give feedback on your processes, your virtual assistant should be open to receiving feedback from you.
• Do great work: Look for a virtual assistant who has a record of outstanding work performance and delivers strong work products.
• Anticipate your needs: Seek out a virtual assistant who can quickly adapt to your work style and learn to expect what you need and when.
• Speak your language: Make sure your virtual assistant is fluent in your preferred language.

Related: What Is the Definition of an Assistant in Business?

Virtual assistants can make managing the day-to-day and long-term responsibilities of your business much easier. Consider all the tasks your company performs digitally — a virtual assistant can manage most, if not all, of them. Understand how virtual assistant services or firms work so you can be sure you select an overseeing company that meets your needs and a virtual assistant who can perform the work well.