Inside the Life of a Virtual Assistant: How virtual assistant services save time and reduce stress

Choosing to work with a virtual assistant for the first time is a big decision. You’re not sure how it works, what to expect or even sure you understand what tasks a fractional EA can help with. Let alone how to start the process.

We get it.

You’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, and you don’t have the mental capacity to try to figure out how you can reduce your workload, but you know something needs to change.

To help you understand more about what you can do to protect yourself and your business, we’ve spoken directly to our founder, Kelsey, who answers the questions you didn’t realise you needed to ask.  

This article is written specifically for executives and founders of scaling companies who are juggling explosive growth, limited time, and increasing operational demands.

What typically triggers someone to reach out and say, “I need to hire a virtual assistant because I can’t keep going like this?”

“Most people contact me when they feel completely overwhelmed. I recently spoke to someone who said she wants to be the one delivering the work but needs help with the operational parts of her business as they were falling by the wayside.

Often, people spend a huge amount of time on things they shouldn’t be doing. They know they should be focused on delivering the work or growing the business, but they’re drowning in admin and don’t know where they are supposed to be going day-to-day or what tasks to prioritise. That’s when they realise, they need someone they can delegate to.”

With so much talk about automation, do you hear people say, “Why not just use AI instead?” Will AI replace virtual assistants?

“There’s a lot of hype around AI, but many businesses don’t want it handling their confidential information. Yes, I use tech and AI, but the value I bring to clients will always be the human element of administrative support.

I always tell clients I can read the room. I know who’s important to you and what your diary really needs to look like, and when you need space to decompress. I get to know my clients extremely well, including their quirks and how they like things done. AI can schedule a meeting, but it doesn’t know who should take priority, what meetings can be moved, or how burnt out you’re getting.”

What surprises clients most when they ask the question, “What does a virtual assistant do?”

“I think most people are surprised by the variety of work that I do. Each client is very different, and most people think of virtual assistant services as just inbox or diary management. But I support a huge range of administrative tasks, from planning office moves and applications to board work and stakeholder communications. It’s so much broader than people expect, especially if they’ve never worked with an EA before.”

How do you help people understand what they should delegate, particularly if they’ve never worked with a business virtual assistant before and don’t know what to expect?

“During our very first discovery call, I’ll ask them to tell me, ‘What’s overwhelming you?” “What are your pain points?” and “Where are you spending the most of your time?” Then I can offer them some solutions they might not have considered before.

They might feel nervous to get started because letting go for the first time is daunting. That’s why we often sign on for just the basics to start with. But once we start working together, I’ll say, ‘Tell me what you did this week that you think you should’ve delegated to me.’ Or I’ll spot something and say, ‘Give that to me, I’ll pick that up for you.’ That’s how we grow the support naturally.”

Many founders and entrepreneurs worry about how VA onboarding works. How do you make it feel easy?

“That fear is normal. I’ve had clients say, ‘I don’t know how to do this.’ That’s why we start with baby steps. For example, with emails, I’ll draft the first five based on their tone and style and ask the client to approve them. Then once the client is comfortable, they can hand it over. I also make sure that I prioritise constant communication, so they always know what I’m working on.

But most importantly, my job is to plug into their systems. They don’t need to train me. If they have an IT provider, I talk to them. If there’s a tool I don’t know, it’s my job to go and learn it.”

How do you ensure consistency and accuracy when every client uses different tools?

“I plug into whatever platform the client uses, whether it’s Outlook, SharePoint, Teams… all completely different. I learn how they do things, and if I see ways to improve efficiency, I’ll run an audit and suggest changes.

But I never go off and do my own thing. I’m there to be an extension of the business. I bring initiative, but I stay aligned with how the client works.”

How do you manage communication when you’re supporting a full senior leadership team, with shared VA hours?

“For every client I work with, I always say that weekly calls are non-negotiable because for us both to be very aligned on what their business goals are, and to build that ongoing relationship, we need to have regular contact.

If I’m working with an entire leadership team, we set up group chats so everyone can see updates. When something requires multiple people, I go to each person individually and ask for their input. I keep everyone in the loop, and honestly, you wouldn’t know I wasn’t full-time.”

If a client is working under intense deadlines, how do you maintain fast turnaround without sacrificing quality?

