The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Executive Assistants in 2022

An executive assistant is essentially someone who works remotely for a client. They handle a variety of tasks like booking travel arrangements, updating expense reports, scheduling appointments, answering emails, making phone calls, and much more. In some cases, they work directly under a manager while others act independently or even as support for your clerical staff. Some people prefer to use an administrative assistant because they want to focus on growing their business rather than doing administrative tasks. Others simply don’t have the time to dedicate to such duties. Either way, there are pros and cons to working with a virtual assistant. Here are some things to consider before deciding to hire one.

Pros

1. You Can Choose Your Own Hours

If you’re looking for flexibility, choosing an administrative assistant might be ideal. Many virtual assistants offer flexible hours, meaning you can choose how many hours you’d like to work each week. This allows you to set your daily schedule around your current workload. If you’re running a small business, having control over your workday could be very helpful.

2. You Don’t Have To Hire Someone Else

The executive assistant position includes covering tasks like basic office duties, they can schedule appointments for you, handle your personal tasks, book board meetings, take care of your calendar management, assist your team of writers with content creation, compile statistical reports, maintain your electronic filing system, and so much more. With your busy schedule, you don’t have to worry about any mundane or repetitive tasks when you have someone taking care of all your administrative duties.

3. You can create your own job description that suits your specific needs

Executive assistant duties are endless and this allows you to specify which key skills you require from your virtual assistant. This can range from time-management skills to verbal communication skills. These specific skills you require will make sure all your key responsibilities are taken care of efficiently and effectively.

Email and Phone Screening

The email inbox is one of the most important tools in every professional’s toolkit. You receive hundreds of emails each day, many of which are urgent. And while it’s easy enough to delete spam and junk mail, there are still plenty of legitimate messages that slip through the cracks. If you don’t take the time to read those emails, you could miss out on opportunities.

This is one of the common responsibilities you can delegate to your VA. A virtual assistant can help screen incoming messages and forward them to the appropriate people. They can also organize your calendar and schedule meetings based on what’s most convenient for you. This helps you focus on more pressing matters and free up your time for things that really matter.

Virtual assistants can also make your life easier by taking care of routine tasks like scheduling appointments, managing your daily calendar, organizing files, and answering questions about products and services. Or maybe you’re looking into purchasing a home. Your virtual assistant can research property listings, set reminders for showings, and even coordinate moving dates and times.

Travel Planning

Many people like to plan their trips and don’t want to rely on others to do it for them. They like to make their own decisions, and they like to take charge of how things go. But planning a vacation isn’t always easy. You might find yourself wondering where to start. Maybe you’re looking for inspiration, maybe you’re trying to decide what to include in your itinerary, or maybe you just want some guidance. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the process of planning a trip, a VA could be exactly what you need and lucky for you there are tons of qualified candidates to choose from.