6 interesting facts about a Virtual Assistant

If you have been considering the services of a Virtual Assistant (VA) here are some interesting facts you may not have known.

1. VAs are business professionals who have years of experience and training under their belt, offering a variety of specialised services or support in a niche area. The term ‘VA’ or ‘Virtual Assistant’ is just a different name for a contractor. Most VAs are small business owners registered as a sole trader and work from their home office. Hiring a VA is similar to hiring a tradesperson to do odd jobs around your home, and works for a client for a fee.
   
   

2. A VA charges for the time they have worked on your task and if they have travelled to and from your office. This means if the task you have outsourced requires a VA to research content, find a suitable app or platform, source images, conduct regular Zoom calls or email updates - this work will most likely be charged to you.
   
   Depending on the type of service your VA offers, you may be charged an hourly fee, a set fee for a project, offered a retainer contract or customised package.
   
   

3. A VA is not an employee of a client, meaning the VA is responsible for paying their own salary, superannuation, sick and annual leave, insurance, supplies, subscriptions, travel costs, etc.
   

4. You may find a VA who specialises in a niche (e.g. social media management) or offers a variety of services. There are also VAs who only work for certain industries (e.g. Tradesmen), corporate and/or non-profit organisations.
   
   

5. A VA may work with numerous clients at any one time and will schedule time in their calendar while prioritising their workload so they can carry out tasks for different clients.
   
   

6. Like the name says, a VA, works virtually, meaning they may work from their home office, a co-working space or shared office space. A VA doesn’t necessarily work from 9am-5pm, it could be evenings, early mornings or in between the kids going to school, but be rest assured your work will be carried out.
   
   
   By having good communication with your VA, they can keep you up-to-date with your job’s progress, so you don’t have to worry about whether your work is getting done.
   

If you would like to know more information about Virtual Assistants or how JAM can help your business contact me on 0452 393094 or by email, for a free 30-minute consultation.

Updated 4/8/20