Virtalent offers matches UK-based Virtual Assistants with busy business owners. Their Virtual PA service is highly popular.

1. An insight into how a Virtual Assistant could help boost your productivity and supercharge
the growth of your business.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS:
YOUR SECRET
TO SUCCESS
The Co-Founder of Virtalent gives an overview of the VA industry, as well as
useful tips & tricks to ensure you will have a successful virtual relationship.

2. COMPANY
OVERVIEW
Who we are ........................................................................................................................................3
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................4
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS: YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS
An insight into the VA industry ...............................................................................................6
What to look for in a good VA provider .............................................................................8
Why it’s better to outsource within the UK ......................................................................9
Independent VA or larger provider?..................................................................................13
Why use a Virtual Assistant? The 3 main benefits ....................................................15
Useful resources ..........................................................................................................................16
Further reading .............................................................................................................................17
ABOUT VIRTALENT
Why we’re proud to be different .........................................................................................20
Client testimonials ......................................................................................................................21
Our simple sign-up process ...................................................................................................22
Contents
2

3. COMPANY
Virtalent match busy entrepreneurs and professionals
with university-educated Virtual Assistants who have
a wide range of different skills. Our Head Office team
are based in the center of the UK’s second largest
city, Birmingham, and our VAs work across the UK, for
companies ranging from the top 50 law firm, Mills &
Reeve, and the Marco Pierre White restaurant chain, to
small businesses in a variety of industry sectors. This
e-book isn’t a sales gimmick about Virtalent, however. It
has been written by Sam Wilson, our Director at Virtalent,
with the help of our super-talented VAs, to open your
mind to the power of outsourcing.
Outsourcing some of your workload will help you focus
on a smaller set of value-adding tasks and so give
you some much needed “head space”. This is great for
creativity and for clarity; both of which are vital if we are
to solve the challenges we face as business owners every
day.
Outsourcing will give you the time to focus on growing
your company and not on spinning an ever-increasing
number of plates. There are never enough hours in
the day, so why not leverage someone else’s spare
time instead? Successful business owners realise the
detrimental impact of trying to do everything themselves.
After all, we only have so many hours in the day and so
many skills under our belt!
Outsourcing will, in short, help you grow a successful
business and maintain a work-life balance that won’t
lead you to early retirement… at least not for the wrong
reasons!
Interested in finding out more? If you keep reading you
will find out more about the VA industry and how you
can harness it, what to look for in a high quality Virtual
Assistant service and some useful resources to help you
get the most out of such a relationship.
Sam Wilson
Co-Founder & Marketing Director
Who we are
Virtalent are on a mission to help UK business owners to outsource the
tasks they struggle to find the time or expertise to complete in-house.
+44 (0)121 57 300 57
hello@virtalent.com
www.virtalent.com
linkedin.com/company/virtalent
facebook.com/virtalent
twitter.com/virtalent
Ellie Bekalo
Co-Founder & Operations Director
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4. COMPANY
Although the industry has grown rapidly since its
foundation in the early 2000s, the concept of a
“Virtual Assistant” is still relatively unknown to
many business owners, particularly here in the UK.
With more companies than ever harnessing the
flexibility and convenience associated with cloud-
based technologies (like Skype and Dropbox), the
conversation is again turning to how these tools
can be used to facilitate better remote working
relationships. Companies around the world are
questioning why they have office cubicles full of
staff, all of whom have to spend hours commuting
to and from their workplace, and whether this
model is really necessary for 2020 and beyond.
Naturally, these technologies and the “always on”
mindset of today’s connected entrepreneurs is
good news for the Virtual Assistant industry and for
remote outsourcing as a whole. A Virtual Assistant
is exactly that; someone who will provide you with
some kind of assistance, remotely or “virtually”. This
assistance is usually similar to that provided by a
PA (hence why they are sometimes referred to as
“Online PAs” instead) but in actual fact, VAs today
possess a wide range of different skills sets, from
social media management to web design.
But not all Virtual Assistants are the same, and
what happens if you have never worked with one
before? We’ll share our insights in the sections to
come.
IntroductionThe concept of a “Virtual Assistant” is still relatively unknown to many entrepreneurs.
Let us explain more about how your business can take advantage of a revolution in
flexible outsourcing.
Why work with a VA?
Only pay for 100% productive time.
Focus on the work YOU enjoy.
Achieve a better work-life balance.
Grow a multi-skilled team (without
the headache.)
Avoid HR and payroll paperwork.
Complete flexibility. No fixed long-
term commitment.
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5. VAVirtual
Assistants

