All startup founders and CEOs know the multi-faceted aspects of their role and that it involves many functions. This is where effective time management comes in – which many have not yet mastered. The result for those who struggle with time management is burnout.
However, this can be avoided by delegating the administrative work to a virtual assistant. Here, a remote assistant can complete tasks such as directing and answering calls, filing info, and more.
What are administrative tasks?
Administrative tasks are responsibilities associated with maintaining an office successfully. These tasks can differ between workplaces. However, the most common tasks include answering phones, scheduling appointments, and creating organized filing systems for the business or startup.
Numerous professionals are necessary to execute administrative duties, for instance, administrative assistants, office assistants, executive or personal assistants, and office managers.
The top administrative tasks
Below are the most common admin tasks that can be time-consuming and repetitive. Although they must be completed for the smooth functioning of the business, these tasks do not directly lead to revenue gain, as in the case of strategic decision-making.
Communication
Administrative specialists should have solid communication skills to conduct their tasks operationally. This can range from writing emails to answering phones to interacting with the staff and executives. All info should be shared concisely and clearly so others can comprehend it.
As such, here are the most popular administrative tasks linked to communication:
- Replying to and transferring phone calls
- Taking telephone memos from customers
- Sending out emails to clients
- Sending emails from customers to the appropriate staff member
- Managing client complaints and concerns
- Assisting with business communication
- Conducting customer-service duties, for example, placing orders for clients and clarifying services and products
- Taking meeting notes.
Scheduling
Scheduling is an additional essential element of an administrative assistant’s work responsibilities. Many admin assistants are responsible for the CEO’s or manager’s schedules. Therefore, such assistants should be able to organize and plot everyone’s schedule to be operational, allowing for every entry on the program to be completed in good time.
The following are some widespread scheduling duties of an admin assistant:
- Organizing events, for example, planning client dinners
- Planning office parties such as luncheons or out-of-office team-building events
- Scheduling client appointments
- Scheduling CEO’s or manager’s appointments
- Planning company meetings
- Reserving and planning travel itineraries for CEOs and other staff members
- Scheduling meeting rooms for meetings or conferences.
Onboarding
Remote admin assistants could additionally help with the onboarding of new staff. Here, the virtual assistant can work with the HR department as a human resources assistant. Everyday onboarding tasks include:
- welcoming new staff members by orientating them to the work and filing systems
- giving new staff members all appropriate documents needed, for example, the staff handbook
- sending new staff members paperwork that should be completed
- furnishing the info for office procedures and policies
- assisting new staff members to complete the paperwork needed to sign up for health insurance benefits or even 401(k) plans
- informing new staff members of the company’s organogram
- ordering office supplies for new employees
- supplying them with a computer and email address.
Bookkeeping
In some cases, an admin person would also manage the bookkeeping tasks. This is particularly true for smaller companies lacking the skill set to complete this work. However, here are some of the functions an admin assistant can complete:
- record day-to-day outgoing and incoming transactions
- update business accounts using online programs
- handle payments from customers
- reconcile the financial reports for the business
- compose the financial statements for the company on a monthly or even weekly basis
- keep track of office expenses or expenditures sustained by CEOs and managers
- reimburse staff members for work-related costs
- generate invoices for clients
- complete any outstanding tasks around the payroll.
Organization
Organization is a chief aspect of most admin assistants’ day-to-day responsibilities. Such assistants should be able to effectively handle numerous calendars, appointments, meetings, and additional events in an operational way to guarantee that the office keeps running well. Everyday admin tasks include:
- retaining calendars for CEOs and managers
- arranging and delivering emails to the relevant beneficiaries
- taking consistent inventory of workplace supplies
- establishing office files so that info can easily be retrieved and grasped by staff
- filing numerous documents on local computers or cloud services.
Computer and technology
Remote admin assistants will use a computer and numerous software and technology modes to complete their work. Here are some admin tasks linked to computers and technology:
- software such as Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., PowerPoint and Word)
- arranging for repairs of office equipment such as phones or printers
- using publishing software, for example, WordPress, to bring up-to-date the business blog or website
- ordering office materials if the inventory is low
- acting out desktop research
- using time and billing software to add the data to the company system
- organizing online webinars and conferences
- transcribing several forms of info and uploading this to the company cloud services
- handling office documentation using computer-based documentation software.
Additional administrative responsibilities
Additional admin tasks a virtual administrative assistant can be tasked to do include:
- managing research projects for management connected to numerous issues − competitors, laws, regulations, and particulars about specialized associations
- retaining the social media accounts for the business
- assisting in the case of a worker resigning, for instance, by carrying out an exit consultation
- collecting and organizing paperwork on all staff members
- bringing internal organization documents up to date
- distributing emails.