A Virtual Assistant (known as a self-employed assistant or secretary) provides professional administrative, technical or creative support to multiple clients (entrepreneurs, writers, speakers, business owners, to name a few) from a remote location. Many people will ask why not hire someone full time?
The average annual salary for an Administrative Assistant varies anywhere from $20K to $50K and this will depend on multiple factors (experience, skills, location). A Virtual Assistant, on the other hand, will charge you only for the time you really need him or her. That is the beauty of this. No staff absences, no physical space or equipment is required, no benefits or paid vacation.
So what are the most common tasks you can delegate to a VA? Scheduling, bookkeeping, travel arrangements, time consuming internet research, email marketing, online marketing, database entries, database management, creating newsletters and brochures, updating blogs, social media and more.
Let’s say you are a writer and you need someone to help you take phone calls, manage your calendar or filter your emails. There you have 3 time-consuming activities you can delegate and will save you a lot of time. Or you are a photographer or a real estate agent, you can be benefited from someone who can send email campaigns to your customers or prospects, will create and publish a monthly newsletter for your blog. Like these examples, there is an infinite list of task that a Virtual Assistant can help you with.
Now how do you find the right Virtual Assistant? Make a list of the activities or task you want to delegate and search for a Virtual Assistant who has the right skill set.