6. COMPANY
The global Virtual Assistant industry is growing in line with changing attitudes to remote working and an increase in
new business start-ups, as well as growing popularity of the cloud-based technology required to facilitate a produc-
tive virtual relationship. No longer do we need to employ large bodies of staff and house them in expensive offices
in order to access the talent we need to grow a company, nor do we need to spend hours on the motorway to meet
with new clients. Are you fully embracing the remote working revolution?
The VA
Industry
Today’s entrepreneurs are taking full advantage of the digital revolution we
are all living through, finding the most flexible and convenient way to build
their businesses with just a few taps on their smartphone.
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7. COMPANY
It is difficult to estimate the true market size for
Virtual Assistant services, but in 2014 Tholons
estimated that the global market for outsourced
services was valued at $104billion, with business,
professional and technical services accounting for
just over half of this total 52%. Most of this demand
is met by the US and Canada, but demand from UK
and Europe (as with many trends) is now growing
substantially.
The world of work is changing and fast. With so
many businesses now using cloud-based software
and over 60% of UK companies now incorporating
some form of remote working there is a fantastic
opportunity available for any business owner to
expand their team, as and when needed.
No longer do you need to worry about desk
space, or covering everything from sick pay to NI
contributions and committing to the obligations
associated with legally employing staff.
After the recovery of the “dotcom bubble” (which
reached its peak in 2000), hand-in-hand with the
growth in popularity of broadband internet and
tools like Skype, there was a huge increase in
the number of online task marketplaces such as
Fiverr and ODesk. These marketplaces were a
great starting point for the industry, but business
owners quickly realised that the quality of these
marketplaces left a lot to be desired. They needed
a long-term solution that they could rely on. This
gave rise to the Virtual Assistant industry in the USA,
before it expanded elsewhere.
The Virtual Assistant industry has improved the
quality and convenience of outsourcing for small
businesses. The industry is still evolving and
growing, with a number of UK VA agencies having
expanded abroad in the past few years.
A Virtual Assistant will not only save you time, but
they will allow you to reduce costs, add flexibility
to your business model and, ultimately, build a
company whilst achieving a reasonable work-life
balance.
What more could you ask for?
Work smarter,
not harder
Ask yourself: could you be more effective in your
work? Outsourcing your to-do list will not only
make you more productive but you will finally have
the breathing space to be a more focused and more
creative business owner.
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8. Whats to look for in a good
Virtual Assistant
Flexibility. You shouldn’t have to pay more per hour
if you have a quiet month, nor should you be tied to a
long-term contract. A VA shouldn’t add constraints to
your business.
Security. All files and payments (see if they have
a little padlock symbol on their website) should
be handled securely. If they are a UK company
they must be registered with the Information
Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the organisation that
enforces the Data Protection Act 1998.
Professionalism. Does the company answer your
enquiry quickly and diligently? You should feel
comfortable trusting the service provider with any
task, even if they need to liaise with your customers
and colleagues.
Structure. Ask the provider what will happen if your
Virtual Assistant is ill or away on holiday. Will they
(or even can they) arrange for another VA to look
after you until she returns?
Transparency. You should have an easy way to find
out what your Virtual Assistant is working on and
what time they have logged to your account that
week.
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9. COMPANY
It used to be the case that you could contract a full-time offshore
Virtual Assistant for as little as a few pounds an hour, but this is
quickly changing. The economies in countries such as India and
the Philippines are growing faster than ever, driving up wages
and the aspirations of the young staff that used to fill these roles.
According to Statista, the offshore outsourcing market in 2015
had shrunk to the same same size that it was in 2008.
Whilst outsourcing abroad does make a lot of sense for larger
corporate companies with significant business process overheads
(e.g. call centres and back office functions), the same benefits
rarely apply to a small business looking for a single Virtual
Assistant or a small virtual team. The success of this more intimate
working relationship depends much more on the quality and
convenience of the process, as well as the end result.
How do you feel when you call your local bank branch and
instead must speak to someone in an offshore call centre, who
struggles to understand and, most importantly, resolve your
problem? The company has answered hundreds of calls that day
for a fraction of the cost compared to answering them in the UK,
but you may be left unhappy with the outcome. Do you want to
be faced with the same issues when trying to grow a business?
Personally, we think running a small business is tough enough as
it is!
UK vs. Offshore
The temptation to outsource work to an offshore VA is often driven by the perceived cost
savings. But have you really considered all of the pros and cons?
Many tasks that your Virtual
Assistant will deal with will
involve direct or indirect contact
with your customers. This
communication needs to be in
the right context in order to give
the right impression and so, yes,
American spellings on your blog
posts and emails chasing late
payments at 3am do look odd!
Ask yourself: is my
core competency
at risk if I outsource
this?
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10. COMPANY
When you’re pushed for time it can be easier to
simply pick up the phone, but what if it is the
middle of the night where your VA is based?
Working in different time zones can soon become
frustrating.
Your new VA should be able to use their own
initiative and creativity to help tackle the
challenges you face in your business every day.
Unlike an offshore VA, most VAs in the UK won’t
be sitting in a call centre environment where they
must juggle the needs of several different clients
throughout the day, all in different countries. This
focus means they can bring significantly more
value and insight.
Everyday communication relies on nuance and
implied meaning. Would you like someone who
has never even visited the UK to reserve a table
in London for a lunch meeting? Chances are
that your client may be left less than impressed.
Growing up in different cultural contexts can lead
to a surprisingly different outlook.
The obvious attraction to offshore providers is
their comparatively low cost. However, not only
have their average rates increased steadily over
the past few years, and will continue to do so, but
the complications outlined above often mean
tasks need to be redone (often by yourself).
Work on the same clock
Creative thinking
No language or cultural
barriers
Buy cheap, buy twice
Why keep
it at home?
10

