Celebrating Virtual Assistants

Such a great question and so many good reasons! By the time you get to the end of this piece, we think you’ll agree that virtual assistants are a brilliant idea. We hope you’ll see that they make great sense for small businesses in need of a variety of skills and services 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. 

 

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 sense 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 come across a VA who is also a mother, 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 you invite a VA (who may be a parent or not) into your business, you’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’re working with a virtual assistant – like we said, there are so many good reasons to do so, and made possible because they all come from corporate backgrounds 

. It doesn’t matter how simple or how complex, they can turn their hand to helping you with a whole range of services: 

● 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 

 

 

● Flexibility 

● Free you up to run your business 

● Gives you the headspace for planning 

● An additional perspective, especially on strategy 

● Confidential sounding board for ideas 

● Call in specialist expertise just for when you need it 

● You buy only the time and skills you need 

● Filling skills gaps 

● Corporate experience at a manageable cost 

 

 

We will work closely with you and, through our network, have access to many other virtual assistants so we can source specialist attributes which your own team might not have. 

 

We start with hourly rates for a virtual assistant if it’s to deliver a simple and brief task and can offer rates and packages which vary depending on the type and level of support required. From retainers to ad hoc fees, we work around your pricing needs. 

 

- You can be anywhere in the UK and we’ll be here for you. 

- In fact, you can go on holiday knowing that we’ll keep tabs on everything and only contact you if we must. 

- We’ve always got your back. 

 

- First, you’re always in control of the cost, because we don't believe in surprising small business owners with unexpected bills. 

- Second, our service has been designed to be economical and transparent, whilst giving you top expertise. 

- Third, with Pink Spaghetti you only pay for the time you need. 

 

It’s what we’d want for ourselves, so we know it’s the sweet spot. 

 

- Our network across the UK knows how to make things happen, and fast. You can tap into wide-ranging expertise and knowledge, all gained originally in excellent corporate careers. 

- Each person is process-driven and used to working with innovative technology, adding value to every task. 

 

- Business is personal and we’re here to listen as well as jump into action. 

- Across our team we get to know our clients well and support you through all the up and downs of running a small business. 

- Think of us like a virtual private secretary or a PA, someone you can trust to get things done properly and without a fuss. 

 

This is the Pink Spaghetti mantra. 

 

Efficient, proactive and professional are just a few of the compliments that come our way from our growing collection of happy clients. 

And one last thing… 

 

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

 

And if you'd like to talk to us about using our network of Virtual Assistants or even joining Pink Spaghetti as a Franchisee, you can visit our website now.