The COVID-19 pandemic brought about an unexpected financial crisis that affected several industries and businesses. Workers are no longer able to work in the office like before. Restrictions and safety protocols place a heavy burden on small and medium businesses.
Fortunately, some of these businesses showed resilience and flexibility and were able to adapt new innovations and explore new opportunities and ways of working.
One of these innovations is hiring virtual assistants. They are flexible workers who are hired to work remotely as a direct part of the company’s staff or contracted through a business process outsourcing (BPO) company.
Hiring virtual assistants is much more cost efficient since you do not have to pay for their benefits, taxes, and training. They do not have to work full hours, which is a huge help if you are trying to cut expenses.
Virtual assistants (VAs) — also known as remote executive assistants — are skilled professionals who provide administrative, technical, and creative support to clients remotely. Their standard tasks may include scheduling appointments, making phone calls, booking flights, and making reservations.
Some virtual assistants may have added expertise and can offer a wider range of services such as social media management, graphic design, content writing, and IT support.
Since many people are now forced to work remotely or from home to keep themselves from getting infected with the COVID-19 virus, much of the work is now being done online. It is easy for one to be overwhelmed by so much information and runarounds. That is why there is now a higher demand for remote virtual assistants to help with accomplishing tasks.
Jeff Hunter, founder of VAStaffer, wrote an article.
for Entrepreneur.com sharing his experiences hiring a VA: “My executive assistant Ysabelle, who is virtual, starts working for me one hour before I even wake up.”
Some of the tasks that Ysabelle does for him is to read through his emails and clear out ones that he did not need to read. She is also responsible for sending certain work-related emails to the rest of his staff on his behalf.
“With Ysabelle's help, I can focus on myself and the really important activities for the day,” Jeff says.
In the next few years, there will be a surge in digital marketing campaigns. Since most transactions are now being done online, your business should be digital-ready (or future-ready). According to Statista.com, over 3.6 billion people worldwide are using social media in 2020 and are projected to increase to almost 4.41 billion by 2025.
Having an active online presence and "searchability" will give your business the boost that it needs. VAs who specialize in social media marketing and SEO can help in creating content or marketing campaigns geared to your target market.
Making your business available online and creating social media engagement will help you generate more leads and establish good customer relationships.
There are some virtual assistants who are adept in more technical or specialized tasks, such as accounting, web development, graphic design, etc. They also understand trends in the industry and can help you address complex areas with their expertise.
When COVID-19 struck, many real estate agents and brokers were forced to do their jobs and interact with their clients remotely. Virtual tours are now being conducted in place of on-site home showings to lessen the risk of spreading the virus.
Real estate agents may find great help hiring a virtual assistant who can assist them with researching properties, property owners, public records, and legal names. Since most real estate information is available online, virtual assistants can easily collate these information through specialized research tools.
In a remote working setup, collaborating and communicating with your team can be challenging. Virtual assistants can help you in organizing and delegating tasks to ensure efficiency and productivity despite working in different locations.
Virtual assistants can also help you with data analysis, reports generation, and in tracking your business growth. With all the nitty gritty tasks out of the way, you can focus more on the core business and strategize your next action plans.
It is likely that there will be a spike in customer inquiries and complaints during the COVID-19 crisis. Since many virtual assistants have experience in client-facing roles, they are not only limited to tasks performed behind a computer screen but can also handle inbound and outbound calls, create client satisfaction surveys, manage referrals, send marketing emails, and perform other customer service tasks remotely.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made us more conscious about our health and wellness. A virtual assistant is the perfect helping hand that can maximize our productivity and help your business maintain a healthy work-life balance while hitting your goals and objectives most efficiently and effectively.
Let BizScale assist you in finding the perfect virtual assistant. Talk to us by completing this form, emailing sales@bizscale.com, calling 833-722-5310, or booking time on Calendly.
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