What is a virtual assistant and what do they do?

With low overhead and high flexibility, virtual assistants are a cost-effective staffing solution for companies of all sizes

Virtual Assistant

As companies grow in size, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay on top of the daily tasks necessary to keep the business running. When employees wear many hats in a quick-moving environment, it can be tricky to keep operations and administrative needs running smoothly. But hiring full-time, on-site support staff isn’t always an option, either—and that’s where virtual assistants step in.

Virtual assistants have existed for as long as technology has facilitated remote work, but the trend has increased rapidly in recent years; in fact, Business Wire estimates that virtual assistants’ market size will reach $25.6 billion by 2025. They are especially beneficial when many teams are spread out and employees are working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This is because virtual assistants can work from anywhere and can often perform a variety of tasks on a flexible contract. With low overhead and limited commitment, virtual assistants are a cost-effective staffing solution for companies of all sizes.

But what exactly is a virtual assistant, and how can you employ one to streamline operations at your company?

What does a virtual assistant do?

There are no set tasks that virtual assistants perform, and assignments vary depending on the employer. Here are some of the most common jobs given to virtual assistants:

Administrative work

Virtual assistants are most commonly hired for admin work. This includes scheduling meetings, booking travel, organizing calendars, and even answering phones via a connecting line.

Bookkeeping

Keeping track of finances is an essential part of running a profitable business, and virtual assistants can help manage a budget, make purchases, and track expenses.

Personal assistant

Virtual assistants can help organize tasks outside of work, in addition to their standard duties. Booking vacations, organizing a calendar, and purchasing gifts for friends and family are some of the more common personal duties.

Customer service

For companies offering a product or service, virtual assistants can be the first point of contact for customers looking for assistance with troubleshooting or an outlet for feedback. Virtual assistants can address basic, habitual concerns or give tutorials. If they are unable to help a customer, they can escalate it to the appropriate person within the company.

Data entry

Not all tasks fall under the umbrella of admin work; there is a wide variety of responsibilities that virtual assistants can take on, including data entry. In this role, a virtual assistant can easily compile data, check for accuracy, and delete unnecessary records. This is especially beneficial for patient recording, billing, postal work, and school administration.

Social media production

While many companies understand the importance of online engagement with potential customers or clients, the demands of social media management can sometimes seem endless. Virtual assistants are helpful for responding to comments and communicating with followers, but they can also maintain a posting schedule and even analyze account data.

Content management

If you use editorial content to drive traffic to your site, increase brand awareness, and engage potential customers, then you likely know the immense amount of work that goes into operations. A virtual assistant can help manage a production calendar, organize writing resources, and facilitate various elements of the publishing process, making it easier for you to focus on growing the content program.

Research

Every business must rely on research to inform its operations, whether it’s analysis of the market, customers, or performance. Research, too, can be a commodity to sell to clients. But research can be a time-consuming endeavor, even with dedicated resources, so some companies use virtual assistants to assist with compiling this information. Because these tasks are typically more manual, they’re best suited to virtual assistants specialized in data analysis.

Source: https://www.wework.com/ideas/professional-development/business-solutions/what-is-a-virtual-assistant