We make it easy to hire people online. Get a money-back guarantee, awesome workspace, clear terms in plain English, upfront bills with itemized PDF receipts.

All purchases (except Tips) are subject to a non-refundable Handling Fee of $3.49. This pays for platform overheads including admin, hosting, marketing, data costs and 24×7×365 support.

  • Web / Mobile / Tech
  • Design / Art / Video / Audio
  • Bookings
  • Writing / Translation
  • Business / Admin
  • VPS & Cloud Hosting

Hi, I’m Jane, I’m here to help you do business on HostJane.

So I can provide you the best support, choose a topic:

I also have information about your privacy if required.

Ask Jane for help Ask
HostJane seller Hoperising - Journalism

Sade

Journalism

Personal / Virtual Assistants

Remote administrative assistants for customer service to appointment setting; handling emails, calls; content creation (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook). Find Personal / Virtual Assistants WFH freelancers on January 21, 2025 who work remotely. Read less

Read more
Board & chat Inside your order

ADVERTISEMENT

Managed VPS Hosting

$22.95/mo

Keep exploring
Top Frequently Asked Questions
What tasks can virtual assistants help me with?


Virtual assistants (VAs) can perform a wide variety of tasks across different areas of business and personal life. Here are some of the most common tasks they can help with:

Administrative and Organizational Tasks:

Email Management:
Sorting, organizing, and responding to emails.
Setting up filters, labels, and managing spam.

Calendar Management:
Scheduling meetings, appointments, and reminders.
Coordinating between different time zones.

Document Management:
Creating, editing, and formatting documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
Organizing and maintaining digital files and records.

Data Entry and Management:
Inputting data into CRM systems or databases.
Managing contact lists, client databases, or inventory records.

Research:
Conducting market research, competitor analysis, or industry trends.
Gathering data for reports or presentations.

Customer Service:

Customer Support:
Handling customer inquiries via email, chat, or phone.
Managing customer complaints and providing solutions.

Social Media Management:
Responding to comments and messages on social media platforms.
Basic community management.

Marketing and Sales Support:

Content Creation:
Writing blog posts, newsletters, or social media updates.
Basic graphic design for marketing materials using tools like Canva.

SEO and Online Presence:
Performing basic SEO tasks, like keyword research or optimizing website content.
Managing online listings (Google My Business, Yelp).

Lead Generation:
Collecting leads from various sources.
Following up on leads with emails or calls.

Financial Management:

Bookkeeping:
Basic bookkeeping tasks like recording transactions, reconciling bank statements, or managing expenses using software like QuickBooks or Xero.

Invoicing:
Creating and sending invoices.
Following up on unpaid invoices.

Project Management:

Task Coordination:
Using project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com to track project progress.
Assigning tasks to team members in a remote setting.

Meeting Coordination:
Preparing agendas, taking minutes, and following up on action items.

Personal Assistance:

Travel Arrangements:
Booking flights, hotels, and car rentals.
Planning itineraries for business or personal travel.

Personal Errands:
Online shopping for gifts or supplies.
Making restaurant reservations or booking entertainment.

Reminder Services:
Reminding about personal commitments like anniversaries or medical appointments.

Tech and Website Management:

Website Updates:
Basic updates to websites using platforms like WordPress or Shopify.
Managing content updates or dealing with minor technical issues.

Tech Support:
Assisting with software setup or troubleshooting common tech problems.

Human Resources Support:
Recruitment Assistance:
Posting job ads, screening resumes, and scheduling interviews.

Onboarding:
Helping with the preparation of onboarding materials or initial setup for new hires.

Specialized Tasks:
Real Estate Support:
Preparing documents for closings, managing listings, or handling communications for real estate agents.

Legal Support:
Basic legal research, document preparation, or administrative support for lawyers (though not providing legal advice).

Medical Administration:
Scheduling appointments, managing patient records, or handling insurance paperwork.

The versatility of virtual assistants means they can adapt to many roles based on their skill set, your needs, and the tools they have at their disposal. When hiring a VA, it's important to clarify the tasks you need help with, assess the VA's skills in those areas, and ensure they have the necessary digital tools to perform the job remotely.

