Here’s a good rule of thumb: a virtual administrative assistant can handle just about anything that an administrative assistant can handle if they were working from home—on the other side of the country. In other words, they can’t pick up your dry-cleaning, but they can do just about anything that requires remote access.

Want specifics? Let’s talk specifics:

• Daily office tasks. Your calendar, your files, your email inbox, your phone management system—these are all elements of running your daily life that you can outsource to a dedicated virtual assistant. As long as you don’t need to do the office tasks on-site, a virtual assistant can help.
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• Scheduling and travel arrangements. Need to book a conference in a few months? Outsource it to your virtual assistant. Need to follow up on that meeting that a client missed? A virtual assistant can be on top of your calendar. If you spend too much time digging through your own calendars, a virtual administrative assistant can be an immediate boost to your productivity.
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• Remote office management. Although your virtual administrative assistant can’t be there to set up the conference room table, there’s still plenty in the office that can be managed remotely, including handling bookkeeping, invoices, managing expenses, and handling payroll. ‍
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• Phone calls. From handling incoming phone calls to placing phone calls on your behalf, a virtual assistant handling administrative duties can be your ears and voice when you’d rather be working on productive and distraction-free work.