Top 5 Virtual Assistant myths debunked

Okay, so it seems that when people think of  a Virtual Assistant or VA (for short), they have very set opinions and ideas of what it is that we actually do.  Furthermore, the people who aren’t really sure what we do,  or haven’t even heard of a  Virtual Assistant, often take  guesses – which ultimately turn out to be way off the mark.

That’s why I’ve decided to debunk a few of the more popular myths and misconceptions that I hear.

Here are my top 5 (in no particular order):

5. Virtual Assistants only work from home

This is a myth that is best debunked by explaining the various types of Virtual Assistants in the first instance.

While many VAs do indeed work right out of their living rooms, there are others that adopt other places to set up shop for the day. It really does depend on the individual.

For example, freelance VAs and solo-preneurs quite often work from coffee shops or shared work spaces. After all, who wouldn’t work somewhere where you’ve got an endless supply of coffee, snacks and warmth right?

There are also the Virtual Assistants who work for virtual outsourcing companies and these individuals are inevitably supplied with an office environment from which to carry out their duties.

4. Virtual assistants only work for internet-based businesses

I’m not sure what ‘internet-based’ businesses is supposed to actually mean. Every business, internet-based or not, has some kind of physical location be it a bricks and mortar office building or small warehouse.

I think the myth is that we Virtual Assistants tend only to be hired by companies who have a strong online presence and do most of their business over the internet. This is simply not true though. At the end of the day, any business that finds itself in need of an extra member of staff and doesn’t have the space and/or just needs someone on an ad-hoc basis can take advantage of a Virtual Assistant’s services.

3. Virtual Assistants are only a temporary or part-time solution

For some reason, many people cast virtual assistants in the same light as temps, but we’re both very different in terms of our natures and skills.

People often think of VAs as being temporary solutions because contracts are inevitably short and we’re not usually employed as full-time members of staff. Having said that, there are virtual assistants out there who have been working with the same clients for years – myself included, and something that suits both parties just fine.

2. It can be hard to communicate with a Virtual Assistant

The modern world we live in affords many benefits in terms of technological advances and we’re more connected than ever before.

At first, it may seem a little alien communicating with someone exclusively via telephone and email, but it’s something that people get used to very quickly. Furthermore, innovations like instant messaging make communication even easier.

Virtual Assistants appreciate that good communication is absolutely essential and we do everything in our power to ensure we’re contactable during the working day (or evenings, if an out of hour’s service is provided.)

1. Virtual Assistants are only for administrative tasks

A lot of what we do could be classed as ‘administrative duties’ but our remit definitely doesn’t end there. In fact, we can carry out pretty much any task you throw at us (within reason).

For example, Virtual Assistants are often responsible for a company’s social media presence. That’s because we’re inevitably online for most of the day and can keep track of social media in an effective and efficient manner.

Other Virtual Assistants carry out research activities for companies and provide detailed reports on their findings or manage their diaries & emails or even draft up marketing strategies – the list is endless!

So the next time someone mentions the words ‘Virtual Assistant’ to you and then repeats any of the myths above, I do hope you’ll set them straight and debunk them there and then 🙂

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