What Do Virtual Assistants Do Anyway?
When you’re thinking about becoming a virtual assistant, one of the things that you’re going to hear (probably enough times that is makes you a little crazy) is “What do virtual assistants do anyway?”
Here’s the good news: the question is a lot less pervasive than it used to be. Here’s the better news: the real answer is that virtual assistants put the skills that they have to work helping others.
No matter what your skills are, you’re likely to find that it’s not that difficult to find someone who is looking for help with something that you’re really good at. Consider these four examples:
- Some virtual assistants are great at web design or at writing blogs and taking care of other internet marketing tasks. There are plenty of businesses that need help when it comes to online marketing.
- Some people are just really great at providing customer service and triaging emails and phone calls; plenty of small businesses need someone who can be there for their customers but don’t have the space that they really need to bring someone else into the office.
- Some people who make the choice to be a virtual assistant have great desktop publishing skills – they can make gorgeous print marketing materials. Some businesses, well, let’s just say their marketing department (if they have one) is lacking a certain creative vision.
- Some people have experience in a certain field – like real estate – but don’t want to head into an office each day. There are others in that field who love what they do but don’t have the time to really focus on things like listing coordination.
In all of these cases, the answer to the question of what virtual assistants do becomes a little more concrete. Some virtual assistants specialize in online marketing. Some specialize in desktop publishing, administrative tasks or some other office service.
The key is that virtual assistants – once they have the training they need – provide valuable services to many different businesses – and they do it all from their own offices, working with clients who are a good fit for them.
Kandra Hamric – Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Train to Be a Virtual Assistant
From One Virtual Assistant to Another
Real Estate Virtual Assistant Blog
888-REVA-USA (738-2872)
October 26th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
While it is true that there are virtual assistants doing all the things you mentioned, the basic core of a VA’s skills are those of an experienced executive/administrative assistant. Additionally many have experience in certain specialties. For instance, I am a paralegal and have worked for more than 30 years in the legal profession. I also have experience as a freelance photojournalist/writer and have founded/directed several large nonprofit organizations. However, having said all of that, the core services that I offer are those basics provided by an experienced executive assistant. Exceptional secretarial skills, calendaring, the ability to make travel arrangements, arranging, publicizing and monitoring conferences/seminars/various client events, good telephone and organizational skills, client interaction, trustworthiness and the ability to organize and complete projects with minimal or no supervision — these are the basics which all virtual assistants should offer.
Someone who provides ONLY specialty services such as desktop publishing, accounting, marketing, etc., is more appropriately referred to as a virtual professional. In my experience the generalized application of the term “virtual assistant” to ALL of these positions has only confused the public as well as sometimes creating a type of segregation within the world of virtual assistants.
Better to clearly define the TYPE of virtual “profession” you provide then to represent to the public that you are part of a certain professional group, only to have to explain to prospective clients that you only provide one specific service. The entrepreneurial public needs many services — by making sure our categorizations fairly represent what we do, we spread our wares before uneducated clients, allowing them to see that they may actually need the services of several individuals. Much as happens when we go to a Home Improvement Show, we may start out looking for help remodeling our kitchen, only to end up remodeling the kitchen and replacing all the windows at the same time.
Karalyn Eckerle
http://www.cardinalpointva.com
October 26th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Yes, there are many of us and Yes, many still don’t have a clue. Send them to http://www.vasecrets.com and save yourself some pain in helping the clueless understand what it is that a Virtual Assistant does. Then ask them if you can help with their list of projects.