Debunking myths about virtual assistants
Virtual assistants can help entrepreneurs and businesses save time and stay productive. We all understand how demanding the business world can be; sometimes, it seems there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. Instead of trying to do everything by yourself or overworking your employees, hiring a virtual assistant is an ideal solution. You can delegate your daily tasks to them, save your time and energy to focus on valuable jobs, and avoid working yourself to the bone.
While the efficiency of a virtual assistant cannot be denied, there are some misconceptions that people have about working with them. If you haven’t worked with a virtual assistant before, you might be on the fence about this concept. The many myths circulating certainly don’t help either. In this post, we are debunking common myths about virtual assistants.
- Virtual assistants perform administrative tasks only.
It is a common disposition among people regarding virtual assistants- that they help entrepreneurs and businesses with their administrative jobs. This isn’t true. While there are virtual assistants who carry out administrative tasks, but it is not the only area they work in. Every virtual assistant has its own specialty. Just as you can find a VA that performs administrative tasks, you are just as likely to find a VA that specializes in content writing, graphic design, web design, legal assistance, transcriptions, content editing, social media management, etc. You are likely to find virtual assistants for all fields and sectors with a particular set of skills. So, if your business requires help in a specific area other than administrative jobs, chances are you can find and hire a virtual assistant that offers those services.
- Anyone can become a virtual assistant.
This couldn’t be farther from the truth. A virtual assistant is able to perform the tasks that are delegated to them efficiently. It’s why you hire them, right? To decrease your workload and delegate it to someone who can handle those tasks better. It requires professionalism, management skills, and communication skills on top of possessing knowledge and qualifications to perform the given tasks. It requires someone who can work without needing someone’s supervision at all times. To be a successful VA, you need excellent software and tools for proficiency, a commitment that not every individual can make unless they are dedicated to the job. Maybe anyone can try their hand at being a VA, but not anyone can be a VA.
- Communicating with virtual assistants is difficult.
Virtual assistants, as the name suggests, work for you remotely. They are not present in your company’s office with you. It means all communications that take place between you and your virtual assistant are virtual, which is where this myth takes form. While nothing can replace the ease of having your assistant in your office and interacting with them in person, working with a virtual assistant isn’t really that difficult. It simply requires having a system in place. The technology that we have today allows people to connect via email, messages, audio calls, video calls, etc., and any files that may require to be shared can be done using tools like dropbox and google drive. The only thing that you need is to establish a system in the beginning few weeks that works for you both. Once it is done, communicating with your virtual assistants will not feel like a chore anymore.
- Virtual assistants are there for you at all hours.
Yes, the virtual assistants are there to free up your time. Yes, they do the jobs that are delegated to them. But no, they do not work 24 hours for 7 days. A virtual assistant isn’t an employee per se, but they are human who works for set hours. You cannot expect them to be available for you at all hours of the day. Additionally, they have multiple clients and many responsibilities, and may not answer you right away. That does not mean they are not good at their job. It just means that they are not available at that moment and will most likely contact you at their earliest. You’ll need to be patient when working with a virtual assistant and trust in their abilities.
- Virtual assistants cost a lot.
People feel that if they have to hire an additional person to work for them, why not just hire an in-house employee! But hiring an employee is not the same as hiring a virtual assistant. Contrary to the belief, virtual assistants are much more cost-effective as virtual assistant charges on an hourly basis. That is the only sum you are expected to pay them. There are no benefits, office space, IT expenses, holidays, etc. provided to a VA. You only pay for the services they offer you. If you feel you cannot afford a full-time virtual assistant, you can hire VAs for a few hours per day only. Virtual assistants offer a flexible hiring model, and you can choose one based on your needs and requirements.
Virtual assistants can be highly beneficial to businesses. Hopefully, we were able to dispel these few myths about virtual assistants. You might want to reconsider hiring a virtual assistant and enjoy the advantages they offer.