Celebrating Virtual Assistants Month

Such a great question and so many good reasons!  

We hope you’ll see that they make great sense for small businesses in need of a variety of skills which they otherwise couldn’t justify buying in, in the shape of full-time staff, or agencies or consultancies. 

 

And if you were thinking of becoming a VA, then we think you’ll be convinced and join this amazing bunch of people who are bringing order to many people and businesses with great calm and efficiency. 

 

Virtual Assistants Day in May celebrates all these wonderful people who have the can-do capability to step in like Mary Poppins and sprinkle order and peace, removing stress and sorting all those endless tasks that are getting on top of busy business owners and private individuals. And with a network of over 50 incredible Pink Spaghetti VAs across the UK, this is a very special day for us indeed! 

 

There was always a first VA and along with that claim there is always a counterclaim. Irrespective of who it was (Chris Durst or Stavey Brice?) It seems VAs first emerged, magically we like to think, in the early 1990s in the US, according to the Society of Virtual Assistants. It’s an idea and a service that rapidly gained ground, quite simply because it meets a real need and as a service it makes a whole load of sense. 

 

So much so that it has become an industry in its own right, with the dynamic energy to generate conferences, surveys, directories, magazines, handbooks and training standards and the signifier to top all signifiers - a bestseller book. 

 

One survey, the 2011 UK Virtual Assistant Survey proved this particular point and quashed the myth that virtual assistants are mums without childcare bridging the gap before going back to ‘real’ work. It revealed that fewer than 4% of VAs met this description. 

While we’re on this topic of working mothers, let’s also make the point that if you're a client and come across a VA who is also a mother (many of ours are), you’ve found a paragon of efficiency. Few roles in life demand that peculiar mix of special qualities you need to coordinate raising a child, a job and running a household. The stats from the pandemic have proved yet again that it’s women who have borne the brunt of all these tasks with some added home-schooling chucked into the mix. 

The bottom line is that when clients invite a VA (who may be a parent or not) into their business, they're bringing in someone who has made a choice to do this career and this person will be motivated to deliver. 

 

This gives you an idea of what you can expect when you become a virtual assistant – like we said, there are so many good reasons to do so. It doesn’t matter how simple or how complex, a VA can turn their hand to helping clients with a whole range of services, often drawing on their breadth of previous experience in the corporate world: 

● Regular administration tasks 

● Processes improved 

● Training in systems and apps 

● Social media planned and in hand 

● Health Checks – on Facebook, LinkedIn, brand, email - which are free 

● Training in Facebook, Linked in and Twitter (and more) 

● Websites tidied up and updated or built from scratch 

● Email marketing and management 

● Marketing planning and execution 

● Plan an event private or work, virtual or real-life 

● Operational management level support 

● Sitting in on and recording board meetings 

● Accounts preparation 

● Managing your holiday home rental or Airbnb 

● Business growth support 

● Brand development and management 

● Managing your teams 

 

And to help our franchisees build their business to suit them and their clients, there’s a choice of retainer arrangement or ad hoc tasks and fees so there’s something for businesses of all shapes and sizes. 

 

● Flexibility 

● Be in control of your own destiny 

● Be your own boss 

● The chance to build a successful team 

● Reap the w-rewards of all your hard work 

● The chance to do what makes you happy 

● Work how and when you want 

● Learn lots of new skills and utilise the ones you already have 

● Meet a group of like-minded fellow business owners 

 

 

Through our network, franchisees (and customers) also have access to many other virtual assistants. As a VA, this means you will always have the help and support of your fellow franchisees to help when things get busy and the customer knows they will always have the help they need. 

 

Our hourly rate has been deigned to ensure your VA business is commercially attractive and also worthwhile for you. As a virtual assistant, you will be able to deliver a simple and brief task and also offer rates and packages which vary depending on the type and level of support required. From retainers to ad hoc fees, we work around a client's pricing needs. 

 

- If you're thinking about joining Pink Spaghetti, our network across the UK knows how to make things happen, and fast. Our franchisees have wide-ranging expertise and knowledge, all gained originally in excellent corporate careers and shared on an inclusive and active Facebook group, 1 to 1s, working parties and webinars, as well as at our hugely popular annual conference. 

- Our VAs are process-driven and used to working with innovative technology, adding value to every task. 

 

Our clients think of us as a virtual private secretary or a PA, someone they can trust to get things done properly and without a fuss.  

 

This is the Pink Spaghetti mantra and something all our franchisees have in common. 

 

Efficient, proactive and professional are just a few of the compliments that come our way from our growing collection of happy clients. Supportive, inclusive, inspiring and experienced is how our franchisees describe our franchise network. 

 

And one last thing… 

To all those lovely Virtual Assistants out there… Pink Spaghetti celebrates you all! 

 

If you'd like to find out more about becoming a Pink Spaghetti VA click here to visit our website.