It’s no secret that technological devices are making great big crashing waves in the world of virtual assistance. In fact, Gartner Senior Director, Annette Jump predicts that 24% of digital workers will be using a virtual assistant (VA) on a daily basis by 2021, which is up from 9% in 2019.

“We expect [VAs] to be used by an increasing number of organisations over the next three years. Industries such as insurance and financial services are showing strong interest in piloting [VAs] internally. We’ve also witnessed VAs being used in IT, customer service and information queries.”

However, in this article, we’re not talking about Siri, Alexa or any of their futuristic friends. We’re not even talking about the intelligent robots that keep threatening to take over the working world and steal all of our jobs.

The changing face of Personal Assistants

Personal assistance no longer has to mean somebody sat at the desk opposite yours 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. These days, business owners are tending towards remote freelancers who can offer them support virtually.

Common responsibilities delegated to a Virtual Assistant include

• Management of calendars and email inboxes
• Arranging and managing meeting schedules
• Organising travels books and arrangements
• Bookkeeping, paperwork and other administrative tasks
• Making and following up calls during particularly busy periods
• Researching information and generating materials ahead of meetings or pitches

So, why are VAs becoming so popular? Why might somebody opt for this type of support over the classic, full-time Personal Assistant?

The benefits of a Virtual Assistant

• Less overheads and responsibility. Remote workers don’t require space in your office, nor are you responsible for them during the working day. This is a blessing for both your overheads and your Health & Safety obligations.
• Increased flexibility and scalability. Full-time staff require a restrictive level of commitment but outsourcing to virtual assistants for specific things means you can scale up or shrink back according to things like demand and budget.
• Access to more niche specialisms. Operating in this way also means you can hone in on granular expertise, rather than trying to train one person up to perform a host of different tasks.
• Round-the-clock productivity. Another advantage that comes with the flexibility of virtual assistants is that you aren’t limited by the constraints of time zones. You could send over a to-do list to your VA in Australia as you get ready for bed and by the morning, it could be completed. A complete power-up for productivity.
• A more cost-effective way of doing things. All of the points mentioned above make outsourcing remote (or virtual) assistance a far more appealing return on investment and therefore, a more sensible way to spend your money.

Of course, having a VA isn’t right for everyone, and it’s always up to you what best suits your business. In the meantime, Pandle is our cloud based accounting software, designed for straightforward simplicity. Just like a VA, it can help support you as you grow your business.