A Different Way of Working

Business Operations

Have you ever wished there were just a few extra hours in the day? Do you long for an up to date contact list, documented procedures, or for someone to send a few holding replies to ease the pressure on your overflowing inbox? Have you benefitted from the support of an assistant or administrator in a previous role, but are just not sure that you have the space in your office to take one on yourself? Have you contemplated taking on a Virtual Assistant (VA), but don’t really know what a VA is or what they could do?

What is a VA?

A VA is an independent contractor who provides administrative services from their own office. They will normally be an experienced Personal Assistant or similar and will know how to keep things running smoothly. They also run their own business and will have a professional reputation to uphold, so they will treat your business like their own and will be as invested as you in its success.

Not just that – a VA is an investment for your business. How? One client came to us because he needed an on site administrator but didn’t have time to recruit. We helped him draft the advert and, once he’d decided where he wanted to advertise, we placed the adverts and dealt with the enquiries. Once the CVs were in, we did an initial CV sift before sending them to him to review. Once he’d chosen who he wanted to interview, we arranged the interview times and the venue.  All in all it was 10 hours work for us – 10 hours that he didn’t have to worry about. How much is 10 hours of your time worth to you and your business?

By hiring a VA you can request as little or as much of their time as you require.  So, when business is quiet, unlike with a full or part-time employee, you can reduce your VA’s workload and only pay for the time you need.

Virtual Angels

Nicola and I started Virtual Angels in 2013. During this time, we have helped a variety of clients – we have provided back office support to a small charity, co-ordinated monthly invites for a regular networking event, provided Executive Assistant support to the Chief Executive of a small organisation and provided day-to-day admin support to professionals running small businesses.  We have even consolidated 26 spreadsheets containing over 1000 contacts in to one, concise contact database!

I love…

  • Seeing the relief when a Client realises you can help them.
  • The difference even just a few hours of support can make to a Client.
  • Watching small businesses and organisations grow with just a little assistance.

Clients like…

  • Not having to worry about the background stuff.
  • Feeling supported.
  • Having peace of mind, time and space to get on with the bigger picture.

Since working as a Virtual Assistant, I have come across some confused and sceptical people.  Some people think it just wouldn’t work for them or that they couldn’t trust an assistant to work remotely. I have met people who thought I might be a hologram – there is nothing more unnerving than being stared at intently over a Skype call! I have even met people who thought I might be anti-social and unable to work in a normal office environment.

Working with a VA is a different way of working. It’s the service you need when you need it. You are not paying for distractions, breaks or for employee expenses. Outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant is the future for professionals who want to run their business in a more flexible, responsive way.

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