11. “For everything we don’t like to do, there’s someone out
there who’s really good, wants to do it and will enjoy it.”
Josh Kaufman,
serial entrepreneur and best-selling author
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12. COMPANY
You’ll probably have come across a number of independent
Virtual Assistants at networking events you have been to,
many of whom are working mothers who are looking to run
a lifestyle business during the day whilst their children are
at school. In fact, 95% of VAs are female, with “the majority
working 30 hours per week” according to a survey conducted
by VAnetworking.com.
That works well for them, but does this mean they have your
best interests at heart, as a growing company looking to
outsource some of your workload? A larger, more established
company is likely to be able to provide extra peace of mind
and at a more competitive rate (overheads are distributed
across more customers).
A larger provider will still assign you a dedicated VA, but you
will have more choice in who that person is and all work will
be overseen by an Account Manager. They’re likely to have
more efficient business processes, extended support hours
and the ability to adapt to your changing workload. What
happens if you only have a single VA to rely on, but they are ill
or you have a particularly busy week?
Independent vs.
managed platform
Should you choose an independent freelancer working on her own or a larger provider
with a team of different VAs and Account Managers? You may gain more value from the
extra structure and support provided by the latter.
The huge increase in flexibility,
cost savings and accessible
talent that a well thought-out
outsourcing strategy could
easily add to your company
will give you a noticeable
competitive edge. Can you
afford not to give it some
proper thought?
“If you deprive
yourself of
outsourcing and
your competitors
do not, you’re
putting yourself
out of business”
– Lee Kuan Yew ($17.5bn net worth)
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13. COMPANY
It’s inevitable that people are sometimes ill or
need a day off once in a while. What happens
when your VA isn’t available? A larger team
(usually overseen by an Account Manager) will
be able to cover any absent periods, ensuring you
are never left alone.
With more customers around, it will evidently be
easier to find reviews and feedback from people
who have used the service before. Check out sites
like Trustpilot to see whether you can trust the
provider or ask the company to put you in touch
with one of their existing customers.
It’s logical that the more VAs there are in a
team, the greater the variety of backgrounds,
experiences and skills they will have. Why
not take advantage of this and build a multi-
skilled virtual team who look after the different
elements of your business model?
Most independent VAs are so busy doing work
for clients that they understandably don’t have
the time to think about the overall customer
experience they are providing. A larger provider
is likely to have specialist staff dedicated to
improving this, as well as being able to afford
to build the necessary technology to make the
process as seamless as possible.
You’re always covered
Find reviews online
Access different
skills
Complete peace of mind
Why use a larger
provider?
13

