What Is a Virtual Assistant? (And Why You Need One)

Does your life seem to be getting busier and busier by the day?

Are you constantly wishing you had a few extra hours to get things done so you could enjoy more free time with your family and friends?

Well, what if I told you there was a way to do that? And no, it’s not black magic, it’s called hiring a virtual assistant.

Think about it for a second...

How much could you achieve if you had somebody competent, smart, trustworthy, responsive, and conscientious to take care of all the bloat that clogs up your to-do list?

Imagine that instead of powering through that throbbing headache, endlessly sighing and feeling overwhelmed, you could go home, put your feet up, and relax by 7 pm.

Sounds like a fantasy right? Something only available to top-tier executives in corporations with mega budgets?

Well, think again.

Because with the right virtual assistant service, you can leverage a personal assistant who’ll help you get more done in less time, at a fraction of the normal cost.

Interested? Let’s learn more.

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant is your very own helping hand who works remotely to help you get tasks done. Virtual assistants can work in several ways. For example, they can be full-time employees at a company, a freelancer, or a contractor from an agency. 

The best thing about working with virtual assistants is the incredible flexibility they offer. See, you might only need assistance for 8 hours per week. 

So, instead of hiring a full-time employee, opting for a virtual assistant allows you to harness the power of having someone work for you — minus the hefty price tag or the headache of hiring.

What kind of tasks can a virtual assistant do?

Different virtual assistants have different skills. So it’s important to find one who has the competencies you’re looking for. However, as a general rule of thumb, most virtual assistants can do things like:

• Manage your social media accounts and social media project management

• Create & run digital marketing campaigns

• Conduct business research

• Handle time-consuming administrative tasks 

• Carry out basic bookkeeping

• Undertake data entry

• Manage your email correspondence and verify email addresses

• Take over your customer support

• Organize events and bookings

As you probably know, such tasks are really important but also can be extremely time-consuming. That’s why it makes sense to find somebody else who can take the stress out of having to do them yourself. 

Virtual assistants typically offer a broad range of skills.  However, if you’re looking to complete a highly specialized task — like high-level programming or branding, a virtual assistant might not be the best fit.

In such scenarios, opting for an expert freelancer or contractor will usually get the best results.

But for less complex tasks and ad-hoc work, a virtual assistant allows you to get the help you need when you need it at the best possible price.

Where to find Virtual Assistants? 

You can find virtual assistants in many places. But here are our top 3 virtual assistant service providers:

• TokyoMate — Japan-based bilingual assistant service. A strict 5 step screening process made by successful entrepreneurs lets only the top 3% of candidates qualify to become TokyoMate virtual assistants.

• Zirtual — One of the biggest names in virtual assistant service in the U.S. Their big network of freelance virtual assistants will help you find the best virtual assistant for your needs.

• Time etc —A UK-based virtual assistant service that has been around since 2007. They will match you with the best assistant depending on the task.

You can also seek out virtual assistants on freelancer platforms such as:

• Upwork.com

• Fiverr.com

• Freelancer.com 

• Guru.com 

And while there are many great virtual assistants on these freelancer platforms, be aware that the vetting process isn’t very thorough. And you’ll also have to dedicate time to manage the hiring process yourself.

Free up time to focus on what you do best

Outsourcing tasks for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience. After all, you know the best person to handle your tasks is you.

But it’s important to recognize that your time is your most precious resource. That’s why you have to ask yourself, "What is the most productive use of my time?"

In other words, are you investing your time and skills in business-building activities or are you investing it in repetitive tasks that could be easily outsourced?

Once you know where your time is best spent, deciding what tasks your virtual assistant can manage for you becomes easy.

And when you have more time to focus on what you do best, you’ll start to see the results you’re looking for and leave your competitors wondering how you get so much done.

What are the best tasks to outsource first? 

You can outsource pretty much any tasks that are eating into your time and focus. But one of the tasks our customers say saved them thousands of hours and stress is business research. 

Business research is an integral part of building a successful company. However, the problem is it’s extremely time-consuming.  Things like locating the best vendor, conducting a competitor analysis, or sourcing new products can drain your energy fast.

By choosing a virtual assistant to undertake the process, you’ll be able to gather detailed information and make your next big move with ease.

Transform your work with virtual assistants

You’ll be surprised by how much weight a competent virtual assistant can take off your back. And you’ll be even more surprised at how much more focus and attention you’ll gain to dedicate towards business-boosting activities.

Once you get used to working with virtual assistants, you’ll be able to power your business and performance to new heights.

But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what one of our customers had to say:

“Your service exceeded our expectations for a virtual assistant in every way. The fact that she is ‘virtual’ had zero impact on her ability to provide timely, creative, and effective support. Overall, the experience has been fantastic and it’s great to know we have such a capable, professional, and personable assistant standing by to support us as we grow our business here in Japan.”

— CEO, Staffing & Recruitment Agency