VA myth busting

Virtual Assistants (VAs) are a relatively new phenomenon as they have only been around since the introduction of the internet. As it's such a new profession, only those who work as a VA or with a VA understand the full potential of the role. In fact there are already quite a few common misconceptions about what a VA is or does - so to set the record straight, we thought it would be a good idea to do some VA myth busting!

Myth: VAs only do admin work

Truth: It’s true that VAs do admin work - in fact they’re really rather good at it! However, admin only touches the surface of what a blueumbrella VA can do for you and your business. The world of work is evolving all the time and so is the role of the VA, which means they’re happy to learn new skills and take on a greater range of responsibilities for you. This leaves you with more time and energy to spend on tasks that will bring in more business. Common non-admin tasks that blueumbrella VAs are asked to do include managing social media accounts, website management, HR duties, research, and data management.

Myth: All VAs do the same​

Truth: No two VAs are alike. A VA’s duties are tailored to whatever their client needs. The majority of VAs will help their client with calendar management and email management, but there’s a wider range of other duties they do too. Some clients need help with bookkeeping, some with HR, some with event planning and organisation. When we initially match a client with a VA, we’ll have an in-depth chat with both to make sure they’re compatible in terms of skill set and personality. Once the client and VA have formed a great working relationship, they can discuss further tasks between themselves. In fact, many of our VAs have grown their skill sets in order to support their client, provide a better service.

Myth: VAs only work for small businesses

Truth: It’s true that the majority of VAs work for consultants and small business owners, but you’d be surprised by how many of our VAs work for huge multinational businesses. The services of VAs are valued by departments that don’t have dedicated administrative support, companies that have too much work for current staff members, and teams that need extra support for the duration of one-off projects.

Myth: VAs only work part-time

Truth: VAs set their own hours, so while some choose to work part-time in order to fit around other commitments, they’re more likely to be full-time. The majority of VAs work full-time as they have a number of clients, so they'll always be available during office hours and will be able to undertake work for you at any point.

Myth: VAs are expensive​

Truth: You may think that a VA’s hourly rate is expensive, but remember you only pay them for the work they do for you. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever need to use a VA for a 40-hour week, so you can’t compare their fees against the hourly rate of a full-time employee. Take into account the fact that you won’t need to worry about paying all the additional costs associated with employing staff. Also remember that if you have a full-time employee but don’t give them a lot of work to do, you’re essentially paying them to sit there twiddling their thumbs. If you don’t have any work for your VA, you don’t pay them! Therefore, on the whole, a VA will cost you a lot less than employing someone full-time.

Myth: I don't need a VA - I can do everything myself

Truth: Doing everything yourself is not an effective way of working. You may think that juggling your core business tasks with those everyday tasks such as managing your inbox and calendar, bookkeeping and organising travel is easy enough, but is doing everything yourself ultimately an effective way of doing business? Think how long it takes you to go through your emails in the morning, and how much time it takes trying to get hold of clients in order to arrange meetings. Wouldn't that time be better spent if you outsourced these everyday tasks to a VA and concentrated instead on doing things that will produce income for your company? When you don’t do everything yourself you’ll be amazed at how productive you become - it’s been proven time and again that multitasking makes you less productive, not more!