What Virtual Assistant Skills Should a Business Look For?
While businesses live on selling products and services, they wouldn’t be able to stay afloat without the day-to-day tasks occurring behind the scenes. Administrative tasks, data entry, and phone calls are necessary tasks, but they take up much of business owners’ time that could be spent on other essential aspects of their businesses, such as focusing on growth. With that, business owners—especially start-up owners—may require the help of people with great virtual assistant skills.
What is a Virtual Assistant? How Can They Help You?
A virtual assistant (VA) is one of a business owner’s strongest allies in keeping the business in top form. According to Investopedia, a virtual assistant is “an independent contractor who provides administrative services to clients while operating outside of the client's office.” They’re much like personal assistants or secretaries.
Although they can work in offices, most VAs work remotely, especially since hybrid work setups are catching on. Virtual assistants can work part-time or full-time, depending on what you’ve agreed on. They can also be significant assets to your business because they’re not as costly to hire.
Virtual assistant skills help VAs accomplish their duties, which include but are not limited to the following:
The best virtual assistants have the necessary skills in their respective niches. What are these virtual assistant skills that business owners should look for?
Top Virtual Assistant Skills per Industry
Every VA should be reliable and self-motivated, but they need other skills to excel in their niches. Business owners should test these VA skills (divided by industry) before hiring a virtual assistant.
Office and Admin Virtual Assistant Skills
This first set of virtual assistant skills is among the most sought-after. Office and administrative work are a large part of running a business. Thus, many virtual assistant duties require the following skills to succeed in this field.
1. Time management and organization
Time management is an essential skill for a VA to have to keep a business running. It’s also needed to juggle numerous tasks. A virtual assistant must be organized to make their work more manageable and easier to understand.
2. Keen attention to detail
A VA should be highly attentive to details. In between scheduling meetings, booking travels, and answering emails, virtual assistants should be careful not to make mistakes that might cause headaches further down the line.
3. Communication skills
This is one of the most crucial virtual assistant skills. Although written communication skills are definitely important, a good VA shouldn’t slouch when it comes to oral communication if they’re to field phone calls for their bosses.
Data Entry Virtual Assistant Competencies
The next set of virtual assistant skills tackles data entry VA tasks. Data entry can be very time-consuming, but it is integral to keeping a business’ data in order.
1. Typing skills
Data entry virtual assistants must be proficient in typing both quickly and accurately. Quick fingers aren’t useful if they make too many mistakes.
2. Research
This virtual assistant skill is important because businesses need quality data and information to run properly.
3. Technical
Because most data entry is digital, a VA must be well-versed not only in basic computer literacy; but also in software such as Microsoft Office, PeopleSoft, and QuickBooks.
4. Basic bookkeeping and accounting
Your data entry virtual assistant can go the extra mile and do your bookkeeping and accounting for you, freeing you up for other important tasks.
Customer Service Virtual Assistant Aptitude
Facing clients is an important part of business, so these virtual assistant skills are needed when handling customers.
1. Communication
Being a good communicator is key to handling customers.
2. Patience
Your VA may have to deal with irate clients, so they must be able to attend to them with patience and care.
3. Quick thinking
Customer service involves helping customers in a timely fashion. Sometimes, that means needing to think on your feet to placate a customer.
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Social Media Virtual Assistant Abilities
Nowadays, businesses—especially start-ups—need an online presence to stay competitive. Hire a social media VA to keep up with the competition.
1. Social media management
This is the most important of the social media virtual assistant skills to have. This includes scheduling posts at optimal times and figuring out which types of content do well with the target audience.
2. Creativity
Your VA mustn’t be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to content. Creative content can have a lasting impact.
3. Graphic design
Good design is pleasing to the eye and will net you more attention.
4. Writing
Your content should have compelling copy that generates leads and converts them into sales.
5. Market research
Your virtual assistant should keep your business up-to-date with market trends through careful analysis of customer data.
Real Estate Virtual Assistant Skills
Real estate has its own set of necessary virtual assistant skills due to the nature of the industry. A dependable real estate virtual assistant has skills that span different categories, such as research, customer service, data entry, and social media management. Usually, businesspeople want to hire a few specialized VAs for this industry.
1. Communication skills
Since your VA will be dealing with queries from clients, you should look for a virtual assistant that has excellent communication skills, patience, and care.
2. Research
The real estate market is ever growing, so it’s important to have a VA that can keep you up to date with the latest market trends.
3. Social media management
Many potential clients use social media to scout the market. Hire a virtual assistant that knows how to manage your online presence with good strategies and eye-catching content to attract more clients.
4. Data entry
While important, crunching numbers can be time-consuming. A virtual assistant with good data entry skills will keep your records in top form.
Do You Need a Virtual Assistant?
Does your business really need a virtual assistant? If you’re always tired, especially because you’re working too much, then you probably need to start thinking about hiring a virtual assistant.
You should probably also consider hiring someone with the necessary virtual assistant skills if you’re preparing to expand your business due to the workload that comes with growth.
How Do You Hire a Virtual Assistant?
There are two places to look for a virtual assistant: freelance sites and virtual assistant services.
There are many virtual assistants that offer their services as freelancers. You can find general virtual assistants and more specialized VAs advertising their services on VA platforms. Their rates vary, but they usually charge on an hourly basis, ranging from 4 USD to 20 USD per hour.
Of course, you may want to skip the hassle of looking for someone with the virtual assistant skills your business requirements. You can avail the services of a dedicated virtual assistant service provider instead. These firms screen VAs and assign you one based on your needs. These usually charge a monthly rate for their services. Most US-based virtual assistants will cost upwards of 200 USD per month, but offshore-based VAs can cost less than 100 USD per month. An example of a VA service company is Top VA.
Hire Top VA’s First-Rate Virtual Assistant Services to Elevate Your Business
Hiring someone with the right virtual assistant skills can be a great boost to your business’ productivity. Virtual assistants can even get your business—regardless if it’s a start-up or an established one—off of the ground as cost-effective but valuable assets to your team.
If you’re looking to hire professional and skilled VAs, then look no further than Top VA. Top VA has a wide range of virtual assistant services for you to choose from, such as research, email management, content marketing, and accounting assistance. Top VA has a pool of talented US and offshore-based virtual assistants ready to satisfy your business needs, all at affordable rates. Contact Top VA for a free consultation and level up your business today.