Debunking Myths About Virtual Assistants

I recently attended a business networking that included the likes of this country’s top small business owners. While I was perusing the room, I met a small business owner who owns a consulting firm in metro LA area who expressed his interest in acquiring a virtual assistant. As he learned more about my business he began to ask me about the differences between a virtual assistant and a secretary. Most business owners simply don’t know the difference. Taking on the challenge, like a true entrepreneur, I gladly debunked some myths about virtual assistants.

Virtual assistants (VAs) are independent contractors that provide professionals administrative, technical, and creative assistance to small businesses. VAs provides services ranging from appointment scheduling to search engine optimization (SEO). So what‘s the main difference between a glorified secretary and a virtual assistant? Flexibility. Virtual assistants provide more flexibility for businesses in availability, financially, and also offer more services than most in-house assistants.

Here are some other differences:

VIRTUAL ASSISTANT	SECRETARY
Works from a remote office	Works in business owner’s office
Provides administrative and other various business support tasks	Provides administrative tasks
Works with clients regarding the long term needs for their business	Focuses on tasks-based projects
Works with a small group of select clients	Works with any client
Charges per hour or monthly retainer	Fees are based upon the type of project
Client does not pay payroll tax, sick pay, or holiday pay	Client pays payroll tax, sick pay, and holiday pay
Collaborates with client to understand their business	No need to understand the business in order to complete a task
Client only pays for time spent on project(s)	Client pays employee for time spent in the office
Business support on an "as-needed" basis	Client pays employee for time spent in the office for the duration of the contract

Virtual assistants can scale services up and down as budgets fluctuate and charges only for productive time.

Quick note: When vetting a virtual assistant, do the following:
Write down a description of qualities you are looking for in a VA.
Check their professional references.
Effectively communicate your business needs.
Set realistic goals - set specific goals for a specific timeframe.

About the Author: Priscilla Walker is the president and CEO of Your Dependable VA, Inc., a virtual assistance company. Your Dependable VA provides professional office assistance to small businesses. We offer business support so that business owners can free up their time and energy to focus on running their company without getting burned out.