What is a virtual assistant and what functions does it fulfill?

Today, a virtual assistant has become extremely important for many people or companies. With the digitization of many businesses and telecommuting, this profession has become in great demand.

Virtual assistants can take care of a large number of tasks. From simple things like transcribing a document to making designs or contacting clients. In this article we are going to talk a little more about what a virtual assistant is and what functions they usually perform.

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant, despite the fact that it has become popular in recent years, the truth is that it exists since 1992. The person who works as a virtual assistant is usually independent, mostly freelancers.

This is responsible for providing administrative, technical or creative support to different types of clients. That is, they usually fulfill the same function as a traditional assistant, only that they do it remotely, that is, through the internet.

We could say that a virtual assistant is similar to a secretary and its function is to provide support to people in their projects. These people can earn more money than you think, since there are companies that pay a lot for this type of service.

What functions does a virtual assistant usually have?

There are a large number of functions that a virtual assistant can fulfill. Next, we will mention which are usually the most common of all.

Agenda management

A virtual assistant must take care of the agenda of the person who has hired him. You must ensure that this person can meet all the commitments you have on the day. Similarly, you have to schedule new commitments, cancel or reschedule if necessary.

It is one of the most important functions that this person has within the company. Even many people only hire a virtual assistant to fulfill this function.

Email management

Managing email is a complex task, especially in companies that receive a large number of them every day. This consumes a lot of time, which is why many people turn to a virtual assistant to take care of this work.

This should not only read and respond to emails when needed, but should also be able to create email marketing campaigns.

Customer Support

A virtual assistant must be able to serve customers, this means answering their questions and helping them. The virtual assistant can communicate with the client in various ways, among which you can find emails or phone calls.

You must have knowledge about the product or service that the company handles. This in order to provide clear and precise answers to customer questions.

Billing

In many cases, a virtual assistant can handle billing for the business. This is a vital function and must be carried out in the best possible way to avoid errors. You must also be aware of collections or those customers who are in default.

In some cases, this person may also do the accounting, but not in all cases.

content creation

Virtual assistants are also often responsible for creating content, whether for social networks, websites or company blogs. Similarly, you must have the ability to make corrections, write different texts and manage some editing programs.

Of course, you are not required to handle Photoshop like a designer, but you do need to know how to handle tools like that. In this way, you can make simple edits in an easy and fast way.

Event planning

Virtual assistants can take care of the planning of different types of events. Things like choosing the place, planning transport, guests and everything that is required. In addition, also in the person who is in charge of inviting and confirming the attendees of the event.

Preparation of reports

It is quite common that a virtual assistant has to prepare different types of reports on the project. In this way, the people in charge can get to know the metrics in a better way. This is something vital for decision making in any company or enterprise.

How much money does a virtual assistant make?

The profit that a virtual assistant will have will depend mainly on the company and the contract they have. Some assistants can earn quite well, equal to or more than a traditional assistant. However, there are cases in which it does not pay very well.

Because anyone can be hired anywhere in the world, many people hire assistants in places that don't pay much. For example, a person in the United States or Europe can hire an assistant in Latin America and save half or more of what a local one would cost.

This has become quite common, so it can often be difficult to find a well-paid job in this area.