Technological advancements have led to many changes in the business environment. Virtual assistants can carry out a range of tasks that include making lists, organizing appointments, conducting different operations, and controlling various commands. Virtual assistants were developed for the consumer market, but due to advancements in artificial intelligence, they are becoming useful in the business world (Ducker, 2014 ) . For example, they can conduct most of the searches on a company’s website. Their many applications in the business world mean that they will have a major impact on how business is conducted in the future. Virtual assistants’ adoption in business will emanate from their ability to save time, reduce costs, enhance better utilization of other staff, and also reduce the employee drama in business ( Rong et al., 2017) .
The responsibilities of a virtual assistant include organizing the manager’s calendar, perform market research, and respond to emails and phone calls, and also scheduling meetings. The other responsibility of the virtual assistant is to book travel and accommodations and to manage the company’s contact list (Ducker, 2014 ) . It is also the responsibility of the VA to prepare customer spreadsheets and also keep online records. Those working under the manager prepare presentations as assigned by those in management. Some virtual assistants also address employee’s administrative queries. In organizations that work closely with customers, the virtual assistants provide customer service as the first point of contact.
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As the name indicates, a virtual assistant works remotely from the organization, and hence he or she has to know computer and current technologies. These technologies include desktop sharing, cloud services, and other voice options ( Garcia, 2018) . Knowledge in MS Office in particular word-processing and spreadsheet is also important, as most of the tasks that the virtual assistant will be handling will be done using these applications (Ducker, 2014 ) . The other skill that one should have include knowledge of online scheduling options and online calendars such as Google Calendar to be able to organize schedules in the organization. An added advantage will be an excellent phone, email, as well as messaging communication skills. The virtual assistant has to ensure he or she has excellent time management skills as well as solid organizational skills.
The internet provides the organization with a viable option where a virtual assistant can be selected from. Research shows that selecting the right VA is key to the success of the company. This is based on the fact that the VA will be dealing with some of the most fundamental, private as well as sensitive aspects of the business. A good VA allows the growth and evolution of the company by expanding the online presence of the company and organizing all the operations of the company. Selecting a VA calls for the individual to look for a click between the VA and the entrepreneur. The other factor is the concept of professionalism in regards to how the VA conducts himself or herself in all the different tasks they hand ( Rong et al., 2017) . The selected VA should have project management skills. The most important concept is the virtual assistant should possess technical skills. The image portrayed by VA on their website is the other area that has to be considered when selecting a VA. The company has to also focus on the experience that the VA has is important depending on the work that is to be done. Payment for a VA ranges from $20 to $80 per hour depending on the experience they have and the skills.
Overall, virtual assistants are important in the modern business environment because they enable owners to manage time and operations effectively. For instance, a VA uses their equipment and computers, and they do not need any extra office space. A company may reduce the cost of running the office as only those hours used will be paid and not the full schedule. Therefore, the company can hire a VA who works for just some hours per month depending on the availability of work. However, a company or an individual should ensure they select a competent VA to ensure success.
References
Ducker, C. C. (2014). Virtual freedom: How to work with virtual staff to buy more time, become more productive, and build your dream business . BenBella Books, Inc.
Garcia, M. P. (2018). The potential of Data-Driven Virtual Assistants to enhance Customer Experience in the Telecommunications Industry. Human Factors in Design , 7 (13), 061-072.
Rong, X., Fourney, A., Brewer, R. N., Morris, M. R., & Bennett, P. N. (2017, May). Managing uncertainty in time expressions for virtual assistants. In Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 568-579). ACM.
