How A Virtual Assistant Can Help Creative

Entrepreneurs Flourish
Creative entrepreneurs are mostly concerned with creating and exploiting creative or
intellectual capital. They are investors who either invest in their own talents or in those of
other talented people. But the work of an entrepreneur or small business owner can be
hydra-headed, time-consuming, complex, and very demanding. This is why hiring a virtual
assistant (VA) has become a necessity for many creative entrepreneurs and small
businesses seeking to flourish in today’s digital economy.

The cost of hiring a virtual assistant may seem high at first, but if you consider the gains in
terms of savings in time, energy, productivity, growth, and profitability, among many other
benefits, then you’ll understand that it is actually a cost-effective measure. However, the
most important thing is to hire optimally.

Who is a Virtual Assistant?

A (human) virtual assistant is a person that provides professional services, often over the
internet and from a remote location. Hence, a brick-and-mortar office is not a condition for
becoming a virtual assistant. Instead, he or she is a kind of independent contractor that
provides services from any preferred location.

Qualities of a Good Virtual Assistant

In addition to seeking a virtual assistant who is a good strategist and planner, here are some
other qualities that entrepreneurs or small business owners intending to hire VAs should look
out for.

Reliability and Trust

No matter the skills or academic qualifications, a virtual assistant will be of little use to you if
you can’t rely on him. When you rely on somebody, it means you can trust him at all times
without any fear whatsoever. In other words, reliability means that you can trust your virtual
assistant with even the most critical of projects or tasks under little or no supervision.

It means that you can entrust your virtual assistant with sensitive information, such as login
credentials. It means your virtual assistant can have access to your finances without you
entertaining any fear of being defrauded. Do not hire an unreliable virtual assistant.

Excellent Communication Skills

Most virtual assistants work from a place far away from where they are hired. This means
that communication between both ends is important. A virtual assistant that can
communicate effectively makes things a lot easier. Be sure to hire someone who can speak
and write English language proficiently (if English is your main language). One way to
ascertain communication ability is to evaluate the candidate’s oral and written
communication skills before hiring.

Productivity
The reason companies look to hire VAs is to maximize productivity by saving the time,
energy, and money that could be wasted working sub-optimally. This implies that a virtual
assistant must be a productive asset rather than a liability to your business. Otherwise, hiring
him or her makes no sense.

Ability to Multitask
Though virtual assistance is a relatively new role that emerged in the wake of the digital
revolution, it is becoming no less competitive than older roles. Hence, if you aspire to be a
leading and sought-after virtual assistant, then you must be very versatile. You must have
knowledge of everything, really.

Employers are bound to be wowed if you begin to offer them solutions that go beyond their
expectations when they hired you. The more your ability to multitask increases, the more
valuable you become to your boss, and the more you will be rewarded financially.
Multitasking also leads to job security since employers are less likely to get rid of somebody
who solves a lot of problems for them.

Computer Literacy
A university degree will not take a virtual assistant very far in the industry if his computer
skills are not sharp enough. Paper qualifications are important, but so are practical computer
skills in our present computer-driven world. As a remote worker, the computer is the most
important tool a virtual assistant needs.

Not only is he expected to know how to use the keyboard well, but he should also be able to
use all kinds of software well. Your virtual assistant need not be a professor of computer
science, but he must demonstrate significant savviness when it comes to computer literacy.

Willingness to Learn
Nobody is an encyclopedia of knowledge. No matter how intelligent and versatile a virtual
assistant is, there is always room for improvement. Someone who is willing to learn usually
has a listening ear and takes corrections happily.

A virtual assistant's onboarding process may include further training on the specifics of the
role. Do not hire a virtual assistant who gives the impression that there is nothing to learn.

Can Work Well Under Pressure

Sometimes in business, there is a sense of urgency to complete a project or task as quickly
as possible with minimal or no supervision. Not every virtual assistant can cope well with
hhigh-octane,fast-paced assignments.

Therefore, be sure to include high-pressure tasks in your virtual assistant job screening
process since it will afford you the opportunity to closely observe how the applicant copes
under pressure and tight deadlines.

Great Manager of Time

A virtual assistant with advanced time management skills will likely yield more output than
otherwise. This is because of the tendency to achieve more objectives if time is prudently
managed. The virtual assistant must be available for work within the stipulated times of the
day. He must notify you in advance about his unavailability for work so that you can make
alternative arrangements.

