For someone who’s just starting their business, a virtual assistant can be of help. They can carry out multiple tasks a day such as administrative, customer service, sales, data entry, social media management, and others so, you can achieve your business goals without worrying whether you can do it or not. They will be working remotely but of course, the key for them to work smoothly is having constant communication. And having them on your business won’t cost you that much.

Having a VA is affordable!

Starting a business will cost you a lot. But you can lessen your cost if you’ll hire a virtual assistant. No physical office needed, save more on electricity, internet, office equipment and many more. Hiring a VA for your business will save you more money without compromising your business.

You’ll have more time to spend.

You can go on vacation, have more time with your family, and do some other things without worrying about your business because you can rely on your virtual assistant. They can do your task virtually while enjoying your time. Because they will always have your back.

They are good at organizing.

Being a business owner might be overwhelming. But having a virtual assistant can help you be organized on your system. They can work on your administrative task, help you with your meeting schedules, manage your social media, and many more. Virtual assistants won’t just perform their duties but can give their best and surpass your expectations.

Customer service

From my last post, customer service will be the face of your business. And if you’re not good at this, all effort will be of waste. Of course, you don’t want that to happen. That is why hiring a virtual assistant with proper training can help you with your business. They will be the ones who will receive calls from your current customer and potential customer.

Now that you have some ideas about whether to hire or not to hire a virtual assistant, you are now one step closer to achieving your goal for your business. You can now just think of the task you should delegate to your future virtual assistant. 

I had the chance to do a virtual interview with Ms. A.R Duque, from the Philippines, the very first VA of Falcon Virtual and now the Director of Operations. She came from a big outsourcing company and decided to take a different path in her career. Let us know more about how she helped Falcon start and how Falcon grow continuously.

When did you start as a VA for Falcon?

“I originally am a City Cheetah VA I started in August 2017.”

Was it hard? Adjusting to a different environment?

“It was not hard, especially for me because I wanted something to change in my life. So when I started working from home, I was mentally and emotionally ready for all the challenges that came with the new work setup.”

What was the hardest part of working as a VA?

“The most challenging part, I believe, is entering an industry that you never knew existed, learning new things on your own while at the same time keeping your clients' trust, even if deep inside your heart you know you do not know a thing about this.”

From being the first VA of Falcon to being the Director of Operations, how did you help Falcon to grow its business?

“Falcon is a product of long nights of chitchat between Ashley and me every time we go over my end-of-day update. It’s a faraway dream. We just both dive in when we both feel it's time, and we both feel we can make this work. I would love to think that my selflessness and dedication to each and every person working at Falcon is my contribution to our company’s growth. Because at the end of the day, you can never be dedicated to an institution without also dedicating yourself to the people working to make the institution stable and strong.“

How did you get clients to put their trust in you?

“By walking the talk, by being honest, and by showing them that I will and can deliver what is expected under pressure, be it a technical challenge, an environmental challenge, or a personal challenge, I make sure my clients know that I got their business covered and that I will do everything to make it successful.”

Falcon is now growing, what is the vision you see for Falcon after 5 years?

“Falcon family will continue to grow bigger, stronger, more inclusive, and more accepting in terms of manpower and clientele.“

As the Director, how do you choose the people who will be part of your growing family?

“I didn’t choose them; it was destiny that chose them to work with us. Each and every person working with Falcon was destined to work here. If it’s destined to happen, it will happen.”

Change might scare you at times. But change is inevitable and can make you grow. So don’t be afraid of the changes that are coming your way. Just like a Falcon, they are imaginative and spontaneous problem-solvers who love learning new skills. 

Who is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant (VA) is a highly qualified, experienced, professional, and knowledgeable person who works remotely to support any entrepreneur, business, or start-up by offering administrative, creative, marketing, accounting, technical, and/ or personal support.

 

Freelancers and personal assistants (PAs) have been in greater demand for some time now as businesses of all sizes have realized the value of their services' flexibility and affordability. However, with the ease of access to the internet and email, many independent professionals now have new opportunities to work remotely from their home offices while still contributing to the firm they work for.

 

So, hiring a virtual assistant is the best choice if your business needs more help with secretarial work or bookkeeping but you don't have enough money to pay for another full-time employee or buy more equipment or office space.

 

Tasks Virtual Assistants Perform

Executives shouldn't perform administrative tasks just because technology has made it possible for them to do so. A virtual assistant can take care of many senior administrative tasks, giving you more time to do more important work.

 

Here are some of the tasks VAs can perform for your business:

 

Setting up meetings

Due to the back and forth texts you send to locate a time that works for everyone, scheduling a business meeting takes roughly 25 minutes. With an increase in group size, more time is required. You regain that time if you give a VA in charge of your calendar.

 

Confirmation of meetings

Meeting confirmations are an effective strategy to avoid no-shows and the resulting lost time. Confirmations are crucial for in-person meetings that take place off-site, where you risk losing a lot more time.

 

Travel planning

It might be exhausting to organize a work trip. It takes roughly 12 hours per trip to find the ideal airfare, deal, hotel, car, and meeting. That is a significant amount of time that you can reclaim when you hire a virtual assistant. Your VA can arrange everything for you if you give them access to your loyalty programs and record your preferences for planes, seats, vehicles, motels, and meeting connections.

 

Business networking

Executives believe networking to be crucial, yet only 49% claim they have the time to do it. A virtual assistant can keep you informed about important connections and alert you to any changes in your personal or professional life so you can respond appropriately.

 

How Virtual Assistants Can Help Your Business Grow

Access to specialized or technical knowledge

Everybody has their weaknesses. Although you are adept at managing the entire operation, you may find tasks like website upkeep and social media administration too challenging.

 

Fortunately, virtual assistants stay current with developments in the field of online marketing. Additionally, a VA might complete a task that would take you all day in just two hours.

 

The most popular services for virtual assistants are personal or administrative assistance, but you can also find VAs with more specialized or technical expertise. They meet the demand for a variety of services, including:

●  Internet marketing

●  Audio and video transcription

●  Accounting/ bookkeeping

●  Domain registration and website hosting

●  Content management

●  Website design and development

●  Blogging

●  SEO

 

Effective organization and prioritization of daily tasks

Goals should be clearly defined, but a good proportion of the time and effort should go into achieving the incremental goals. VAs have the skills they need to do the tasks they are given based on how important and urgent they are.

 

Access to innovative ideas

Business executives would like innovators on their teams. Instead of whiners, you want people who can think creatively and collaborate with successful people. This is where VAs come in. VAs are innovative because they have worked with different business leaders throughout their careers.

 

Access to reliable personnel

It might be time to start scaling up as soon as the volume of your business starts to grow yet the turnaround time for outputs and deliverables slows. VAs will keep your organization flexible while also saving you money.

 

Wrapping Up

Building a team of virtual assistants to handle various aspects of your business is a great option. If used effectively, a virtual assistant can be one of your most valuable resources for expanding your company and lowering expenses without sacrificing productivity or quality.