Is it Worth Hiring a Personal Virtual Assistant?

Disclaimer

At Virtudesk, we value the feedback from our clients; it helps us improve our services and tailor to our clients' needs. Recently, we sent a questionnaire to some of our clients asking about their personal virtual assistants' performance and their evaluation of the services and the worthiness of hiring a personal virtual assistant. 

 One of them gave us, in return, a comprehensive testimonial of their experience with their personal VA, which we thought would be helpful to share. We made only a few minor edits, some reformatting, and integrated internal links into the text. 

This is a real-life testimony with names changed to protect our client’s privacy. 

Here’s what John D., owner of a digital marketing agency, shared with us:

“My Personal Experience"

Being honest, I used to think that hiring a virtual assistant was something only CEOs or celebrities did. I thought it was a “luxury” for people dealing with large teams or managing multiple projects at big companies. 

I’m a digital marketing specialist and, after a lay-off, I decided to start my own agency. At some point, it started to grow, and I found myself dealing with a flood of emails, interviews with potential clients, creating and managing marketing campaigns, writing ads and posts, and trying to have a life. I had collaborators, such as a designer, a bookkeeper, and a developer, who also gave me IT support. But I managed the rest. I was working 12 hours a day and got back home exhausted to find my kids were already in bed.  

At first, I thought it was my problem; I had to learn to manage my time to find a balance. I kept repeating myself that I would get organized by next week. It wasn’t until I forgot and missed my daughter’s first ballet performance that I started to wonder if it was worth hiring a personal virtual assistant to help keep everything running while keeping control.

I guess this happens to many, and they have the same doubts and fears I had regarding using the services of a personal virtual assistant. Especially for those navigating between chaos and doubts, I’ll share my experience and results. 

But What Is a Personal Virtual Assistant? 

A friend of mine who is a successful entrepreneur advised me to hire a personal virtual assistant. I didn’t know much about virtual assistants. I imagined they would answer emails, polish my drafts and upload the content for me and my clients. But what they can do for you largely exceeds that. 

Personal virtual assistants (or personal VAs) are professionals who can take care of your daily duties, and remotely. The good thing is that they are trained to work independently, so you don’t need to be monitoring them constantly. My friend referred me to Virtudesk, his business service provider. I started doing my homework and learning what personal VAs do, and what hiring a virtual personal assistant from an outsourcing provider involves. 

I found out that the worth of hiring a personal virtual assistant relies on the fact that they can perform countless tasks. Depending on your needs, the provider will help you choose the person with the skills that match your needs. It seemed that virtual assistant services would help me organize my work, my business, and even recover my mental sanity and personal life. I decided to give VAs a try. 

Why I Needed the Help of a Personal Virtual Assistant

I already gave you a general panorama of my situation. I was about to burn out; that’s why I decided to hire a virtual assistant. 

Making it short, I was:

• forgetting appointments,
• missing deadlines,
• skipping important emails,
• accumulating items in my “to-do” lists,
• missing opportunities with potential new clients,
• having no family time, and
• frustrated and stressed feeling I could not cope with it all. 

Because Money Matters…

My first concern when I decided to give virtual assistance services a try was whether it was going to be affordable and if there would be a cost-benefit positive balance. So, I did the numbers. After seeing the prices Virtudesk charges, I calculated…let’s say I hire a VA for 10 hours a week. That would be 40 hours a month I could spend doing what brings me real money. The result of the equation was positive: within a few hours of doing my work, I would pay for the weekly hours, and have time to rest. In conclusion,  the cost of a virtual assistant pays for itself. 

Talking about money, you don’t need to buy them a laptop or any equipment; you just hire and pay for the services.

But I Had Other Doubts

My mind started with its typical bombardment of “What-ifs?.” I’m an overthinker, so you can imagine all those clouds in my mind. I know many others considering hiring a personal virtual assistant have them too, so here are the doubts I had and the answers to them.

