A report by Unit4 reveals that office workers lose over 30% of their year to administrative or repetitive tasks. These tasks don't just sap their energy but also rack up over $5 trillion in productivity losses across the professional service industry each year.

Wouldn’t it be better if those hours could be redirected toward innovation, client engagement, or team development?

Virtual admin assistants (VAAs) hold the key to unlocking this potential.

Think about it: while you focus on the big picture, someone else handles the day-to-day tasks that can bog you down, like answering emails, scheduling meetings, keeping your calendar organized, and providing reminders to meet deadlines and important information.

Virtual assistants offer this and much more, making them indispensable if you’re looking to boost efficiency without the overhead of full-time staff.

So, who really benefits from hiring these virtual wizards? Keep reading to discover the diverse range of individuals and businesses that can (and should!) leverage virtual admin assistants to scale new heights in 2024.

What is a virtual admin assistant?

A virtual admin assistant is a remote worker who handles all the administrative tasks that typically clutter your day. These tasks include managing emails, scheduling appointments, updating databases, preparing reports, and handling customer inquiries.

The role of a VAA is to streamline your workload, so you can focus on higher-priority projects and tasks that require your direct attention.

What sets virtual admin assistants apart from traditional assistants is that they work remotely, often from home or in a co-working space, using tools like email, cloud software, and communication apps to stay connected.

Benefits of using virtual assistant services

Here’s how leveraging the support of virtual admin assistants can help you and your company:

Cost-effectiveness compared to full-time, in-house staff

One of the standout benefits of virtual assistants is the substantial cost savings compared to full-time, in-house staff. Hiring a virtual assistant allows you to only pay for the time they spend on your administrative tasks, which can significantly reduce expenses.

If you use a fully managed service to hire VAs, you can choose from monthly packages or subscriptions to match the level of support you need. Working with a virtual admin assistant also cuts out many of the upfront and overhead costs associated with hiring an in-house personal assistant or executive assistant. This could translate to savings of up to 90% compared to traditional hiring methods.

Flexibility and scalability of services

When hiring virtual assistants, you can adjust the level of support to match your current business demands. As your business grows or during peak periods, scaling up support is as simple as requesting more hours from your assistant.

On the other hand, you can scale back during slower periods without the complexities and costs of laying off staff or reducing work hours. This scalability helps to make sure that you always have the right support, perfectly tailored to your current operational demands.

Access to a global talent pool with specialized skills

Because virtual assistants work remotely, you’re not limited to your local job market to find a suitable candidate. Instead, you can tap into a global pool of talented professionals with diverse skills and experiences.

This wider selection helps you find an ideal match for specific tasks, whether you need someone with certain software skills or industry experience. This not only improves the quality of your support but also brings fresh ideas and perspectives that can help your business grow and solve problems in new ways.

Increased productivity and focus

Richard Branson famously said, “If you really want to grow as an entrepreneur, you’ve got to learn to delegate.” This principle holds especially true when considering the role of virtual assistants in enhancing productivity and focus within your organization.

Delegating routine tasks such as managing schedules, booking meetings, and checking and replying to emails to virtual assistants lets you and your team focus on core business activities that drive growth and revenue.

With virtual assistants handling the time-consuming tasks, your staff can concentrate on strategic goals and innovation. This shift in focus can lead to better performance across your organization, ultimately impacting your bottom line positively.

Who can benefit from hiring a virtual admin assistant?

No matter the size or scope of your business, VAAs offer tailored support that can make a huge difference to your daily workload.

Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs)

If you’re a small business owner, hiring virtual administrative assistants can be a real game-changer for your day-to-day operations. These professionals can take a significant load off your plate by handling a variety of routine tasks.

For instance, they can manage your scheduling, making sure that appointments are made and reminders are set. They can also handle customer service support, providing timely responses to your clients and improving overall customer satisfaction.

Virtual assistants can also manage your email, keep your databases up-to-date, and even handle your social media posts to keep your online presence active. When the workload increases during peak seasons, a VAA can scale up to handle extra tasks like processing orders or managing inventory supplies. During slower periods, you can scale back, optimizing your operational costs.

Adding a VAA to your team helps keep everything running smoothly without overwhelming your staff or straining your budget. Plus, you can redirect the time and money you save into areas of your business that directly contribute to your bottom line, like product development and marketing.

Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur, your ability to prioritize and focus on what truly matters can make or break your venture.

Jessica Jackley, renowned for co-founding Kiva and ProFounder, once said, “As all entrepreneurs know, you live and die by your ability to prioritize. You must focus on the most important, mission-critical tasks each day and night, and then share, delegate, delay, or skip the rest.”

The idea of focusing on what truly matters is one of the key reasons why you should outsource to a virtual assistant. By delegating routine and time-consuming tasks to administrative virtual assistants, you free up more hours in your day to concentrate on high-impact activities that drive business growth.

One critical area where a VAA can support you is market research. As an entrepreneur, understanding your market is key to tailoring your strategies and offerings. A VAA can gather and analyze data, track industry trends, and provide valuable insights that allow you to make informed decisions quickly and efficiently.

They can also handle daily communications, schedule meetings, and manage emails. These tasks, while necessary, can consume a significant portion of your day. By leveraging the skills of a VAA, you optimize your time and make sure that every hour you spend working drives your business forward.

Freelancers

If you’re a freelancer or solopreneur, juggling a heavy workload with the demands of your personal life can seem like a constant battle. With a virtual assistant by your side, you could see a significant difference in your work-life balance.

Imagine ending each day at a reasonable hour instead of sifting through an overflowing inbox!

According to recent reports, the average person spends 28% of their workweek reading and responding to emails, yet only 38% of emails in the average inbox are important or relevant. So that's at least 13 hours every week, or over 81 full working days per year, spent on completely reactive, low-value work.

Your virtual assistant can help you through the noise, flag important messages, and even respond on your behalf. This alone can reclaim hours in your day—hours you can spend reinvesting into your business or enjoying much-needed downtime at home.

Virtual assistants can also help you handle client communications. They can schedule appointments, follow up on inquiries, and keep your multiple projects moving smoothly. This level of support means you’re always responsive and organized, traits that will help set you apart in the freelance market.

And let's not forget all the financial administrative tasks that go into running your own venture. Tracking invoices, managing receipts, and paying bills can be pretty tedious, not to mention time-consuming.

According to one report, small business owners can spend the equivalent of 20 days per year simply chasing invoices! With a virtual assistant taking care of these, you can focus on generating revenue and growing your business, safe in the knowledge that your financial admin is in order.

Corporate managers and executives

As a corporate manager or executive, your schedule is likely packed with back-to-back commitments, strategic planning, and critical decision-making. In this role, being able to focus on high-level tasks without losing yourself in routine administrative duties is key to making the most significant impact.

For starters, there’s no doubt that meetings are an unavoidable aspect of your professional life. Recent research has found that of the 47 hours the average mid-level manager works each week, 21 hours are spent in meetings with four or more people.

While attending meetings should definitely stay in your remit, all the work that goes into arranging, planning, and following up on meetings can be done just as well in the hands of a virtual assistant, saving you up to six hours per week.

And if you take a lot of business trips, a virtual assistant can handle all aspects of your travel planning, from booking flights and hotels to arranging transport and preparing itineraries. They can help make sure that your travel stays hassle-free, so you can focus on the purpose of your trip rather than all the moving parts and the nitty-gritty details.

What's the bottom line?

Hiring virtual admin assistants offers undeniable benefits, such as cost-efficiency and enhanced productivity, which can revolutionize how you run your business.

They can handle a wide range of tasks, making them a great fit for ventures of all sizes. No matter if you're a freelancer or a growing enterprise, virtual assistants are versatile and adaptable to meet your unique needs.

If you’re ready to tap into the benefits of virtual assistance for yourself, Time etc is here for you.

Our mission is to help business owners feel less stressed and more in control by matching them with the best virtual assistants to tackle all the time-consuming back-office tasks that stand in the way of their goals.

We're proud to be rated:

• Best Virtual Assistant Service 2024 — Investopedia
• Best Virtual Assistant Service 2024 — U.S. News and World Report
• Best Virtual Assistant Services For Entrepreneurs 2024 — Forbes Advisor

So, ready to give it a shot?

Speak to our expert team to get started, and we'll handle the rest! We’ll set you up with a professional assistant based on the skills and experience you need.

Still on the fence?

You can try us out for free to get a feel for how we work.