14. 27% 44% 20%
10% of UK business owners have been forced to miss the
wedding of a friend of relative because of their workload
1 in 10
With an extra hour in
the day, 27% would
work on identifying
new ways to expand
their business
44% started a
business because
they wanted more
flexible working
hours
With an extra hour
in the day, 20%
would work on
marketing activities
Click here to view sources14

15. COMPANY
Delegate as many repetitive, on-going tasks as you can. Leveraging other peoples’ time
is the key to building a scalable, successful business – you simply cannot do everything
on your own! Ensure your company is focused on improving and delivering on its core
competency (e.g. delivering excellent training workshops) rather than overextending
yourself.
Supercharge your productivity
It is impossible to find one person with all of the necessary skills to tackle the wide
range of different projects you need to be completed. Design agencies can be expen-
sive, temp agencies leave you feeling underwhelmed and good freelancers can be diffi-
cult to find. Why not use a multi-skilled Virtual Assistant platform like Virtalent instead?
Access new expertise
According to Infusionsoft, 55% of business owners say that “time to get everything
done” is their toughest challenge and 32% find running a business “exhausting”. In fact,
1 in 5 have even forgotten to pick up their children from school! Yes, running a business
takes a lot of hard work and determination, but a few hours of support each week
really could make a dramatic difference to your stress levels and and to your focus.
Achieve a better work-life balance
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16. COMPANY
Like Gmail? You’ll love Google’s suite for
business users, especially at just a few pounds
per month. We love the simplicity (and powerful
functionality) that the plan offers. It includes
everything from cloud storage and online office
software to a fantastic calendar and HD video
conferencing tool.
All of the VAs we have looking after clients’ social
media accounts are given access to Hootsuite
Pro, but if you would prefer to manage your own
social media you can create a basic account
for free. A growing number of social media
professionals use Hootsuite to schedule posts,
build their fan base and find great content.
If Google Hangouts aren’t your cup of tea,
why not sign up for a free account on Skype?
Now you can even set up a call with non-
Skype users by simply sending them a URL.
Video meetings are a great alternative to
hours spent travelling to/from a busy city
centre!
Although a little more expensive than some
similar software, Mailchimp is the best way to get
started with e-mail marketing. It is easy to use
and free for up to 2000 email addresses.
Google Apps for Work
Hootsuite
Skype
Mailchimp
Useful Resources
Jing gives you a way to share (and annotate)
screenshots, or even video recordings taken from
your computer screen. This comes in handy when
you need to explain how to do something to
someone who isn’t sat next to you.
Jing
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17. COMPANY
Further reading
Ferris explains the freedom that can be found in
delegating tasks to a Virtual Assistant. Live more and work
less by following his inspirational tips to achieve the work-
life balance you have always dreamed of. This is a useful
introduction into outsourcing the on-going tasks that
currently fill your week.
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
Although short on original ideas, this book is a great
summary on how to change your state of mind to
appreciate the fruits of your labour and focus on what
really matters in life. Wasmund gives an inspirational
and empowering take on reducing the impact of a busy
schedule.
Do Less, Get More by Sháá Wasmund
A classic which many of you will have already read,
Covey’s 7 Habits outlines tried and tested ways to harness
your own potential and take advantage of the power of
habit. When used alongside a Virtual Assistant, these tips
will be incredibly powerful.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by
Stephen Covey
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18. 5 steps to prepare for your
Virtual Relationship
Spend a working week working out exactly what
tasks are draining your time, how long these
usually take you and what else you could be
doing if that task was outsourced instead.
Evaluate your needs
1
What software and tools do you use? It is
important to check whether your new VA will be
able to gain access to these if you need support.
Provide access
2
Make sure you communicate any deadlines or
budget constraints to your Account Manager and/
or VA so that they are aware.
Explain any constraints
3
Your new VA is there to give a helping hand, so
you use them! Take the time to delegate on-going
tasks as soon as possible and not once you have
become so stressed that you feel like giving up!
Stop to hand over
4
Everyone has different ways of working, so
sometimes your new Virtual Assistant will need a
little time to get to know exactly how you would
like things to be completed. This would be the
same even if they were sat at the desk next to
you.
Trust in the process
5
18