“I’m a natural planner, and I use this to my advantage. During our initial discovery calls, I’ll ask clients about any upcoming deadlines or pressures they need to address. And as the relationship progresses, the weekly calls are the perfect opportunity to stay up to date on the immediate business priorities.

I like to time-block my days, but I always leave time for urgent requests or last-minute tasks. And if I know a client is travelling or at a conference, I make sure I plan ahead because communication will naturally increase during and after the trip or conference.”

It’s all about expectation-setting and being transparent about what takes priority.”

How do virtual assistant companies like The VA House handle confidentiality and sensitive information?

“This is something that’s extremely important, because I’m in a position of trust. I use a platform called Kirmada, which is fully encrypted, password-protected, and hosted in the UK. I make sure that each client has their own profile and that all work is stored within that system. Nothing is stored locally on my laptop, nor can it be accidentally mixed up with other client work.

If anything happened, I could wipe my laptop instantly. I’ve managed highly confidential information for years, including restructures, redundancies… things I could never share. My reputation matters to me, which is why I also sign NDAs with every client, and I’m registered with the ICO for data protection.”

How do you support clients emotionally as well as operationally?

“The relationship between an executive assistant and a CEO can become very intimate. I often notice when someone’s spiralling or overly stressed long before they realise it. It’s my job to minimise that stress as much as possible, either through delegating work or just by planning their schedule more mindfully.

For example, if someone comes back from a heavy trip, I’ll purposefully keep their diary light for a day or two, even when they try to add things. I’ve had clients say, ‘Should we put this in?’ and I’ll say, ‘No. I know you. You’ll be jet-lagged. You’ll be talked out. You need recovery time before you start filling your diary with meetings.”

That’s where the human element comes into play, because an automated scheduling tool isn’t going to know that.”

When do clients usually realise the ROI of working with you?

“Often it can be as little as just a few weeks. If a client is extremely burnt out, it might take a month or two, but generally, the stress relief my clients feel is instant.

A new client recently told me it’s been a complete game-changer, just knowing I’m in her corner, handling her inbox, responding for her and keeping things from falling through the cracks. She told me that her standard of work has already increased because people aren’t waiting on her anymore. This means there are no more bottlenecks or holdups, so the rest of her team can work more effectively.

Most clients reclaim several hours each week within the first month, which makes the cost neutral very quickly, and the reduction in stress is immediate.”

Founders often worry about losing quality or control, particularly when searching for a virtual assistant service for the first time. How do you prevent that?

“I tell clients that we’re here to embark on a journey together. It’s always important to have a three- to four-month grace period because we both need time to build that relationship and learn what you do and do not like. That’s where the non-negotiable weekly calls are important, because they offer that feedback loop.

My role is to make their life easier, not harder, but communication is the key to its success.”

What about businesses that have tried working with a virtual assistant before but have had a bad experience?

“This is where it’s important to think critically about what made it a bad experience. Was it because the person didn’t have the right skills or showed a lack of initiative, or was there any miscommunication or lack of clear expectations from either side? Once we understand why the experience didn’t work, I’ll explain how I work differently and walk you through my years of experience, examples, and processes.

But ultimately, clients need to give it a go with a positive mindset. I’m always happy to do a short three-to four-month trial because it’s a close relationship, and personalities have to fit.”

You’ve mentioned that you start the process with a discovery call. What should a potential client expect to discuss during this conversation?

“This is our first chance to get to know one another. The conversation is usually wide-ranging, but it really helps if they’ve thought about which tasks they could hand over to us. I’ll ask questions like:

• How much time are you spending on your inbox?
• How long does scheduling take?
• How long are you spending on presentations, invoices, and board packs?
• Are you meeting the right people?
• What tasks always get pushed to the bottom of your to-do list?

Some people can’t articulate this at first because they’re so stressed. So, I break it down with them. The purpose of the discovery calls is to help them realise what problems they have, and how we can overcome them.”

And finally, what do you want executives to understand about working with a VA agency?

“Working with a virtual assistant agency in the UK is meant to be seamless. I’m here to help you, not add to your stress levels. The only things I expect from clients are clear expectations and a grace period to learn their style. Then, it tends to be pretty smooth sailing from there on.”

If you’re looking to reduce overwhelm and reclaim your time, you can book a discovery call here.