What do Virtual Assistant do?

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a real person you hire remotely over the internet to do various tasks you need completing to help you operate your business or simplify your life. These tasks tend to be routine tasks that you don't have time to do yourself or tasks you don't know how to do well.

One of the biggest benefits is the relief to the business owner of doing low level "process work" which would cripple the business if it were not actioned. By having the VA do this work allows the business owner to concentrate on "bigger picture" type work on the business - the kind of activities most entrepreneurs moved into entrepreneurship for in the first place.

Tasks can include:

A. Contacting blog owners about guest posting opportunities

B. SEO tasks and projects

C. Blog post optimization

D. Handling advertising sales on your website

E. Customer Service

F. Handling your social media efforts

G. Handling and monitoring comments on your website

H. Transcribing YouTube videos

I. Checking for broken links on your website

J. A research project on your competitors'

K. Reputation management - monitoring your brands / business reputation on and offline

L. Proofreading your work/blog posts etc

M. Social bookmarking tasks

N. Find a venue for a product launch

Don't forget you can use VA's for personal reasons too, as a kind of personal assistant.

Those tasks include:

A. Setting appointments for the dentist

B. Sending flowers to your friend

C. Research for places to rent

D. Research gyms in the local area

E. Restaurant reservation tasks (Being persistent if it's a restaurant with a waiting list)

If you find a reputable VA and have built up a decent level of trust then its not uncommon for the person hiring a VA to provide credit details to a VA to do the following tasks

A. Research flight and make the booking

B. Hire a car at a destination ready for when you arrive

C. Taking care of all your bills

You will find VA's on various websites including places like Elance, People Per Hour, freelancer, oDesk. You will interview several VA's at a time, hire the one you like and then communicate online (email, Skype etc) various tasks and any feedback while they are doing the task.