19. VAWorking with
Virtalent
19

20. COMPANY
Virtalent is
proud to be
differentVirtalent is on a mission to improve the quality of the UK Virtual Assistant
industry. Let us help you to work smarter, not harder.
UK-based team A wide variety of
skills
Built for
entrepreneurs
Complete peace
of mind
Everyone, from our
Birmingham-based
Head Office team to
our Virtual Assistants,
are based here in
the UK. No time
zone differences or
language barriers to
contend with.
Our growing team
of multi-skilled
VAs enable us to
offer more than
PA support. From
web development
and graphic design,
Virtalent can help with
a variety of one-off
projects and on-going
tasks.
From our flexible
billing structure
to our proactive
approach to account
management, our
service is tailor-made
for small businesses
and freelancers.
Not only will your
dedicated Account
Manager look after
you, but all work is
insured up to £250,000
and all VAs must pass
through a rigorous
selection process
which includes
an independent
background check by
Onfido.
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21. COMPANY
Testimonials
“As a start-up, I’m trying to do everything on a small budget
but I’ve realised that there is no saving to be made in spend-
ing time learning to do something myself rather than using
a specialist. That’s where I’ve found Virtalent so useful. Their
team members have done tasks for me that would have taken
me forever to do, and done them so much better than I ever
could!”
Louise Welsh, Founder
KidGo
“Sam and the Virtalent team are amazing. Last week came
back with a fantastic list of blogs and sports news outlets,
which led to some great PR and, even better, great sales of my
new book!”
Matthew Crehan, Author
“Worked closely with Virtalent as they developed the latest
iteration of our new company website. Brilliant to work with
from start to finish. Helpful, patient and incredibly flexible.
Virtalent come highly recommended and I would be genuine-
ly happy to work them again”.
Rikin Patel, Director
Harrik Consulting
21

22. Working with
Virtalent is simple
1
2 3
4
Visit our website to request a no-obligation
telephone consultation at a time to suit you,
We’ll answer any questions you might have
about the service and see if we can help with
the tasks you have in mind.
Creating an account online takes a matter
of minutes and we’ll assign you one of our
Birmingham-based Account Managers
immediately. They’ll be in touch to assign our
most suitable Virtual Assistant to your account.
Once you have delegated the tasks you need to
be completed to your VA, you can monitor all
work through our task management portal. All
tasks are professionally insured up to £250,000
for complete peace of mind.
At the start of each month we’ll invoice you for
any time logged to your account in the previous
month. All work is billed to the exact second it
takes to complete at one great flat rate rate,
regardless of the type of work or number of
hours you are paying for that month.
GET IN TOUCH
CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT WE’LL CARRY OUT THE WORK
WE’LL BILL YOU ONCE PER MONTH
22

23. COMPANY
linkedin.com/company/virtalent
facebook.com/virtalent
twitter.com/virtalent
www.virtalent.com
hello@virtalent.com
+44 (0)121 57 300 57
Birmingham, UK
© 2016 Virtalent Ltd. All rights reserved.
Please have fun with this e-book and share it freely with anyone you feel may benefit from it!
You are free to copy, distribute or transmit this material in its original format, but you may
not alter, transform, build upon this work, or use it for commercial purposes without written
permission from Virtalent Ltd.
Nothing in this guide is intended to replace common sense or professional advice.
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