Such a great question. Our most common one in fact!
A virtual assistant can do anything a typical assistant can do but they do so remotely. This covers quite a wide range from admin work like email management, scheduling and travel arrangements to more technical tasks like graphic design and web development and even organizing your online food delivery 😄.
To check out more information on the awesome tasks Virtual Assistants can do and also the strategy that goes behind it, check out Maureen’s book, " What a Virtual Assistant Can Do For You"
Communication is critical for a business to be successful. Sometimes, people in the industry treat their Virtual Assistants like machines that simply do tasks for them. But it is important to remember that they are people, and as such invest in forming a good relationship with your virtual assistant, just like any other team member. As your relationships with your Virtual Assistants grow, so do the outputs provide leading to more value to your business.
To make the communication as smooth as possible we explore your existing platforms and build from there if required. We consider the systems for the different types of communication, eg text, document sharing, video conferencing, calling etc. And also, the business rules and frequency. Each communication strategy is tailored to the needs of the business and person preferences of the individuals.
It is important that communication is not just limited to text, it is also about forming a relationship as well as getting to know each other. If you really want to know your Virtual Assistant, face to face conversations are a must. Daily video conferences are a popular strategy especially in your first week with your Virtual Assistant. When your Virtual Assistant starts getting the hang of it, you can have less frequent video conferences from then on out but still make sure to communicate with them regularly.
Another useful tool is an end of day report which summarizes what your team member has done that day, what they plan on doing tomorrow (so that you can see their understanding of the priorities) and any questions for you. We provide training to the virtual assistants on how to complete an awesome end of day report that keeps the business owner informed.
This can actually vary. There are a lot of Virtual Assistants that have excellent English language skills. There are even some Virtual Assistants whose grammar, writing and spelling skills are better than mine (like the amazing Keithe who wrote these FAQ’s) and whom you can have engaging conversations with.
Then again there are some Virtual Assistants who aren't on the same level as other Virtual Assistants when it comes to their English skills, but are awesome at their behind the scene roles (eg CRM management, video editing etc.).
What we suggest is to determine the most important thing that needs support in your business and hire VAs based on that. All of candidates independent of the role have English sufficient to enable successful communication between them and the business owner.
If you want to see how good a Virtual Assistant’s English is, and learn a little bit about video content creation, watch this video.
All of our Virtual Assistants are based in the Philippines. We scour the country to get the best people for our clients (it’s like finding the needle in the haystack, but it’s worth it).
We are fortunate because you know how, “Good people know good people.”. It’s the same in the Philippines. So many of our new hires are through referrals from current members of our team. Our current team members are able to refer people they know who have the appropriate skills for the job as well as the right attitude and mindset. This way, we get to choose from the cream of the crop and get the best Virtual Assistant for our clients.
Virtual Assistants can cost from a few dollars to 20 dollars an hour. It depends on a few factors.
Firstly, we need to consider what role your Virtual Assistant will be doing. For example, a Virtual Assistant who does high end video editing is probably going to cost a lot more than a Virtual Assistant who does admin work. Another thing to consider is whether you choose to get support from a company like ours.
It will cost you a bit more in the short run, but we will be able to save you time and money by giving you the best person for the job and support you both with great communication and systems to make it work.
At Global Teams, we understand that you need to return your investment for your Virtual Assistant. So, what we like to do is have a chat with you so we can really explore if hiring a Virtual Assistant is the right move for you. To organize a conversation, you can do so here.
As a business owner, I know that good long-term support is very valuable. So, what we do is set up the conditions to support business owners to have this.
If you think about it from a Virtual Assistant’s perspective, most Virtual Assistants want full-time ongoing work. As such it’s very important to set up the conditions to support that to happen. We provide either full-time work with one client or two half time clients. In addition to this, we ensure that they feel supported through, communication support, community, training and mentoring.
In short, we provide a really great working environment, which means that we set up the conditions for your Virtual Assistants to stay with you in the long term. Of course, we are talking about people (not machines) and there may be instances where the Virtual Assistant decides to leave due to a change in circumstances. If this does happen we will be with you every step of the way supporting you to determine what the best next move is in your business and getting you that support in a timely way.
That's a great question. I really love business owners who care about their Virtual Assistants.
We do like to think that we give all our team members more than just decent wages. In fact, we’ve had Virtual Assistants who’ve been able to go on international holidays (before COVID of course.) There’s also a number of Virtual Assistants who were able to build their dream homes and have said that they couldn’t have done that without their work at Global Teams.
We really value our Virtual Assistants and provide both fair wages and also good conditions to attract and retain really great people to support business owners and their businesses.
