Are you feeling the effects of burnout? Wondering where all the hours are running to? It may be time to look into hiring a virtual assistant (VA). 

According to a recent report, it is predicted that by the end of 2021, 25% of digital workers will use the services of VAs on a daily basis. Virtual assistant services are essential in maximising your productivity and may be the key ingredient to the success of a new business. By outsourcing some of your most time-consuming responsibilities, you can free up time to focus on what really matters – growing your business.

How exactly can a Virtual Assistant help? 

VAs can both scale your business and help decrease hours on your timesheet every week. From customer service to administrative duties and calendar management, there is a myriad of ways virtual assistant skills can help you and your business thrive. 

Essentially, VAs are time savers and time is an important commodity both in business and in life.

Skills a Virtual Assistant can offer you 

While each virtual assistant possesses their own unique skill set, there are some common skills that every VA should have for their clients to reap the benefits. 

Here’s what a skilled VA can offer you:

1. Reliability

Reliability is integral to business success. Since virtual assistants work mainly in a remote capacity, they exhibit a level of responsibility and autonomy that breeds trust between themselves and their clients.

2. Excellent communication

VAs are masters of communication! From answering e-mails to providing customer support, they will ensure that all parties are kept comfortable and informed at all times.

3. Resourcefulness

Virtual assistants that are experts at their craft will seek out information and be on top of industry trends to ensure that they can solve problems, think on their feet and take initiative to see that you thrive.

4. Multitasking skills

VAs are highly likely to have multiple projects or tasks on their plate at any given time. This requires them to stay organised and manage multiple activities without breaking a sweat. Being a multitasking machine will also ensure that whatever tasks you assign to a VA will get done in the most efficient manner possible.

5. The ability to work well under pressure

Part of being a good virtual assistant is putting an emphasis on making each client feel as though they are the priority. This means that a VA will be able to not only handle the pressure put on them but refrain from passing that stress to you – which is precisely why you hired them.

6. Attention to detail

VAs are super skilled at noticing the small details that you may otherwise overlook. From checking over final presentations to catching tiny spelling errors in e-mails, your VA will look over the final details so that you don’t have to.

7. Professionalism

Being responsible with confidential information, using the right tone and providing excellent service are just some of the ways VAs show their professionalism. It is because of this that you can trust that your business is in the right hands.

8. A positive outlook

Growing a business comes with many challenges. A virtual assistant is there to help you take these on while providing positive solutions in times when you may feel demotivated and uninspired. To put it quite simply, virtual assistants make you better at what you do.  

9. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand and manage emotions in a positive way. Skilled VAs possess a high level of EQ, giving them the ability to manage tough situations, while still being able to empathise and defuse conflict.

10. A growth mindset

A virtual assistant that is truly skilled at their job will ultimately lead to the growth of your business. Whether it’s because they freed up your time so that you could focus on other areas or that their work resulted in a client referral, VAs can contribute to your profitability when their skills are utilised effectively. 

Today, businesses of all sizes are focusing on reducing costs while boosting profitability. And with employee management costs soaring, it’s a no-brainer to outsource work to a virtual assistant or virtual team. 

Finding the right virtual assistant can be a daunting task. After all, you want to find the best person to partner with who will have your business’ best interests at heart. By identifying which tasks you would like to outsource and what virtual assistant skills are needed to execute those tasks, you will take the guesswork out of hiring a VA and find the perfect fit for your unique needs.