• What if the relationship doesn’t work? What if we don’t get on well?

I learned that Virtudesk would assign me a replacement (which I never needed).

• What if I don’t need my VA anymore? Will I have to pay compensation?

No, as you don’t hire them as an employee, you don’t have long-term commitments.

• What if it takes me too long to train someone? 

Virtudesk VAs have previous training, and they guide you through the onboarding process. 

• What if they leak information about my business or me?

Virtudesk trains the personal virtual assistants on confidentiality and cybersecurity. And makes them sign strict NDAs (non-disclosure agreements). 

• What if my virtual VA wastes the time I pay for doing personal things?  

No worries about that, they are monitored through a management software you can also access. And you’ll only get billed for what you get. 

Out of fear of adopting a new work model, I kept looking for more “what-ifs”. Ginna and  Virtudesk proved me wrong! Fortunately, I went for it.

What Changed When I Finally Hired a Personal VA

I noticed the difference instantly. One week after Ginna started working with me, she had already:

• organized my calendar,
• responded to pending emails, 
• coordinated with the designer on the creation of new content, 
• updated our website, 
• assisted me with social media management for some of my clients’ accounts 
• rescheduled overlapped meetings, and
• arranged an urgent plumbing service for my house when my sink backed up.

Something that surprised me a lot is how fast Ginna adapted to my company and me; she also integrated with my team in a blink. She is located in another country and lives in an opposite time zone, but feels as if she were in town. 

As my personal virtual assistant, nowadays, besides work, she is a priceless aid in personal and family matters. Ginna reminds me of birthdays, schedules appointments with the pediatrician, and notifies me when some of my bills are almost due. 

So, was it worth hiring a personal virtual assistant? Absolutely, YES. My small company is working perfectly, totally organized, and expanding! Having all in place and not disturbed by bothersome or time-demanding tasks, I dedicate my work time to my professional skills, which are the ones that let me gain and retain happy clients. 

But what’s most important to me is that now I like and appreciate my life. After hiring my personal VA, lots of things changed.  I can be productive, I have things in order, and I have a personal life which I enjoy. Let’s say I achieved the so-longed work-life balance. Sounds like a cliché, but it’s so true! And I did by outsourcing daily tasks to Ginna.

So…Responding to Your Question: Is It Worth It? 

For me? Totally. That’s a 100% yes. 

My personal assistant helps me with my business and my life. Getting a personal virtual assistant was the best decision I could make to push my productivity, creativity, and mental wellness forward. I totally trust Ginna; she works professionally, kindly, and is always willing to take new challenges. We are professionally growing together, and after more than a year, I have also gained a friend. 

Definitely, I could state that you can easily increase your productivity with personal virtual assistants.

Why I Chose Virtudesk (and Would Do Again)

Certainly, the recommendation of my friend Andrew was the first reason I considered hiring a VA, and to do it through Virtudesk. 

After contacting them, I found out the details on who they are and how they operate, and that info convinced me to place a bet on them. Afterward, first-hand experience showed me that they give you a personal virtual assistant along with a whole system that works based on transparency, communication, and professionalism. 

In Conclusion

I recommend business persons, professionals, or anyone distracted and bombarded with secondary tasks to hire a personal virtual assistant through Virtudesk. See for yourself whether it’s worth hiring a personal virtual assistant or not!

On a final note, I got this feedback request from Virtudesk and decided to share my experience as a testimonial and expression of gratitude. I allow Virtudesk to share it if it may add value to others. 

John D., owner and founder, NNN digital marketing & design agency. “ 

A Few Words From Our Editorial Team: 

If John’s testimonial encouraged you to hire a VA, or you still hesitate whether it’s worth hiring a personal virtual assistant or not, please contact us at +1 (800) 470-8136 or schedule a free discovery call. Our representatives will be pleased to help you discover how a personal virtual assistant can help you, and help you find the best match for your business and you.