Executive Assistants for Small Business Owners: Benefits of a VEA Over a VA
Are you a small business owner who needs help at work?
The question often is, what kind of help and who should you hire to do it? On the administrative end, and especially for remote help, it’s usually a choice between a Virtual Assistant or a Virtual Executive Assistant.
Sometimes business owners aren’t sure what the difference is, or whether they’re better with one over the other. We’re here to make the case for why you should choose a Virtual Executive Assistant over a Virtual Assistant:
Hire for experience
As a small business owner, you don’t tend to have as many resources available when it comes to getting key tasks in your business taken care of. You probably don’t have much time to spend on creating tasks for someone else or providing extensive instructions. In fact, this can create even more work for yourself!
When we compare Virtual Assistants and Virtual Executive Assistants, virtual assistants are typically less experienced and more task-focused. They prefer to work from a task list, which means someone has to provide one. Virtual Assistants tend to be more transactional with their work, rather than moving things forward from a more proactive perspective. Another difference is that Virtual Assistants often support a team, while Virtual Executive Assistants support at that C-Suite level.
On the other hand, Virtual Executive Assistants tend to have more experience and are used to taking the lead on projects. They can almost immediately take ownership of processes and/or areas of the business and don’t require “managing” through a task list. They can start adding value and saving you time almost immediately. The big difference is often in productivity - a Virtual Executive Assistant comes on board ready to take care of your scheduling and other tasks so that you can focus on other important things. They anticipate executive needs - they’re resourceful and adaptable.
Get special projects and initiatives taken care of
Small businesses often face an issue where there’s a small project or initiative they’d like to get underway, but it doesn’t fall under any specific department or individual’s responsibilities. Those projects often tend to stay on the backburner, even if they could really add value to your company.
These are exactly the sorts of projects that an experienced Virtual Executive Assistant can take and run with. Virtual Executive Assistants have a project management skill set that most Virtual Assistants don’t typically have. Project work involves being able to take the initiative, analyze options for solutions, then create and follow a plan to get there. That’s largely outside the wheelhouse of the task-focused Virtual Assistant role.
Taking a leadership role
People often think of Executive Assistants along the lines of “secretary” stereotypes, seen featured in shows like Mad Men. The Executive Assistant role has evolved considerably though - it’s much more than “the help” - Virtual Executive Assistants are skilled professionals in their own right.
When compared to a Virtual Assistant, Virtual Executive Assistants tend to have spent more time working in a senior leadership environment and are comfortable taking a leadership role themselves. They often take the lead on things like cultivating or reinforcing a strong company culture. Virtual Executive Assistants tend to know everyone in the company and often become the organizers of all things social.
Some Virtual Executive Assistants have even taken the lead on organizing employee appreciation events or recognition. This can be a huge help for maintaining a strong culture, where employees feel valued. (Something most business owners don’t have time to organize themselves!)
Level of responsibility is higher for Virtual Executive Assistants
The overall job description is different for the Virtual Executive Assistant and Virtual Assistant roles. For example, we’ve already compared project management (Virtual Executive Assistants) versus task management (Virtual Assistants). Virtual Executive Assistants also take a higher level of responsibility with planning. While a Virtual Assistant might set up a meeting and invite the key attendees, Virtual Executive Assistants tend to play a more active role in preparing, attending, taking notes, and giving input. They have a higher expectation for using their own initiative, as opposed to working from a task list.
If SOPs and clearly defining how things should be done is important, an Virtual Executive Assistant comes better-equipped to help implement and record those SOPs. Process management tends to be a strong Virtual Executive Assistant skill and they are accustomed to taking the lead, whereas a Virtual Assistant tends to need more direction.
Importantly, Virtual Executive Assistants take a “gatekeeper” role in supporting executives or small business owners. They’re the first call for people wanting to speak to the owner and are often able to help those people themselves. They handle calls, respond to emails, and take care of scheduling. Those tasks don’t typically fall under Virtual Assistant duties. Virtual Executive Assistants are great at nurturing client relationships, which is crucial for small businesses. Their executive presence can often make a small business feel more like a larger corporation in terms of organization and professionalism.
If you need someone to take that higher level of responsibility, then you need an Virtual Executive Assistant. They’re usually more experienced and have a broader range of professional skills than a Virtual Assistant, and they also earn a higher salary for their work. You can’t expect to pay Virtual Assistant rates for Virtual Executive Assistant tasks.
Is a Virtual Executive Assistant for small businesses different than for larger businesses?
In terms of the tasks that Virtual Executive Assistants perform, there’s really not a lot of difference between small businesses and larger businesses. They tend to have similar responsibilities, although perhaps the scale is different.
One difference is the time commitment. Sometimes in a small business, you need an executive assistant, but you don’t need them full time, whereas in some large businesses, the workload is such that more than one Virtual Executive Assistant is required. Alternatively, in some businesses the Virtual Executive Assistant is shared between more than one person in a leadership role - this tends to work best if there are clear parameters around when the Virtual Executive Assistant is doing what and for whom.
Know what the time commitment is that you need from an Virtual Executive Assistant. At Worxbee, we work off a minimum of 20 active hours per month. Your Virtual Executive Assistant is committed to doing their best work with you and being highly productive. “Active hours” means hours actually doing the work, rather than the standard eight-hour day where several hours are non-productive.
Setting up for success with a Virtual Executive Assistant for small business
What can you do to have a successful experience working with a Virtual Executive Assistant in your small business?
First, be willing to build a relationship. Even with virtual work, the most productive businesses tend to build strong relationships among the team. You will work very closely with an executive assistant and they’ll be privy to most things in your life, so it’s important to have a good relationship with strong communication.
On that note, Virtual Executive Assistants are there to help you achieve key business goals. For them to do their best work, you need to be willing to be authentic and unguarded about what’s really needed. The best results come from the Virtual Executive Assistant having a very clear view of the current state versus what is needed to achieve your goals. Holding back means they only get part of a chance to analyze and find the optimal things that should be done.
Another key success factor is to allow the Virtual Executive Assistant some time to get to know you well and develop a good rhythm. They need to understand you, how you work, and your preferences across many aspects of your working life. While you get a competent person from day one, they still need that critical learning time.
Final thoughts
A Virtual Executive Assistant can be a key asset to small business owners. There are several benefits of choosing an Virtual Executive Assistant over a Virtual Assistant, but primarily it comes down to level of experience and responsibility.
You can expect to get into a rhythm with a Virtual Executive Assistant where you often won’t need to ask - they’ll know what you need done. On the other hand, Virtual Assistants work from task lists, so that means you spend time on devising those tasks.
Are you looking for a great Executive Assistant for your small business? Worxbee is here to help. We find and recruit the best of the best, then pair them up with businesses that will be a good match. Schedule a complimentary consultation with us today to discover how we can help you.
