When a startup or entrepreneur hires a remote or virtual administrative assistant, the goal is to employ an all-rounder for office management. Companies are changing, mainly due to pressure from employees and events such as the Great Resignation.
Businesses are spending more on digital tech and hiring remote workers. However, as costs are being cut, companies are also noting that they can offer an on-site employee a remote position or hire a virtual assistant. Virtual administrative assistants can complete several tasks.
Virtual Administrative Assistant Tasks
You might ask – what does a remote administrative assistant do? To explain this, remote administrative assistant duties can include the following:
- executing administrative support responsibilities that necessitate substantial experience
- knowledge, and skill in organization practices and policies
- obtaining and researching data for multifaceted reports and special projects
- handling concerns of a confidential and delicate nature
- making and putting together reports, correspondence, presentations, etc.
- screening telephonic calls and resolving queries
- sorting out and responding to email queries
- planning and conserving a calendar of appointments,
- travel itineraries and meetings
- organizing related preparations
- screening calendar demands, putting together information from the client
- forwarding requests to superiors
Additionally, the assistant may formulate and allocate meeting notes and action items, and chase up the accomplishment of responsibilities. General admin assistance comprises completing forms, filing, placing an order for office supplies, reporting and reconciling expenditure reports, welcoming and helping clients, and organizing department gatherings and events.
Rounding Up the Various Tasks
A fully remote administrative assistant can complete almost anything, similar to what an on-site administrative assistant can do, the only difference being their distance from the office. What they can’t do is collect your dry-cleaning, but they can do anything else via remote access.
The Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Administrative Assistant
A remote admin or administrative assistant (flexible office location/remote) can benefit companies in various ways. For example:
Removal of Distracting Work
An admin assistant can perform the distracting tasks that can impede your output. The assistant can handle distracting tasks such as phone calls, emails, and other admin duties. The result is that you and your managers have more time to focus on your core work. Also, remember, even though your on-site team might work from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. during the week, they are only productive for a maximum of 4 hours a day. Gaining the most from your workers during their fertile phase is crucial.
An Assistant is Added to the Capacity
A virtual assistant is a cost-effective staffing solution to add additional capacity to a business. They can perform onboard low-level tasks that can’t be automated.
More Time for You
Besides having time to go on that holiday or spend more time with the family, there is another benefit. A virtual assistant will save you around 10 hours per week, which means that a four-day workweek is possible.
Roundup on the Benefits
This means your work time is reduced while you are more productive and can focus on your core work.
Knowing When in Need of a Remote Admin Assistant
The best is to draft a list of tedious, arduous tasks that can’t be done through automation. Once you have this list, you must determine how many hours each task might take. This means that, in the end, you can work out whether you need to hire a virtual assistant. Just note that hiring a virtual assistant does not mean they will take over the work of your on-site team. Instead, they will assist your core team in working more efficiently by conducting the admin-related work for them.
Additionally, if you see that the admin tasks negatively affect your teams’ productivity, you need additional help. This usually happens as the company grows, since the admin will also increase. Admin assistance would help take on this burden, but in an economical manner.
Hiring an Administrative Assistant for Remote Work
As mentioned, there are cost-saving benefits, but also a boost in productivity and freeing up your time when hiring a remote assistant. The next step is to reach out and book a complimentary discovery call. In this call, you can discuss your concerns, situation, and needs with our outsourcing expert. However, much of this will relate to how you delegate and your needs. Usually, the advice would be to identify the various tasks and start with one task you want to outsource, hiring a virtual assistant to fill that gap.
If administrative work is slowing down your growth, it’s time to bring in the proper support. A skilled virtual administrative assistant can streamline your operations, free up your schedule, and help your team focus on the work that moves your business forward. Make this work, then move on to outsource the outstanding tasks. As you scale, you can employ more virtual assistants. Speak to our outsourcing expert – book your call today!
3 Key Takeaways
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Virtual assistants can handle various business administrative tasks, including scheduling appointments, managing email, creating reports, and handling confidential matters. They essentially function as remote counterparts to traditional office assistants.
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Hiring a virtual assistant can significantly boost productivity and save business owners time. Virtual assistants allow entrepreneurs and managers to focus on core business functions by taking care of administrative tasks and increasing efficiency and output. In addition, virtual assistants can potentially save businesses money compared to hiring an in-house administrative assistant.
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Virtual assistants are a good option for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a startup or a growing company, a virtual assistant can help you streamline operations and free up time to focus on strategic growth. The article suggests outsourcing a single task and gradually adding more responsibilities as your needs evolve.
What exactly does a virtual administrative assistant do for a business?
A virtual administrative assistant provides remote administrative support that mirrors what an in-office admin would do, minus the physical presence. Their responsibilities typically include email management, calendar scheduling, preparing reports and presentations, coordinating travel arrangements, and handling confidential or sensitive communication. They also support operations by creating meeting notes, managing data for reports, and following up on outstanding tasks. Because they work remotely, they rely on digital tools to manage workflows efficiently, allowing businesses to streamline admin processes without the cost or commitment of an on-site hire.
How can hiring a virtual admin assistant improve productivity for entrepreneurs and startups?
Hiring a virtual admin assistant significantly boosts productivity by removing routine and distracting tasks from the plates of entrepreneurs and managers. Instead of getting bogged down by phone calls, emails, scheduling issues, data entry, or repetitive admin work, business leaders can focus on high-impact activities like strategy, sales, and growth. Research shows that most employees only produce around four hours of deep, focused work per day, so shifting the administrative burden to a skilled assistant helps maximize that limited productive window. This support not only improves output but also reduces burnout, enabling more balanced schedules, even making a four-day workweek more realistic.
When should a business consider hiring a remote administrative assistant?
A business should consider hiring a remote administrative assistant when administrative tasks begin to slow down core operations or negatively impact productivity. Signs include spending too much time on emails, scheduling, paperwork, or routine tasks that don’t require your expertise. Startups often feel the pressure as they scale, and admin demand grows faster than internal capacity. Creating a list of functions that cannot be automated and estimating the hours required helps determine whether a virtual assistant is the right solution. If your team is overwhelmed or essential responsibilities are being delayed due to admin overflow, it’s time to bring in remote support to keep operations running smoothly.
