What Is A Virtual Executive Assistant?

Regardless of the size of your business, a virtual executive assistant can make your day-to-day life more manageable. Even if you are a solopreneur and operate your company with tight margins, bringing on a reliable professional to be your right hand, handle administrative tasks, and keep your office files organized will prove to be a worthwhile investment in your business.

Today, you don’t need to “hire” a traditional employee to get the help you need. You can outsource tasks to a virtual executive assistant and get back to focusing on growing your business.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT VS. VIRTUAL EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT?

Executive assistants provide high-level administrative support to senior staff employees. They handle clerical and administrative tasks and often have additional, higher-level responsibilities. Executive assistants share the same office space as those they support and are typically on hand daily to arrange personal schedules, make and receive phone calls, organize files, send emails, edit correspondence, welcome visitors, and keep the executive’s daily schedule. An executive assistant can be trained to create and edit spreadsheets, keep track of invoices and expense reports, and help record executive board meetings.

A virtual executive assistant is the modern-day, less expensive alternative to a traditional executive assistant. They specialize in supporting busy business owners, just like an executive assistant, but do their work remotely and charge by the hour. Virtual executive assistants are professionals who have extensive experience supporting management-level team members. They also utilize project management software and programs and rely on their considerable communication and organizational skills. They typically help senior staff with scheduling, email management, travel planning, customer relations, drafting correspondence, and handling meetings. Like their executive assistant counterparts, virtual executive assistants have extraordinary attention to detail and can handle a wide variety of time-consuming, repetitive tasks. 

Executive assistants who work on-site are typically W2 employees who earn a salary are awarded benefits, vacation time, and whatever other fringe benefits are offered by the company.

On the other hand, virtual executive assistants are self-employed and file a Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, to report payments. A virtual assistant is responsible for paying their own income tax and self-employment tax because the client or business that the virtual assistant serves does not withhold taxes from the virtual assistant’s pay. A virtual assistant is also responsible for providing their own medical, dental, and vision insurance and pays for and maintains their home office equipment. Additionally, virtual executive assistants have already acquired the skills and training needed to execute their tasks before taking on a client. They train on platforms independently and often offer to train on specific technical platforms before beginning work with a new organization.

FLEXIBILITY AT A LOWER COST

The most important distinction between an executive and a virtual executive assistant is cost.

A traditional employee gets paid their agreed-upon salary regardless of whatever changing circumstances a small business may face. This is true of an executive assistant, typically hired as a full-time employee. They will receive the same amount of compensation irrespective of slow times when cash is low and the need for their contribution is minimal. 

When you hire a virtual executive assistant, you are only responsible for paying for the actual hours worked or the agreed-upon project/weekly or monthly rate. 

Virtual executive assistants understand that small business budgets are fluid with fluctuating cash flows. The funding to afford outsourcing administrative tasks is often unstable. When money is tight, or there is a downturn in the amount of work needed, virtual executive assistants understand this means a decrease in the number of hours they will work - and that is okay! Virtual executive assistants understand the landscape in which they operate and can nimbly adjust to the changing needs of their clients. 

In addition, because virtual executive assistants are independent workers, they are experienced at tailoring their services to a client’s specific needs and instinctively know what to prioritize to maximize their efficiency. Not just defined by their role as executive assistants, virtual executive assistants can also wear many other hats to support your business in any area that needs help. This means that a virtual executive assistant stretches your hard-earned dollar further and can often contribute more dynamically to your business.

THE BENEFITS OF A VIRTUAL EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

At Freedom Makers, our virtual executive assistants have varying educational backgrounds. They have the minimum of an Associate’s degree and frequently a Bachelor’s degree if not a Masters’s degree. They have 2-15 years of experience in a professional office setting. They will often have worked for a C-suite executive or upper management in a prior position before choosing to work virtually. 

Virtual executive assistants can provide services are listed below:



• Email and Calendar Management
• Project Management Support
• Workflow Creation & Support
• Email Communications
• Client & Lead Support
• Travel Assistance
• Meeting Coordination
• Event Planning
• Invoicing & Financial Oversight
• Professional Networking
• Personal Tasks

Of course, team members play multiple positions in a small business environment. Unlike executive assistants who are often locked into their predetermined roles, virtual executive assistants can easily slide into other business areas. It is not unheard of for a virtual executive assistant to help manage social media accounts, write and edit blogs, spearhead marketing endeavors like newsletter campaigns, assist with project management, and manage CRM databases.

Thanks to their deep and varied past professional experiences, virtual executive assistants can come alongside you, quickly get up to speed, and ensure your business runs smoothly so you can stay focused on your mission. 

INTEGRITY AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Every healthy relationship is built on trust, and an executive’s relationship with their virtual assistant is no different. Good communication, transparency, and the strategies that build remote team connections will help ensure that your virtual executive assistant is best positioned to work to their maximum potential.

At Freedom Makers, virtual executive assistants are responsible for many facets of their client’s business, so they must be highly organized and productive. They are attentive and dedicated. They help clients create workflows and operations for success. 

A virtual executive assistant can be an invaluable tool for busy executives, relieving stress and adding time back to every day.

Contact us today to learn more about what our virtual executive assistants can do for you and your business.