Hire Virtual Assistants for Australian Businesses
Starting and maintaining a business can be challenging, often requiring many hours and a wide variety of skills to succeed.
Thankfully there is now a whole world of support available through the use of Virtual Assistants.
Virtual Assistants typically work on a one-to-one basis; that is, you engage a Virtual Assistant to act as an extra set of arms and legs as you need them.
You can typically hire Virtual Assistants directly or through a Virtual Assistant agency.
Why hire a Virtual Assistant?
There are lots of reasons why businesses large and small are engaging Virtual Assistants, including:
- You've just got too much on your plate and you need some extra manpower.
- You can't afford a full-time staff member but need some extra help.
- You're constantly stressed about trying to keep up.
- You need some jobs done but don't have the time or skills to do it.
How Much Do Virtual Assistants Cost?
As prices are typically set by the virtual assistants themselves, they can vary greatly depending on factors such as skills and experience.
The location of your Virtual Assistant also has a big impact on price.
Local (Australian) Virtual Assistants can provide many benefits; however, they are typically priced much higher than offshore virtual assistants, which are typically based in the Philippines.
- Australian Virtual Assistants can charge between $20 AUD to $80 AUD per hour
- Virtual Assistants in the Philippines can charge between $4 AUD and $30 AUD per hour
- Virtual Assistants in India can charge between $6 AUD and $30 AUD per hour
Some VAs will provide discounts for bulk purchases or volume, so if you hire them for more hours, they may provide a cheaper rate.
Virtual Assistant Functions
Virtual Assistants can perform a range of functions, and you can learn more about each of these functions below.
(Click on the link to jump straight to that section)
Administration Functions Provided by Virtual Assistants
Virtual Assistants with admin skills can provide a range of different functions and services, including (but not limited to):
- Diary management
- Document formatting
- File management
- Travel management (e.g. making bookings for flights, accommodation etc)
- Data entry
- Transcription
- Building and using document templates
- Event management
- Mail merging
- Proofreading
- Documenting processes and procedures
- Heaps more!
Customer Support Functions provided by Virtual Assistants
Virtual Assistants providing customer support can provide a range of different functions and services, including (but not limited to):
- Phone enquiries
- Technical support
- Message taking
- Pre & post sales questions
- Social media customer service (e.g replying to Facebook posts, Instagram, Messenger, Twitter etc)
- Lead Generation
Lead Generation Functions provided by Virtual Assistants
Virtual Assistants providing lead generation services can provide a range of different functions and services, including (but not limited to):
- Outbound prospecting
- Telemarketing
- Appointment setting
- Qualification
- Competitor research
Virtual Assistants with social media skills can provide a range of different functions and services, including (but not limited to):
- Social media posts (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc)
- Blog management
- Account management
- Content creation (blogs, videos etc)
- Content management (refreshing of posts, reposting etc)
Websites Functions provided by Virtual Assistants
Virtual Assistants with website skills can provide a range of different functions and services including (but not limited to):
- Updating plugins
- Implementing or management backups
- Help with hosting and domain names
- Online shopping stores
- Social Media integration
- Building a new website.
- Mobile optimisation (making sure your website works on mobile devices)
- Setting up emails to work with your company name e.g. you@acme.com instead of Gmail, Hotmail etc.
- On and off-page SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) to help your Google rankings
- Design (new, updates and refreshes)
- Mobile apps
- Website administration
Bookkeeping Services provided by Virtual Assistants
Virtual Assistants with bookkeeping skills can provide a range of different functions and services, including (but not limited to):
- Reconciling accounts
- Payroll
- Accounts payable and receivable
- Preparing financial reports
- Bank and credit card reconciliation
- Budgeting
- Inventory control
- Month-end reporting
- Tax records
- Asset management
Marketing Services provided by Virtual Assistants
Virtual Assistants providing marketing services can provide a range of different functions and services, including (but not limited to):
- Managing ad accounts (e.g Google AdWords, Facebook ads, Instagram etc.)
- Setting up funnels/Landing page optimisation
- Copywriting
- Data mining (for lead generation)
- Ad creation
- Email Marketing & newsletters
- Webinars
- Graphic design
Where Can You Hire Virtual Assistants?
This directory has a range of categories designed to help businesses connect to suppliers who can help them; however, the suppliers we have on this directory typically work with minimum volumes of work.
As Virtual Assistants typically work on a one-to-one basis, there are a range of websites and businesses that specialise in helping you find and engage with Virtual Assistants in various countries.
The two most common ways to hire a Virtual Assistant are:
1. Hire a Virtual Assistant Directly
There are a number of websites and platforms where you can hire a VA directly.
Websites such as Fiverr, Upwork, etc, can be great places to start.
2. Hire a Virtual Assistant via an Agency
Virtual Assistant agencies act as middlemen. You pay the agency, and they deal with the Virtual Assistant's day-to-day management, payroll, quality control, etc.
Of course, this option comes with a premium on top of the salaries for a virtual assistant; however, both models have pros and cons.
Some virtual assistants and agencies also offer packages in which you pre-pay for a set number of hours, which is slightly cheaper again.
Just type 'virtual assistant' into Google and you will be presented with a lot of options!