Why Creative Entrepreneurs Need a Virtual Assistant

More businesses, including those in the creative industry, are increasingly hiring virtual
assistants for good reasons. Statistics indicate that around 84% of business owners
experience improvements in their businesses after hiring a virtual assistant.

The need to hire VAs can be summarized by this Penni Pike interview excerpt:

“Learn to delegate -- sooner or later you will have to get some help in order to grow.
Delegation takes a huge amount of effort, patience, and practice, but when you
master it, it's extremely powerful.”

If you are a creative entrepreneur and/or small business owner, here are some areas where
you could use a virtual assistant:

Economics Consultancy
Most big companies all over the world have a position known as “Chief Economist” that
helps articulate their policy direction in terms of economic matters. But unlike small
businesses, many of those large firms are financially strong enough to afford the services of
a chief economist or someone in a similar role.

If your business is anything but large, a virtual assistant for small businesses can offer you
sound economic consulting that will help you in many facets of your business. However,
make sure you recruit a virtual assistant that has received appropriate scientific training in
the field of economics.

Accounting
Unless you are operating a charity or non-profit organization, chances are that the major
purpose of setting up your business is to make money. If you are a small business owner,
you may not have the finances yet to establish an accounting department or team to take
care of your company’s financial transactions. This is one of the many areas in which a
virtual assistant can be helpful.

However, accounting is a highly specialized field that requires expert knowledge and
training. So be sure to hire a virtual assistant who knows his onions when it comes to
accounting techniques and principles.

Recruitment and Human Resource Management

Staffing is one of the most important aspects of building a successful brand. Company
survival and growth are hugely dependent on the composition of its employees. If you are a
creative entrepreneur or small business owner with little or no HR experience, then you
should consider bringing in a qualified virtual assistant that is well-versed in recruitment and
other aspects of human resource management.

Social Media Management

With billions of people all over the world hooked on various social platforms, social media
management has become an important tool for brand promotion and client engagement.

Being an entrepreneur or small business owner can be a demanding job that may not allow
you to effectively optimize your various social media profiles for business. A competent
virtual assistant will not only manage your social media activities but also ensure that your
business is adequately projected via social media.

Time Management
As noted above, many creative entrepreneurs and small business owners are extremely
busy people whose daily schedules are crammed with activities. Such a scenario demands
wise utilization or allocation of time to avoid clashes of activities, canceled appointments,
and other time constraints that may not be good for your business.

With a virtual assistant, you are more likely to have no problems when it comes to efficient
time management. From scheduling your appointments to reminding you of those
appointments, a good virtual assistant will ensure an optimal allocation of time for all your
daily activities.

Website Management
An online presence has become a very important marketing outlet for entrepreneurs and
small business owners who do not have the resources for conventional offline marketing.
This is why owning a website is a must for many businesses these days. But building and
managing a website is not easy. It is a complex task that requires time, energy, and
dedication.

Unfortunately, many business leaders have the capital but lack these three crucial variables
required to effectively build and manage a website. There is no need to worry if you find
yourself in this situation presently. Just employ a capable virtual assistant and you’ll have
your company website up and running in no time.

Travel Management
Traveling is an essential aspect of business life for many creative entrepreneurs and small
business owners. Take the case of a performing artiste who has scheduled yearlong tours to
cities all over the world. Such a busy schedule requires a lot of planning and logistical input,
which an artist simply may not have time for.

Why not concentrate on making great music and allow your virtual assistant to book those
flights, arrange every accommodation, and ensure you have adequate security as you travel
from one destination to the next to entertain?

Research
Research is one activity that many people indulge in from time to time. Creative
entrepreneurs and small business owners are no exception to this. There are many good
reasons for a business leader or manager to constantly be engaged in research.

For instance, you may want to research your competitors to come up with strategies that will
help you stay ahead of them. Research can also help provide you with actionable
information on the best ways to satisfy your customers.
But for a busy entrepreneur, time may not always be available to conduct the meticulous, in-
depth research that you wish. Hiring a versatile virtual assistant to serve as your research
assistant, among others, can be an optimal solution when it comes to the time-consuming
quality research you crave.

Conclusion
Like all other economic segments, the creative industry and small businesses could use the
services of the ever-expanding virtual assistance market. Hiring a virtual assistant can help
save time, energy, and costs, as well as boost the productivity, profitability, and growth
objectives of an entrepreneur or small business. However, to get the best from a virtual
assistant, there are some desirable qualities you should look out for, including those
mentioned above.