The flawless virtual assistant who’s always on-call, masters all skills, and never gets tired does exist — in the same universe as unicorns. With dozens of virtual assistant myths and misconceptions going around the web, you’re bound to find a few that will leave you scratching your head.
Is it true virtual assistants can manage your calendar, do market research, and write long-form blog posts, among other tasks? Or is investing in them a waste of time and money, especially for startups?
In this article, we’re going to debunk some of the wildest myths about virtual assistants and shed light on what they’re actually capable of doing for your business.
6 Virtual Assistant Myths & Misconceptions You Need to Unlearn Now to Support Your Business the Right Way
Myth #1: You can assign any type of work to one virtual assistant.
It’s uncommon to find an assistance professional who can do everything you ask them to do. And if you did, the virtual assistant in question is either severely overworked or an alien in disguise.
We don’t blame you. The term “virtual assistance” does sound like a catch-all phrase. So, it’s easy to understand why one of the prevailing myths about the profession is a virtual assistant can do just about anything. However, refusing to unlearn this belief is going to disappoint and limit you from seeing the full potential of what your VA can actually — and efficiently — do.
Despite the job title’s implications, virtual assistants specialize in various fields. For example, a virtual assistant for eCommerce is specifically skilled at tracking orders, taking inventory, and doing market research on the niche of the eCommerce shop. On the other hand, a virtual bookkeeper, which is a type of virtual assistant, specializes in accounting-related activities.
Get specific on the tasks you need to assign to your VA. From there, you can determine the skill set you require for the role and then find the rockstar virtual assistant you’ve always wanted.
Myth #2: Virtual assistants are remote and, therefore, unproductive.
By nature, a virtual assistant does business in the digital space. They often work independently or with a virtual assistant outsourcing company. Because their direct boss communicates with them primarily online, virtual assistants get a bad rap for something unfounded, which is that they have a tendency to loaf around during work hours.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, a survey conducted last year showed 94% of employers claimed productivity in a remote setup was higher or the same as on-site operations. Additionally, 51% of employees also said they’re more productive when they’re working from home.
Virtual assistant services have existed for a long time, much longer than this or any of the myths and misconceptions assumed about the line of work. If VAs were generally unproductive, don’t you think there’d be significantly less demand for them today?
Myth #3: There’s no need to train virtual assistants.
Among the virtual assistant myths in this article, this is the only one that has some truth to it. But this idea is misconstrued the moment you think virtual assistants can forgo training altogether. If you think a VA’s job is so easy there’s virtually no need to develop their skills further, this mindset is going to do more harm to your business than good.
However, this myth becomes fact when you reframe training as something someone else can do, whether independently by the VA or by the outsourcing company they’re working for.
Hiring independent contractors or outsourcing professionals are ways to instantly gain talent your company seeks. Training still happens and continues to be vital to the virtual assistant’s growth, but the good news is someone else will do it for you.
Myth #4: You can do everything a virtual assistant does while running your business.
You’re probably thinking this is technically true. Of course you’re capable of managing your own calendar, tracking leads, and answering inquiries. On top of that, you can even wedge bookkeeping and data entry into your schedule. A few video edits here, a social media post there, and you should be good to go. Right?
Clinging to this assumption is likely to result in mental fatigue, and mental fatigue is one of the most telling signs you need a virtual assistant. The problem with the misconception that you can do everything a virtual assistant does is its lack of consideration for the amount of work your actual job entails.
As a business owner, you’re not only going to have to schedule those meetings. You’re also going to have to attend them. Those marketing videos and social media posts don’t come out of nowhere as well. You’ll have to fine-tune the message you want your business to convey.
So, technically, yes you can do all these administrative tasks. But can you do them all while running your business? And more importantly, would you want to?
Myth #5: Small businesses don’t need virtual assistants.
One of the worst virtual assistant misconceptions you’ll come across is that new and small businesses have little to no need for them.
Having virtual assistants for startups can be the determining factor of a new business’s success or discontinuation. Sure, as the owner of a growing company, you can figure out how to use productivity apps and DIY the tasks often delegated to a VA. But remember you’re at the point of making sure your business takes off.
Many startups fail every year, and a common reason for this is poor management. Don’t let this be the case for you.
Myth #6: It’s objectively difficult to find highly qualified virtual assistants.
Being able to find specialists who offer quality virtual assistant services may sound like one of the biggest myths. Among millions of virtual assistants applying for work every day, it can be tiring and difficult to carefully pick out the professional that matches what you’re looking for. But what if we told you there was another way? And a more efficient one at that.
The root issue of having a hard time finding highly qualified virtual assistants isn’t a dearth of talent in the job market. What makes it difficult is the screening process. You’d be surprised to find just how many productive and experienced virtual assistants there are if you knew where to look. And if you don’t, we’ve got you covered.
Instead of going through multiple profiles and vetting candidates on your own, you can enlist the help of someone else, someone more accustomed to the screening process. Someone who can take the burden of talent scouting and interviewing off your hands so that all you get are candidates you can be certain have high regard for the work they do. This is what outsourcing does for you.
Outsourcing virtual assistants, especially to a company with an excellent track record, reduces the time it takes for you to pair with a VA of your dreams. You get quality talent in half the time — and potentially at half the price. So if someone comes up to you and claims this virtual assistant myth is true, tell them about this article. Or better yet, tell them about NarraSoft so we can show them how it’s done.
We’re Ready to Debunk these Virtual Assistant Myths with Our Talent
If you’re still on the fence about having virtual assistants on your team, why not send us a message so we can talk it out? NarraSoft offers a free consultation to those who might require our services. We can help you identify what VA services your company needs and, more importantly, connect you with highly qualified talent ASAP. Send an email to sales@narrasoft.com or message us using our contact form or chat box. We can get you what you need in no time.
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