Virtual assistants have become quite an indispensable addition to any business, and in the UK, they have taken over the traditional roles of personal assistants. Well, there isn’t much difference between virtual assistants and personal assistants who are physically present; they do much the same tasks.
But there is a resounding difference in expense between VAs and Pas (VAs are often cheaper). Besides, virtual assistants can do other tasks that give a business or entrepreneur an edge over their competitors in today’s world – such as managing your website and social media accounts, upgrading and updating your website, and more. But what are the usual tasks of today’s virtual assistants that make them invaluable to any business’ growth and development? Here are the top five ways a virtual assistant can help you with your business.
1. Customer support and service
The way you handle your business’s customer service is crucial. A lot – a whopping 96%, according to none other than Microsoft – of consumers consider a company’s customer service when they decide to stay loyal to a brand. But sadly, many businesses don’t consider customer service significant, which is why prospective leads don’t turn into regular customers. Having a virtual assistant handle and facilitate customer queries and complaints goes a long way in showing your customers that you care.
2. Data
The number one task of a VA is often data entry work. Many business firms – such as accountancies, finance, and business data – depend on carefully collated and organised information. For instance, the results of a certain study need to be entered correctly, and a company’s balance sheet cannot have any mistakes. Data entry is simple – but anyone doing the data entry will often find it tedious and monotonous. A virtual assistant best does this – and you can free your schedule to accomplish other tasks.
3. Admin work
Another standard task best relegated to a virtual assistant is administrative work. Admin work can involve anything from following up on meetings, scheduling appointments, responding to emails, maintaining business records, and the like. And the thing about these tasks is that they are relatively simple but take up too much time. If your team does not have to do administrative work, you will have more time to concentrate on other tasks, tasks that require real value and insight.
4. Social media
This is a relatively new concept – but it’s definitely worth paying attention to, as everyone has a social media account nowadays, even businesses and companies. Some entrepreneurs and business executives have begun to see the value of social media – and this is where any good virtual assistant can shine, too. Basically, your virtual assistant can also be in charge of your social media, ensuring that you have a robust presence on all social media platforms and deliver relevant content.
5. Sales
As we all know, sales are the lifeblood of many businesses – but more often than not, it is hard to keep track of activities and outreach projects that increase your sales. But a majority of VAs are well-trained in email and marketing campaigns, cold calls, and other sales efforts. In addition, many of these sales-related tasks and responsibilities can be done online or over the phone, so it is ideal for a virtual assistant who does remote work.
