Virtual personal assistants are the online equivalent of traditional personal assistants or virtual associates. To clarify, “what is a virtual associate,” it refers to a remote professional who takes on specialized or general administrative tasks, operating much like a virtual personal assistant but often with more focused expertise. They can perform tasks related to your business, such as scheduling appointments and responding to emails. You don’t have to worry about taking time to deal with the many small business tasks; you can focus on making money! But what is a virtual personal assistant?
What Is a Virtual Personal Assistant?
But what is a virtual personal assistant? At its core, asking “what is a virtual associate” enables readers to understand that the term highlights the collaborative and adjunct nature of the role, providing support without being a full-time in‑house hire.
A virtual personal associate is an online service agent who helps with your business needs. Such a person can help with various tasks, from booking travel to scheduling meetings. When you hire a virtual personal assistant, this person will become your dedicated team member working for you. Hiring a virtual personal assistant costs much less than hiring a traditional, onsite personal assistant. But remember what Aja Frost once said, “Hiring a virtual assistant is not an admission of weakness; it’s a smart move towards success.”
More so, a virtual assistant can help book flights or hotels, schedule meetings (or even entire conferences), or organize travel itineraries.
Virtual Personal Assistant vs. Virtual Associate
Many people wonder what virtual associates are and how they differ from virtual personal assistants. In essence, learning “what is a virtual associate” reveals that a virtual associate often offers more specialized support, such as legal, marketing, or technical services, compared to a more general virtual personal assistant. While a virtual personal assistant focuses on general admin support like scheduling, inbox management, or travel bookings, a virtual associate offers specialized services like legal assistance, marketing support, or industry-specific research. Both work remotely, but their roles serve different business needs.
Why Would You Need a Virtual Personal Assistant?
Virtual personal aides are flexible, cost-effective (especially considering the cost of hiring), and of great assistance. As Mads Singers said, “A virtual assistant can be the missing puzzle piece in your business growth strategy.” Depending on your needs and budget, you can hire a virtual personal assistant for a single project or long-term.
For example, suppose you want to outsource some of the day-to-day tasks in your office. In that case, hiring a virtual assistant will allow you to focus on other important business while the assistant works remotely. As Chris Ducker said, “Outsourcing repetitive tasks to a virtual assistant frees up your time to focus on what truly matters.” If you need help with a specific project or task that takes too much time, consider hiring someone who can work from home or an office near the project’s location (if possible). As Mads Singers said, “Delegate the tasks that drain your energy to a virtual assistant and watch your motivation soar.”
More Reasons to Hire a Virtual Personal Assistant
If you’re looking for help with administrative tasks such as bookkeeping and email management but don’t have the space for extra full-time employees in your office building (or don’t want anyone working there), consider hiring a virtual assistant who may be able to answer calls about invoices; or send emails without being physically present at all times—and without needing any equipment besides their phone! Remember, “A virtual assistant is the ultimate time-saving and stress-reducing investment” (Mads Singers).
How to Choose the Best Virtual Personal Assistant?
When looking for a digital personal assistant, you should consider the following:
- What experience do they have?
- Do they have a good reputation?
- Are they available to help you when you need it?
- And, are they affordable (and if not, is their service worth the money)?
- Are they trustworthy and reliable enough that you can leave them with some of your most sensitive information without worrying about its security or availability? As Amy Porterfield said, “The best virtual assistants have an uncanny ability to anticipate your needs.”
- Also, consider reflecting on “what is virtual associate,” if the role needs to be a virtual associate instead of a general assistant, look for domain-specific skills right off the bat.
Closing Remark: What Is a Virtual Personal Assistant & How Do They Benefit You?
Consider hiring a virtual personal aide. This person can assist you with the most basic tasks and provide second-to-none assistance as a virtual assistant, which can amplify your efforts and help you achieve more than you ever thought possible.
Read the rest of our articles for more answers to questions such as “What is a virtual personal assistant?”
3 Key Takeaways
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Virtual personal assistants are online assistants who can handle various business tasks. Unlike traditional personal assistants, virtual personal assistants can schedule appointments, manage emails, book travel, and more. They work remotely and typically cost less than in-house assistants.
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Virtual personal assistants are a flexible and cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes. They allow business owners and managers to focus on core tasks by handling administrative burdens. Virtual personal assistants can be hired for short-term or ongoing projects, depending on your needs.
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When choosing a virtual personal assistant, consider their experience, reputation, availability, affordability, and trustworthiness. You’ll entrust them with important tasks, so finding someone reliable and secure with your information is crucial.
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