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One of the things that you’re going to find when you are working as a virtual assistant is that there are going to be plenty of people who approach you with questions like “well, what do virtual assistants do anyway?” And, the first couple of times that you are asked the question, you’ll be full of enthusiasm, and then there might be a little bit of frustration with the question and then the reality is going to dawn on you: the reason why it’s tough to answer the question about what virtual assistants do is that every VA does things a little bit differently.

Ultimately, every virtual assistant does something a little bit different than the next. One may focus on working with authors or artists while another works with people in real estate or who have independent accounting or tax prep businesses. In other words, virtual assistants specialize – and this is a really good thing.

Beyond that, however, what you’re going to find is that VAs are there to support clients, that they run their own businesses and – perhaps most importantly, what virtual assistants do is simple: they love their work and they are thankful for the decisions that they’ve made.

When you’re looking for more information about what virtual assistants do, you’re going to find that there are a number of different explanations. The majority of those explanations, however, fall into the category of virtual assistants provide administrative services from a distance:

(source)In essence, at issue is what someone calling herself a Virtual Assistant does.. or what the work of a VA is. Some of the people in our industry buy into the idea that a person doing any sort of work that’s assistive in nature and performed virtually can call herself a VA.

The writer goes on to say that those who offer a variety of other services – using web design as an example – but do little actual assisting fall into the realm of virtual professionals.

It’s a valid point; at its most basic, the explanation of what virtual assistants do is that we provide administrative services from afar. Many others provide administrative services along with offering other, more clearly defined specialty services.

When you’re looking to define what virtual assistants do, ultimately the answer is simple: they provide administrative services and, in some cases, specialty services that they feel comfortable providing.

One of the challenges to answering the question, “Well, what do virtual assistants do,” it that the answer is going to vary from one virtual assistant to the next.

Some virtual assistants provide only general administrative services. They answer calls, address emails. They maintain schedules, organize files and cover the basics. Others choose to specialize in fields like real estate or law.

A legal virtual assistant is going to be taking on different tasks than a real estate virtual assistant. Someone who offers services to real estate clients is going to be doing things a bit differently than someone who focuses on working with accountants.

However, while virtual assistants serve different functions within the industry depending upon which field they choose to specialize in, the gist is the same: virtual assistants provide high quality services to their clients based on the needs of each individual client.

In other words, when you become a virtual assistant, it’s a good idea to recognize that, no matter which services you offer, the best plan is to be there for your clients and to always do your best work.

When you’re working as a virtual assistant, one of the things that you’re going to find is that a big part of what virtual assistants do involves letting others know the benefits of working with a VA. It’s by letting your prospective clients know what virtual assistants do that you’re going to be able to express to them why they should be using your services.

So what do virtual assistants do that make them a great asset to business owners?

• Virtual assistants know what it takes to get the job done and don’t need to be trained; that saves business owners time and money.
• Virtual assistants work from their own offices – and that means that there’s no need to make space in the office.
• Virtual assistants can take on the work that business owners have trouble getting to – and that means that business owners are able to get everything done and are able to free up time.

Simply put, when you’re working as a virtual assistant, you need to be able to explain what VAs do to your prospective clients. The more that you are able to show them the advantages of working with a VA, the better the luck you’ll have for attracting clients to your business.

When you’re busy trying to figure out what virtual assistants do and whether or not it’s going to be the right business for you, it’s important to think about the big picture. For example, one of the things that virtual assistants do includes having a willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.

When you start a virtual assistant business, one of the things that will help to ensure your success is making sure that you meet all of your deadlines – even if that means that, once in a while, you’re going to need to work after office hours to get things done.

Similarly, if you’ve got a client who needs a little extra something done – a last minute project that he or she had totally forgotten about – it may come your way; in order to make sure that your client is able to get his or her needs met, as a virtual assistant, you may have to step up and get things done.

What virtual assistants do, after all, is work to fulfill their clients’ needs. While you will be running your own business, it’s important to look at the fact that your clients make that business. By going above and beyond to help them to meet their needs, you’ll find that you get referrals and that you are able to do more with your virtual assistant business.

