As an entrepreneur and business owner, you have plenty on your plate. There’s so much more to running a business than many people could imagine. One lesson you should learn early on is how (and when) to ask for help.
Also known as remote assistants or virtual assistants, virtual executive assistants (EA) are highly skilled professionals who can provide support to clients remotely.
A virtual EA can do just about anything an in-house assistant could carry out, as long as they can do it remotely.
Hiring a remote EA is not only cost-effective, but it’s also great for boosting your productivity. They can tackle tedious admin tasks, for example, so that you can focus on more important things within your business.
Let’s dive a little deeper into what a virtual EA is and what you can expect when working with one.
The definition of a virtual EA
A virtual EA is a remote administrative assistant that is usually dedicated to a particular executive or an executive team within a company.
This is an outsourced employee who you typically hire on a per-hour or work-done basis. They’re usually part-time and work on a flexible schedule to suit your needs.
You could compare a virtual EA to an in-house EA, however, hiring one is far cheaper than hiring an on-site employee. For example, you don’t have to pay competitive salaries, sick and paid leave, or expensive overheads to have the person in your office.
A virtual EA can be described as an administrative assistant, although their responsibilities can span far beyond simple admin tasks. Their main priority is to handle an executive’s admin, but their assistance can also be incorporated elsewhere within your business.
The difference between an on-site and virtual EA
A traditional in-office assistant would typically perform repetitive admin tasks based on a documented process. A virtual assistant can take this a step further and can even help define, establish, and refine those processes.
An in-office EA requires a desk, chair, laptop, and other facilities to work in your office. A virtual EA has all their own hardware and software, meaning none of this is your concern or responsibility.
On-site EAs usually have backgrounds in administration and often lack the business expertise to be able to make independent decisions on your behalf. Virtual EAs, on the other hand, usually have extensive backgrounds in certain industries and when you hire a virtual EA through an agency like Outsourcery, you will be matched with an EA that has experience in your field.
When you hire an in-person EA, you’re limited to hiring locally. Hiring a virtual EA means you can hire from anywhere in the world, which significantly broadens your talent pool.
What can a virtual EA do?
Any task that simply takes up too much of your time or takes you away from attending to more important matters can be outsourced to a virtual EA. They aren’t only experienced at business admin, they can handle far more.
A virtual EA can handle all your work admin like calendar management, email screening and organisation, and business travel planning.
However, they can also assist with personal admin tasks such as shopping for gifts, paying bills, scheduling personal appointments, and even planning family vacations.
If it can be done online, they can do it.
Our team of virtual EAs are ready and waiting to help you take care of the things that bog you down and stop you from doing what you do best: being an entrepreneur. Learn how to ask for help and outsource your tasks to a virtual EA. Visit our website to learn more about Outsourcery and our virtual EAs.
