Top 10 Myths About Virtual Assistants

In our years as a virtual office in the Glasgow city centre, we’ve encountered a few common myths and misconceptions about virtual assistants, virtual mailboxes, and the other services we offer. For some reason, virtual offices and their services seem mysterious to the masses. We’re glad to clear things up, though! Keep reading for ten myths about virtual assistants.

Myth No 1: A Virtual Assistant is Only Necessary for Large Corporations

Virtual Assistants are often essential in the initial growth of small organisations into large ones. Small business entrepreneurs who attempt to handle everything alone sometimes are drowning in a sea of work. You’ve probably experienced days when all you did was respond to emails and Facebook comments and didn’t get much else done. Worse, this leaves little room for company owners to focus on strategic initiatives like expanding and enhancing their operations.

While CEOs at more prominent companies often have access to specialised teams for duties, those at smaller enterprises typically do not have access to such resources. The director can concentrate on more strategic endeavours when the VA takes up mundane activities.

That is not to argue that being a virtual assistant is always dull. Our daily tasks may vary, posing new challenges and providing opportunities to acquire expertise.

Here at Clyde Offices, we’re committed to meeting the need for virtual assistants in small businesses.

Myth No 2: Conversely, Only Sole Proprietors And Small Businesses May Benefit From Hiring A Virtual Assistant.

When he wrote “The 4-Hour Work Week,” Tim Ferriss popularised the concept of a virtual assistant. The book details Ferriss’s experience starting and running a nutritional supplement company while simultaneously touring the world and maintaining the shortest work week in recorded history. After his book, the usage of virtual assistants took off.

Many companies, not simply those offering VA services, are capitalising on the booming business sector. Managed virtual assistant services are increasingly being used by businesses to aid senior staff. Managed service providers (MSPs) are rapidly replacing in-house senior administrative departments as the default staffing option due to their ability to source, train, and manage large-scale administrative teams for corporations. The assistants form teams with managers and backup assistants to guarantee continuous training and support.

Myth No. 3: Virtual Assistance Employment Is Primarily Administrative.

Nope! With any function, the admin may be involved, mainly as it permits the executive to carry out other activities. Nonetheless, administrative duties seldom make up more than a fraction of the job description. Most businesses already have someone on staff to do this for them.

The collaboration implies that an executive should be able to trust his/her Virtual Assistant with any assignment – from calculating budgets to personal missions.

The company’s voice is generally delegated to the VA. Virtual assistants may perform the same functions as traditional Executive Assistants by attending events and conveying the organization’s aims to prospective stakeholders who cannot be physically present at the event.

This trust and collaboration are vital whether you’re representing an executive in a social media forum or fielding letters from customers on their behalf.

Myth No 4: They Don’t Know English Well, And Virtual Assistants Don’t Have Much Education.

Individuals’ preconceptions about people working in other countries stem from their experiences at call centres, where they were forced to deal with speakers of other languages and written answers. A competent virtual assistant service will provide a much better experience.

The service provider evaluates for education, English, professionalism, business skills, and development potential, which is a big reason why firms, huge ones with hundreds of executive assistants, utilise a virtual assistant service.

Myth No 5: Virtual Assistants Aren’t Equal To The Executives They Serve

This is a widespread misunderstanding. When working with a virtual assistant, both parties need to delegate tasks so that the executive may set the direction and go forward.

As the company develops, they collaborate to accomplish their goals, dividing jobs and adjusting their expectations accordingly. Virtual assistants often become long-term business partners, with their responsibilities evolving to meet the organisation’s needs when new staff members are added, and existing teams are reorganised.

Rather than an employee-employer relationship, it is actually a collaboration. Each Virtual Assistant at Clyde Offices is an independent contractor with the freedom to accept customers from any industry.

Myth No 6: Working As A Virtual Assistant Is A Thankless Job.

We assume this derives from the premise that poor unfortunate assistants are being roused in the early hours for dull demands. On the contrary, there are many positives to being a Virtual Assistant, and we adore our work!

As we’ve previously discussed, one is the independence of being a franchisee and sharing a shared bond with your clientele. One more is the abundance of chances to learn new things, which keeps the workplace exciting and allows us to develop our abilities continuously.

Myth No 7: Every Virtual Assistant Is Doing the Same Work

This misconception seems the most common of all the falsehoods shown here.

A competent Virtual Assistant is an extension of the company executive. They have common aims, yet those goals are as different as the types of enterprises.

A hidden-away health spa won’t have the same demands as a sizeable B2B supplier. Their clients will vary, where the firm should invest its focus (and money) will differ, and of course, the individuals inside the organisation will differ too!

Some CEOs are very delighted to answer their own emails but bewildered when it comes to Instagram marketing. Some people really like writing blog articles, but they have no business handling money since bookkeeping isn’t in their wheelhouse.

Even if their team may have a tech staff, they may not have anybody to create newsletters. The inverse may be true for some. Small companies may benefit from Virtual Assistants in infinite ways.

Myth No. 8: You Need A Full-Time Virtual Assistant

Traditionally, the executive assistant would be stationed either in the lobby or next to the boss’s office. It was usually necessary to dedicate one’s complete working week to administrative duties since someone was expected to be at the office at all times. On a typical day, you may have to welcome guests, answer the phone, sort mail, set up appointments, or do office management duties.

Since voicemail, texting, and email have mostly replaced phone calls, and productivity technologies like CRMs have automated formerly manual activities, these responsibilities have largely vanished. During the pandemic, many CEOs discovered that their assistants could do more in less time remotely, even eliminating the requirement for the typical executive assistant to remain in the office all day.

Multiple studies have shown that 30 and 40 per cent of an executive’s time are spent on administrative duties. This is equivalent to around a third of a regular worker’s time. Through the use of digital technologies, remote executive assistants may do many time-consuming activities that, although necessary, do not need the direct involvement of the executive. These tasks are the most common ones given to virtual assistants:
● It takes roughly 25 minutes to organise a business meeting using a calendar management system. Think about how much time it adds up to over the course of a week packed with meetings.
● The average time needed to arrange every detail of a business trip, from departure to return, is 12 hours. The possibilities may be researched by an assistant and presented for a quick selection.
● Compiling all relevant receipts and completing an expenditure report takes around 30 minutes. A CEO’s time is better spent on other matters.

Most leaders and teams only need 12-15 hours of help each week.

Myth No 9: A Virtual Assistant Can’t Replace An In-Person One

To some extent, this myth is true. Making coffee, cleaning the break room, and passing out snail mail are all examples of administrative activities that can’t be done electronically. And with the average annual pay of an executive assistant being close to $60,000 (before perks), that’s some pricey java!

When compared to what can be accomplished by a dedicated part-time remote assistant, the potential downsides of employing an in-person assistant are greater. The time and money involved are the first issue. When you invest in finding, hiring, and training an assistant, and then they quit a few months later, your business is in a perpetual state of upheaval.

Most CEOs can outsource most of their administrative duties to a remote assistant. A virtual assistant may help out in the real world, as well. An assistant may order things like lunch, snacks, and workplace supplies. Executives may even have their Starbucks orders ready when they arrive, thanks to virtual assistants.

Myth No 10: All Virtual Assistants Are The Same

When asked whether all VAs are created equal, the correct response is that this is definitely not the case. It’s not possible to find two identical virtual assistants. If you put in the time to research, read reviews and compare and contrast your alternatives, you may locate the optimal virtual assistant for your needs at a price that fits your budget.

And if you’d like to find out more about how we can assist, we’re ready to answer all your questions. Click Here to contact us immediately.