The Benefits of Virtual Assistant Managed Services
Remote administrative assistants—or virtual assistants (VAs) —are broadly classified into two types: controlled and unmanaged services. The managed service provider hires, trains, supervises, and pays the assistants. There are several unmanaged VA models available, ranging from hiring a freelancer to utilising a virtual assistant agency with a “bench” of applicants, and you can select the one that is best suited to your organisation.
All unmanaged VA models have in common that you are responsible for the VA’s onboarding, training, and performance management. Consider the benefits of a managed service (full disclosure: this is the virtual assistant service offered by Votiko).
- You are relieved of the responsibility of supervising another employee. This is significant because executives hire virtual assistants because they already have more administrative work than they can or should handle. What we repeatedly hear from executives is, “I simply want someone to come in and fix it.” With a managed service, the service provider manages all of these functions through an account manager who serves as a productivity partner. There is no need for assistance.
- A support team for the team. You are not simply engaging an individual contractor when you hire a managed service. You’re employing a whole support crew, which will include the following:
- An engagement manager who converts your duties into VA processes and acts as your advocate—if you have constructive input, you direct it to the manager, not the VA. That is a problem for the manager, not for you.
- Two backup assistants who are properly trained in your processes will assume responsibility in the event of your absence or departure.
- Two managers are assigned to deal with any performance difficulties.
- A cohort of VAs who have seen virtually every type of VA difficulty and who assist one another when concerns or impediments occur.
- Extensibility. This is particularly advantageous for larger firms and enterprises, who are increasingly utilising managed virtual assistant services. Scaling up (or down) is significantly easier as business conditions change. Hiring office workers takes approximately 40 days and costs $4,000 in total. If you wish to engage additional virtual assistants through a managed service, you can do so in a matter of days. Additionally, you can develop a team that works collaboratively with your leaders.
- Safety. Providing access to your work to an independent contractor or freelancer via a BYOD computer has obvious security issues. How secure is your PC and the home network on which it is connected? Finally, there is personal security to consider. Is the individual dependable? Managed virtual assistant services operate in secure buildings, on secure computers, and on secure networks, and conduct background checks on all virtual assistants.
- A big technology stack. A managed VA service employs hundreds of VAs who are familiar with virtually every technology platform used by enterprises. CRMs, marketing automation systems, prospecting tools, calendaring, travel planning, expenditure tracking, and invoicing are just some of the applications available. If a VA requires training or a refresher course, the service provider is responsible. With an unmanaged virtual assistant service, any gaps in education or expertise are entirely your responsibility.
Consider the Following Use Cases for Managed Virtual Assistant Services
Nothing is appropriate for every type of business. Managed virtual assistant services are ideal for executives who are overburdened with repetitive tasks and lack the time necessary to focus on the business. Among the duties that virtual assistants can perform for you are the following:
- Calendar administration and scheduling
- Planning and reporting on travel expenses
- Cleaning and maintenance of the CRM
- Prospecting for new business
- Campaigns de marketing
- Prepare documents
- Administrative tasks (invoicing, data entry)
Managed virtual assistant services are often billed on a monthly retainer basis, with you paying for a set amount of hours each month. They are not appropriate for occasional work such as a quarterly report, creative endeavours needing new design, writing projects, or graphic design-intensive endeavours.
If you’re considering employing a virtual assistant, here are some questions to ask. If you’d like to learn more about working with Votiko’s managed service, please contact us or read our guide.
