Administrative Assistants vs. VAs: How Are They Different?
More than five million Americans have applied to start a new business in recent months. After years of lockdowns and reality checks, people are waking up to the life they truly want, and entrepreneurship is high on the list.
But many of these people starting a small business will likely fall into the same trap. The trap is trying to do everything yourself, for as long as possible, instead of hiring help and delegating responsibilities.
Luckily, hiring help in virtual or administrative assistants can be pretty affordable. But what type of assistant should you hire for your growing business? Keep reading below to learn more about working with a VA versus an administrative assistant.
What Is an Administrative Assistant?
Administrative assistants are the traditional model for assistants. You hire these assistants for in-person work at your physical office location.
Administrative assistant skills can vary widely, depending on the type of person you are looking to hire. They might be great at managing social media campaigns, fielding emails or phone calls, or scheduling meetings and travel arrangements.
While most of the work that they do will likely be on the computer, having an in-person assistant gives you flexibility in what you can have them do. In-person administrative assistant responsibilities can include ordering products and stocking office supplies. They can prepare snacks and drinks for meetings or go out and pick up catering orders or coffee for the office.
And they can handle various other tasks around the office. But with in-person assistants, you’re typically looking at hiring a full-time employee. This is a more expensive option, but it might be best if your business relies on a team of people showing up to the office daily.
What Is a VA?
Virtual assistants are similar in function with one key difference; they are remote. This means the only tasks they can complete are virtual. While you can hire a VA from your city, state, or country, hiring VAs from other countries is pretty common.
By using a platform like FreeUp, you can hire a virtual assistant from the Philippines who can do fantastic work for a much lower cost due to a lower cost of living. A virtual administrative assistant is often hired to complete research, handle customer support inquiries, manage social media efforts, handle email inboxes, and much more.
Administrative Assistants vs. VAs
So which is right for your business, an in-person assistant or a VA? Working with a VA can be the more affordable option if you’re on a tight budget. You can hire a part-time VA to help complete tasks based on how much you can afford and scale up as needed.
This is the best option for online businesses or those building remote-first companies. But if you have a physical office or warehouse, it might make sense to bring in a full-time assistant to help assist with day-to-day activities.
Administrative Assistants vs VAs: Learn to Outsource Today
Administrative assistants are game-changers. By outsourcing many of your daily, time-consuming tasks, you can free up your time as a business owner to focus on important tasks.
This is so important to help new businesses to grow. The sooner you learn to outsource, the faster you can build and move forward. Looking for more information like this? Check out our other articles and keep reading.