With amazing skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), SharePoint, and Google Docs, Virtual assistants can help you do everything from organize correspondence and answer emails to preparing and organizing reports, databases, managing your social media (for example, Business Messenger to maintain your 'Very Responsive to Messages' Badge on Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-ways-increase-your-response-time-facebook-business-pages-cirkot) to filing systems, update records, and creating PowerPoint presentations as needed.

The Balance defines an assistant as "someone who works remotely" (https://www.thebalancemoney.com/virtual-assistant-1794441) but this doesn't do justice to the critical role virtual assistants provide in supporting business owner's daily lives from coordinating travel to managing emails and correspondence and providing phone and voicemail support, professional diary and calendar management, undertaking tasks related to personal errands and sometimes even depending on the business handling monthly expense reports, providing a package and mail forwarding service and mailings via UPS and FedEX, ensuring expenses compliance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Ensuring important tax filing dates don't get missed to areas of communication, planning and organizing, flexibility and adaptability, customer service, problem solving, and attention to detail, the responsibilities of personal assistants can range from transcribing meetings to scheduling meeting spaces and conference rooms.
Remote assistants need to exhibit a variety of soft skills to deliver effective and efficient services, especially given the challenges of working remotely. Here are some key soft skills they should demonstrate:

1. Communication
Clarity: Ability to convey information clearly and concisely through written and verbal communication, since much of the interaction will be via email, chat, or video calls.
Active Listening: Paying close attention to understand instructions or feedback, ensuring nothing is missed or misunderstood.
Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding and respecting cultural differences, particularly important in a global remote work environment.

2. Time Management
Punctuality: Being on time for meetings or deadlines, showing respect for your time.
Prioritization: Skillfully managing tasks based on urgency and importance, especially when juggling multiple responsibilities.
Deadlines: Consistently meeting or exceeding deadlines to build trust and reliability.

3. Self-Motivation
Initiative: Taking proactive steps without constant supervision, identifying tasks that need doing before being asked.
Goal-Oriented: Working autonomously towards the goals set by you or the business, showing a drive to achieve results.

4. Adaptability
Flexibility: Quick to adapt to new tools, processes, or changes in work requirements.
Problem-Solving: Ability to navigate unforeseen challenges and find solutions independently or propose alternatives when faced with obstacles.

5. Organization
Detail-Oriented: Keeping track of multiple tasks, documents, or schedules with high accuracy.
Systematic Approach: Using tools like calendars, task managers, or CRM systems to keep everything organized.

6. Professionalism
Confidentiality: Maintaining discretion with sensitive information, an essential aspect of remote work where physical oversight is absent.
Etiquette: Understanding and practicing proper email etiquette, virtual meeting behavior, and professional boundaries.

7. Interpersonal Skills
Empathy: Relating to your needs and perspective, which is crucial for providing personalized service.
Teamwork: Even in a remote setting, the ability to collaborate with others, share ideas, and work towards common goals.

8. Reliability
Consistency: Delivering work of consistent quality over time.
Dependability: Being a stable support system where you can count on them to handle responsibilities without micromanagement.

9. Emotional Intelligence
Self-Awareness: Understanding their own strengths, weaknesses, and emotional responses to better serve you.
Relationship Management: Building and maintaining a positive working relationship, even through digital communication.

10. Technical Savvy
Tech Comfort: Not just proficiency in specific tools but also a general comfort with technology to quickly learn new software or adapt to updates.
Troubleshooting: Basic ability to solve common technical issues that might arise during remote work.

11. Patience
Patience with Clients: Understanding that you might not always have clear, immediate answers or might need time to explain tasks.
Patience with Systems: Dealing with tech issues or communication delays without frustration.

12. Customer Service Orientation
Responsiveness: Quick to respond to queries or requests, providing a feeling of accessibility despite the remote nature of the work.
Service Mindset: A genuine desire to help, solve problems, and make your life easier.

These soft skills are crucial for remote assistants because they help bridge the gap created by physical distance, ensuring that the service provided is not only effective but also aligns well with the client's working style and expectations. When evaluating or working with a remote assistant, look for these traits either through their communication, references, or during trial tasks.
Virtual assistants (VAs) utilize a variety of software tools to manage diverse tasks efficiently. Here's a breakdown by task category with technical explanations:

Task Management and Project Coordination:

Trello or Asana:
Technical Explanation: These are project management tools that use a Kanban board or list-based approach for organizing tasks. Trello uses boards, lists, and cards where tasks can be moved through different stages (e.g., To Do, Doing, Done). Asana allows for more detailed project planning with tasks, subtasks, dependencies, and timelines. Both integrate with numerous other tools for seamless workflow management.