Keep in mind that, what virtual assistants do is simple: they do what they need to to meet their clients’ needs and to grow their businesses.

When you start thinking about what virtual assistants do – which is something that happens an awful lot while you’re just getting started as a virtual assistant – the basic motivation isn’t really to understand what services virtual assistants do so much as it is to understand why different clients are looking to VAs when they have jobs that need to be done.

When you’re looking at what virtual assistants do and why your clients will use your services, you’re likely to discover the following:

1. Clients look to virtual assistants because, in many cases, outsourcing their tasks is more cost effective than hiring a full time or part time employee.
2. Clients make the choice to work with virtual assistants because VAs can provide basic administrative services without physically being in the office.
3. Clients turn to virtual assistants because many VAs specialize in marketing services, writing services, real estate services and specializing allows them to draw on past work and to put it to good use for their clients.

Of all of the things that virtual assistants do, it’s important to recognize that the most essential services that a virtual assistant provides is going to be specific to the customer to whom it is provided. When you are able to focus on your clients and the services that they are looking for, you will find that it’s easier to get clients who want your services and that it’s easier to grow your business.

When you’re looking into differentiating yourself from other virtual assistants, it’s important to look at what virtual assistants do in general. After all, there are going to be a number of virtual assistant services that are fairly standard.

Most virtual assistants are going to offer basic administrative services – picking up calls, backing up files, responding to basic email inquiries, distributing information by making sure that their clients mailings make it to the post office on time and make it to other distribution points as needed.

In addition, though, what many virtual assistants do is to offer some additional services – whether by specializing in working with real estate professionals or financial services providers or by focusing their experience and putting it to work for their clients. For example, some virtual assistants focus on providing marketing services, writing services or website maintenance.

When you’re looking at which services to offer in your virtual assistant business, you’re going to want to make sure that you are looking at all of your options. In other words, you’re going to want to focus on providing those services that your clients are going to need as well as those services that you simply enjoy providing.

Whenever someone asks the question “what do virtual assistants do,” the answer invariably comes up as “it depends on the virtua allsistant.” However, when you look at what virtual assistants do a little bit more closely, you’ll discover that there are some common threads from one VA to the next.

Whether you are a virtual assistant who specializes in real estate, in working with legal clients or in working with writers, you’ll find that there are some basic administrative tasks that you do as a virtual assistant. There will also be specific projects that you negotiate taking on with your clients. Likewise, you’ll find that there are some juggling acts that you learn to do – when you have a number of clients, you’ll find that you have different things to do for each of them.

In other words, when it comes to what virtual assistants do, the most important element is finding balance. When you’re running a VA business, after all, you’ll find yourself in a position where you need to balance your attention among your clients. You’ll need to balance your focus among the projects that you are working on. You’ll need to manage your time well and, overall, to know how to meet expectations – those that you’ve set for yourself and those that your clients have for you as well.

When you talk with other virtual assistants – those who have been there – you’ll find that there’s a lot to be learned about finding balance, but, you’ll also find that the balance you find is invaluable.

When you’re working as a virtual assistant and you’re in business for yourself, there’s definitely going to be a degree of stress that you should expect to be confronted with. However, the more that you talk with other virtual assistants about what they do to keep their own businesses running smoothly, the more that you’re going to discover is that there are a number of great ways to stay on top of things.

For example, small business taxes aren’t all about making sure you file an annual statement on April 15th, there are other tax dates throughout the year that need to be kept track of. What you will find is that other virtual assistants keep their businesses running smoothly by making an effort to log receipts for office supplies on a regular basis – namely, when they buy them – so there isn’t that giant stack of receipts to go through to see if there are any deductions to take.

Similarly, there are other steps that virtual assistants take to stay on top of things. They manage the leads they get as those leads come in and have a system for identifying what they have talked with prospective clients about. Other virtual assistants make an effort to plan out the next day’s to do list before stepping away from the computer for the night. Still others focus on batching work as it comes in so that it can be done in the most efficient way possible.

In other words, when you start finding yourself feeling a little bit overwhelmed, it’s time to take a step back and see what other virtual assistants do. Invariably, you’ll be able to pick up a few pointers and help yourself out along the way.