YES, YES, YES is the answer!...
There are over 100 million people in the Philippines. And we get access to the best and brightest people with a broad range of skills, experiences, and attitudes.
Part of our genius is to work with business owners to scope the role at a deep level (we will ask you questions that you have not dreamed of asking yourself) so that we can determine what support you and your business needs.
Now business owners often get excited and want support with a hundred things in their business which is great, but we need to work out is the best approach. We may manage your expectations about what is possible or potentially even expand your expectations. Either way, we will be pragmatic and work alongside you to understand you as a person and your business so that we can develop a strategy to get to the biggest value add in the shortest amount of time.
When we invest in a Virtual Assistant for our business, we understand that you want a team member that you can rely on to support you in your business.
At Global Teams you won’t have the nightmare of your Virtual Assistant joggling 20 clients, leaving you to hope that your priorities get met. Instead, your Virtual Assistant will be dedicated to working with you (either full time or part-time in which case they have two clients) and you can easily contact them during the hours which they are scheduled to be working with you. That way, you can have the certainty of knowing when they are working, and be able to reach out to have a chat at any time.
We support you to set up communication systems so that there is a clear understanding of the Virtual Assistant’s role, the task for the day, and where they are with it. For example, one tool loved by clients and Virtual Assistant’s alike is the (End of Day) report where they share what they’ve done for that day, what they plan to do tomorrow, and any questions they might have. That way, you can feel confident that you are on the same page and can get the outcomes that you want for your business.
There are tools that we can introduce you to like pass work management software (eg LastPass or OnePass) where you can share access to systems but not your actual password.
Saying this, please consider that whenever you have someone working with you (either onshore or offshore) a relationship and trust needs to be developed. What we like to do is build up the role (and the access and trust). Provide access to the systems your Virtual Assistant needs for their first week of working with you and then build it up from there.
If you work in a regulated industry there may be are certain regulations that you need to adhere to. We are not experts in the regulation for all industries and jurisdictions, and as such you will need to ensure that you meet your requirements. In some cases, this has meant that the client's security provider remotes in and installs special security software. The virtual assistants are eager to comply with any security requirements sot that you can meet your regulatory requirements.
Yes, you can get your Virtual Assistants to answer the phone. We have amazingly articulate Virtual Assistants who are able to handle phone calls in either an executive assistant or customer service role.
Because our Virtual Assistants are based in the Philippines, we’re not able to get someone with an Australian accent. However, you will be able to get someone with a very neutral accent and is very easy to understand. If you don’t already have a phone system we can assess your requirements and recommend a suitable system to utilize with your Virtual Assistant.
As a busy business owner, I think it’s really important to get support where you can - both in your business as well as your personal life. While you can get your Virtual Assistant to help you in your business, you can also have them organize your personal life.
From your meal delivery, your next holiday, really you are limited by your imagination. In fact, one of our Virtual Assistants, Jonathan, has the ‘fun’ task of fielding messages from men interested in going on dates with us LOL!
If you have a repetitive task in your business that you can’t automate, it would be great to get support from a Virtual Assistant. But it’s by no means the only thing they can do for you.
For example, we’ve got clients who have asked their Virtual Assistants to create Canva templates to make sure all their posts look beautiful on social media and we’ve also got Virtual Assistants who research the best CRM or video editing software for a client. You can also ask your Virtual Assistant to research something and find solutions to a problem. It’s better than spend four hours researching it for you than doing it yourself.
Virtual Assistants can do a wide range of tasks and they are always ready to go the extra mile for you.
Definitely. Communication is the most important thing between a business owner and their Virtual Assistant. We’ll help you set up a communication framework that will support you and your Virtual Assistant.
When your Virtual Assistant starts with you, we’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll be facilitating, checking in with you, and make sure that your relationship with your Virtual Assistant goes really well. It is absolutely essential for you and your Virtual Assistant to develop that relationship and communicate directly. If you have other people on your team, we suggest that your Virtual Assistant is incorporated into the team (team meetings etc.).
Even before COVID happened, all of our Virtual Assistants work from home. We really appreciate work-life balance, and we are happy to facilitate that for our Virtual Assistants as well. This is actually one of our ways to attract and retain the best and the brightest to work in our clients’ businesses.
In the Philippines, we’ve had some of our Virtual Assistants mention that their daily commute takes around 4 hours just to get to their previous job and they hardly get to see their families, which sounds appalling. We’re really happy that we’re able to provide a great work-from-home experience. We’re all set up to be able to ensure that the Virtual Assistants are able to be efficient and are comfortable working from home.