ClickUp:
Technical Explanation: ClickUp offers a comprehensive platform combining task management with document sharing, goal tracking, and time tracking. It supports custom views like lists, boards, calendars, and Gantt charts, allowing VAs to manage tasks in a way that suits their or their client's preference.

Communication and Collaboration:

Slack or Microsoft Teams:
Technical Explanation: Both are real-time messaging platforms that support direct messages, channels for different topics or projects, and integration with other productivity tools. Slack uses bots and apps for automation, while Microsoft Teams is deeply integrated with Microsoft's ecosystem, including Office 365 for document collaboration.

Zoom or Google Meet:
Technical Explanation: Used for video conferencing, these tools offer screen sharing, recording capabilities, and virtual backgrounds. Zoom has features like breakout rooms for smaller group discussions, while Google Meet integrates well with Google Workspace for seamless calendar and document use.

Time Tracking and Productivity:

Toggl Track or Harvest:
Technical Explanation: Time tracking apps that allow VAs to record time spent on tasks. Toggl Track provides one-click timers, while Harvest integrates time tracking with invoicing, making it easy to bill based on hours worked. Both can generate reports for productivity analysis.

RescueTime:
Technical Explanation: This tool runs in the background to track time spent on applications and websites, providing insights into productivity and distractions. It can block distracting sites and set goals, which is useful for VAs to stay focused.

Document and File Management:

Google Drive or Dropbox:
Technical Explanation: Cloud storage solutions where documents can be stored, shared, and collaborated on in real-time. Google Drive offers Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for editing, while Dropbox focuses on file synchronization across devices with robust sharing options.

Email Management:

Mailchimp or Constant Contact:
Technical Explanation: For email marketing tasks, these platforms allow for the creation of email campaigns, list management, and analytics. Mailchimp provides a drag-and-drop editor for email design, whereas Constant Contact offers more guidance for beginners with templates and automated campaigns.

Social Media Management:

Hootsuite or Buffer:
Technical Explanation: These tools enable scheduling, publishing, and analyzing social media posts across multiple platforms. Hootsuite offers more advanced analytics and team collaboration features, while Buffer is known for its simplicity and ease of use for scheduling posts.

Accounting and Invoicing:

QuickBooks or FreshBooks:
Technical Explanation: For handling financial tasks, these tools manage invoices, expenses, and basic accounting. QuickBooks is more suited for businesses needing comprehensive financial management, while FreshBooks focuses on ease of use for freelancers and small businesses, including time tracking and client management.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM):

HubSpot or Zoho CRM:
Technical Explanation: CRM tools for managing contacts, sales, and marketing efforts. HubSpot integrates marketing, sales, and service in one platform with a free tier for basic needs. Zoho CRM is customizable with numerous integrations, suitable for more tailored CRM solutions.

Automation:

Zapier or IFTTT:
Technical Explanation: Automation tools that connect different apps and services to automate repetitive tasks. Zapier uses "Zaps" to link actions between apps (e.g., automatically adding new email subscribers to a CRM). IFTTT (If This Then That) is similar but often used for simpler, more consumer-oriented automations.

Scheduling and Appointments:

Calendly or Acuity Scheduling:
Technical Explanation: These tools manage appointments by allowing clients to book time slots directly from a shared calendar link. Calendly is known for its simplicity and integration with various calendar services, while Acuity offers broader features like class scheduling and payment processing.

Each of these tools can be pivotal for a VA, depending on the nature of the tasks they handle. The choice often depends on the specific needs of their clients, the complexity of the tasks, and the integration capabilities with other systems in use.

ADVERTISEMENT

Managed VPS Hosting

$22.95/mo

Contact

Got questions? can help!

needs from you:
Clear instructions Any relevant files or media Your budget

Price $
We'll email you when responds.

Find people to hire.

Job done or your money back.

is available for hire!

When you log in you'll be able to connect with to discuss your project.

Log in