General VA vs. Tech VA
Unsure what a Tech Virtual Assistant does and how they differ from a General VA? Get the lowdown here.
Gem Roberts
Your friendly Tech VA making the world of Virtual Assistance and Tech, easy and simple to understand.
September 19th 2024
In the online space it can be hard to find what you are looking for when there aren’t clear boundaries. In the 9-5 world we know what we are dealing with, we need a plumber, there is a person who calls themselves a plumber, you can look them up online, their website will say that they are a plumber and they will have their services listed relating to being a plumber.
What if you want a Virtual Assistant though?
If you work in the online space as a course creator, a coach or digital content creator, then some one will have likely mentioned getting help from a Virtual Assistant (VA) at some point.
How do you know where to find one, who to hire and whether they are going to be able to do what you need them to do?
So what actually is a VA?
A Virtual Assistant is a freelance person who usually works remotely alongside you in your business providing administrative duties.
A definition of a General VA is that they can provide administrative support to your business. There are a lot of people turning to VA work in recent years, the offer of making a quick buck from the comfort of your home has appealed to many. In fact there are people still learning of the role of VA’s and joining the ranks to offer their services.
Here’s the thing, there can be so many people out there who want to work as a VA that when you start looking it can get overwhelming. Unfortunately, and to the detriment of the profession, there has been a lot of talk online in recent years about how getting set up as a VA is super easy and will bring in a bountiful amount of cash quickly. This has allowed many people to turn to VA work as side hustles and under the guise of entrepreneurship without really understanding what the VA lifestyle is and how it works.
How does this relate to you?
Before getting started on looking for a VA you need to get clear on a few things,
1.
What do you want a VA for?
Do you need help with your inbox or are you looking for social media support and content creation or do you need someone to help you set up, or set up for you, your next funnel or sales page?
2.
How much do you want to pay a VA?
There is still a lot of controversy in the online world about how much you should pay a VA. Hourly rates can be anything from $3ph to $90ph. Find a rate that you feel comfortable with, it can be true here that you get what you pay for.
3.
When do you want your VA to work?
Do you work mornings EST, or prefer nights in GMT? Find a VA that is comfortable working alongside you. It’s not a requirement, there are some very successful relationships between clients and VA where they work on opposite sides of the world. Make sure you get the support you need, if you want to talk to your VA while you’re working, then finding one who will work in your time zone will save so much time and headaches for you.
4.
How many hours do you need a VA for?
This will be tricky to determine initially as you won’t know. A good VA will guide you on how many hours they think you will need based on the tasks that you need your VA for, but it’s a good idea to have a cap in mind at least, based on the amount of money you want to spend hiring a VA.
What then, does a General VA cover?
A VA in the broadest sense of the term will cover pretty much anything. While there are those that specialise in being general VA’s as they love the variety, the term General VA will cover those who are starting out as VA’s. That’s not to say that they aren’t good at their job btw!
So, here is what a General VA will cover:
- Email / Inbox management
- Calendar management / Diary management
- Customer Service – replying to customer queries over the phone, via email or in an online chat format
- PA type duties – did you forget to get a present for your friend’s birthday dinner tonight, your PA / VA can pick one up for you
- Need your newsletter sent out, your VA can do that. They can also add your copy to your ESP and send it out or schedule it for you
- Need all of your images uploading to Social Media, your VA can schedule your posts to give you back a massive chunk of time back
Here is the thing though that you’ve got to remember, a General VA is just that, a general VA. If you are hoping that they will transition from email management into a Social Media strategist, without your help or guidance, it’s highly unlikely. Therefore if you need someone specific, such as a Social Media manager as this is where you are spending most of your time, then hire a specialist in this area, don’t try to save on money, even though it’s super tempting, because in reality, you will end up spending more time, energy and money than you want.
Plus, it also removes your faith in the VA profession that you are going to be able to get what you want and what you are paying for.
How does a Tech VA differ from a General VA?
A Tech VA can also be part of a broad term. There are different types of Tech VA’s within the Tech VA umbrella, that’s why it is super important to be clear on the type of tasks you need help with before you seek VA help.
For instance, a Tach VA could do website edits and updates, they could also build you a website, but SEO and Running Ads to your business are out of scope. You may get someone who is a whiz at email marketing but struggles when it comes to uploading your course content to the new platform you’ve chosen.
In my case, this is what a Tech VA does:
A Tech VA is someone who has a specialist set of skills that leans toward making technology, in particular platforms that support your business accessible and easier for you to implement in your business. They provide support for your systems and platforms while also seeing the bigger picture
So, here is what I, as a Tech VA cover:
- Set up of sales pages and funnels
- Course set ups
- Website management, updating and adding content to
- Course and sales page content updates
- Back end set ups of Email nurture and Welcome sequences
- Automations to tie everything together
- Smooth and easy customer journey’s so that there is maximum opportunity for revenue
You can see by the few examples that I have listed here that there is a massive difference between a General and a Tech VA.
Once you have decided on the types of tasks that you need to outsource for you to stay at your best, it’s then worth it to take a moment to decide on whether you want to chance it with a General VA who may or may not be able to problem solve issues for you if they arise, or to go for a more specialised VA who has the skills that you need.
TLDR: a general VA is just that and covers the majority of admin tasks for your business. A Tech VA is more specialised and helps you set up systems and processes within your business so you can maximise your time elsewhere while earning money.
General VA
- Email / Inbox management
- Calendar management / Diary management
- Customer Service – replying to customer queries over the phone, via email or in an online chat format
- Need your newsletter sent out, your VA can do that. They can also add your copy to your ESP and send it out or schedule it for you
- Need all of your images uploading to Social Media, your VA can schedule your posts to give you back a massive chunk of time back
Tech VA
- Set up of sales pages and funnels
- Course set ups
- Website management, updating and adding content to
- Course and sales page content updates
- Back end set ups of Email nurture and Welcome sequences
- Automations to tie everything together
- Smooth and easy customer journey’s so that there is maximum opportunity for revenue
Need to get some time back, get out of the weeds and get back to doing what you love? Of course you do. Imagine having that course all set up ready to promote to your community, or that newsletter (or 5) ready to go so you don’t have to think about it anymore as it’s scheduled to go out. Book a call with me today and start feeling freer in your business.