Are you overwhelmed with administrative tasks? No time to focus on business expansion? Then it’s time to change how you approach your workday.

In today’s competitive digital economy, a virtual assistant is more significant and valuable than ever. The right virtual assistant can help businesses organize their workflow management. They can free businesses of monotonous work, so they have more time to focus on the vital parts of their businesses.

A virtual assistant can expertly and efficiently manage a huge variety of jobs. Businesses can delegate daily workplace distractions to a virtual assistant to cut their workload by 78%. In addition to personal chores, they can assign administrative jobs like data entry, accounting and bookkeeping, customer service, digital marketing, and more.

A virtual assistant is a remote worker who supports your business by taking care of various administrative tasks, freeing up your time to focus on growing your business. They can specialize in specific fields, such as marketing or accounting, or offer broader, more generalized services.

Here is a list of a few tasks that a virtual assistant can offer for your business:

It should go without saying that working with and finding an executive virtual assistant can save organizations a ton of time and effort. An ideal virtual assistant can aid firms in completing the growing backlog of unfinished organizational tasks. When your workload is slipping behind, they will unburden you of administrative work and help you bounce back.

Here are the steps businesses need to follow to pick the right executive virtual executive assistant for their business.

To fully leverage virtual executive assistant services, a business should determine the tasks it intends to outsource. To do this, a firm must first identify the tasks that are time-consuming and the ones that need to delegate externally. Make a virtual executive assistant job description that incorporates the typical day-to-day tasks. Project management tools make it easy to understand the tasks that consume your time.

For instance, if managing your calendar and responding to emails take much of your time, employing an administrative assistant can make you more effective and productive. You can opt for an accounting and bookkeeping assistant if you find managing finances overwhelming.

Knowing the position that you want to fill in advance will help you find the ideal virtual assistant for the job. Office Beacon offers consultation to clients to comprehend their needs and connect them with the right virtual assistant.

Finding the best virtual executive assistant for your company is easy once you've decided which jobs to outsourcing. Decide what characteristics you require of your virtual assistant first. Make a list of the requirements your virtual assistant must meet. You can reduce your options by identifying such qualities. They ought to be determined by technological, logistical, and professional factors. Some of the most significant talents to take into account are listed below. Among the logistical considerations are:

• A skill set that meets your demands
• Languages they are fluent in
• An appropriate time zone for your schedule
• A budget-friendly price range that is accessible

Other traits that you need to look in a virtual executive assistant:

Working with a remote employee requires effective communication on both sides. Clear communication enables high-quality work, whereas poor communication might impede workflow.

Make frequent phone calls using Zoom or any other communication tool. Mention the best time to contact you. Also, talk about the preferred methods of communication for interactions that are both time- and value-effective with your virtual assistant.

Office Beacon provides fluid communication across all platforms and includes a complimentary SaaS tool for maintaining communication channels open between the business and the virtual assistant.

When hiring a virtual assistant, you should assess their skills and abilities to see if virtual assistants are a good fit for your business. Here are some qualities you need to look for in a candidate:

Skill Sets: Examine the virtual assistant's skill sets by asking them how many tasks they are familiar with and which ones they excel at.

Strengths & Weaknesses: You must be aware of the virtual assistant's advantages and disadvantages to decide whether they are a good fit for your company's requirements.

Time Zone: Be ascertain whether the virtual assistant's working hours align with yours. Also, specify the time zone in which your virtual assistant should work—either yours or another.

Tools & Software: A virtual assistant should be well-versed with the tools that make their work easier and foster teamwork. Hence, before hiring a virtual assistant, ensure they are adept at using the required tools.

The easiest way to gauge a virtual assistant's abilities is to assign sample work and assess whether or not their performance fulfills your expectations.

Make sure the test tasks reflect what you want them to accomplish. Consider this:

• Ask them to organize an event and send you an invitation if you need calendar scheduling.
• Ask them to enter data if you need data entry.
• Ask them to organize one page of your inbox if you need help managing your emails.
• Ask them to make a web page so you can assess their design skills.

Whatever the task is, make sure it is pertinent to your area of expertise and the type of work you would frequently offer them as part of their jobs.

Setting realistic goals is essential to recruit the best virtual executive assistant. Expecting results from your virtual assistant straight away is unrealistic. Give them time to comprehend your company's requirements so they may seize the opportunity and meet your expectations with flawless delivery.

Office Beacon employs expert staff with careful screening, vetting, and training.

Once your virtual assistant is on board, you'll be eager to collaborate with them. You should know how to leverage their talents, get along with them, and manage your time effectively. 

Here are the five tips for working productively with a virtual assistant and maximizing their skill sets.

To get the most out of your virtual executive assistant, you need to assign the right tasks to your virtual assistants. Delegate the tasks that currently consume your time and take the focus off business-critical matters.

Use the Eisenhower matrix to aid in more efficient task delegation.

Using the Eisenhower matrix as a tool for decision-making, prioritize your tasks according to how urgent and important they are. The four parts are as follows:

• Urgent and Crucial
• Important but not urgent 
• Critical but not urgent
• Not urgent or crucial

Creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) can take time and effort upfront.

Delegating your workflows to your virtual assistant will be quick after you get over the initial learning curve of designing them and can save time in the long term.

Everything will be precise that your virtual assistant can refer to, so they won't need to ask you for help every time.

Include your SOP's key points, each action step, and any remarks outlining specifics the VA needs to know.

Also Read: 7 wonders a virtual assistant can bring to your world

It is important to communicate effectively with the virtual assistant. A survey of 400 businesses found that poor communication with and among employees costs each company an average of $62.4 million annually.

Great communication strengthens your relationship with your virtual assistant.

You may connect with virtual assistants successfully using video conferencing solutions like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and more.

While you work with your virtual assistant, offer helpful criticism rather than harsh comments. Exact your expectations. Provide your assistant with precise directions so that they will understand what went wrong and what to do differently.

Recognize your virtual assistant when they perform well. Don't hesitate to express your appreciation for their contributions. If you can, reward them for a job well done by giving them a small incentive. These can substantially change the work culture you ultimately create, even if they work remotely.

Learn the objectives of your virtual assistant as you specify your own to it. It can help you create a more devoted virtual staff. Take the scenario where your business is required to create perfect website designs. You can set goals that align with your virtual assistant's goals. For instance, if your virtual assistant goal is to achieve competence in website design, you can accomplish it with your business goals.

Thus, with the proper commitment and communication, you can meet your objectives with your virtual assistant.

If you have a lot on your plate, it might be time to hire a virtual assistant. The best executive virtual assistant services offer to take up tasks you don't have the time or expertise to complete or on your to-do list. They give you more free time to engage in tasks that will speed up the growth of your business.