Just like virtually every sector under the tech umbrella, the possibility of having a virtual assistant at your beck and call has been made more realistic by evolving technology. Heck, virtual assistants don’t necessarily even need to be human anymore. The evolution of different software has made it possible for apps and platforms to help us handle our daily routines nearly as well as a human could, and at a fraction of the cost. This advancement is especially beneficial for remote work, where efficiency and cost-effectiveness are paramount.
The integration of Smart Virtual Personal Assistant (SVPA) platforms into apps is in high demand. Tech giants Google, Apple, and Yahoo shows a clear sign of the need for an affordable sidekick in a time when productivity is harder to maintain than ever. Every professional could use that virtual assistant to save them time and money while freeing up more personal time, and this VA software and apps are the best options for doing just that.
Communication Software
Without platforms to facilitate remote communication, virtual assistance wouldn’t be possible. Fortunately for us, the increasingly cozy global marketplace has been retrofitted with tools that allow assistants, employers, and coworkers to remain in near-constant contact.
RingCentral is the all-in-one cloud phone service of most professionals’ dreams. At any level of the business world, from Fortune 500 to mom and pop shops, a missed call could mean compromising a potential partnership. RingCentral allows stress to be taken out of the equation. It gives professionals an array of capabilities regardless of whether they are in a Holiday Inn in Kansas or their office in New York City.
Since it’s cloud-based, there’s no need to shell out big bucks for the service. Nevertheless, the lack of physical setup doesn’t compromise RingCentral’s quality, either. The platform is offered for both Android and iOS operating systems. It allows users to set up and attend conference calls as well as send and receive SMS messages, faxes, high-definition phone calls, and other notifications. And, as is the case with much cloud-based software, you won’t be tied to outdated technology, which means you’ve got an already stellar yet evolving communication software for just 25 bucks.
Slack has become one of the most trusted names in online messaging for one-on-one and team collaboration. It not only has a user-friendly interface and an array of chat options. Also, it allows for easy integration with tons of external applications. It makes Slack a sort of open-source messenger for creatives and business people alike.
- Microsoft Teams (Alternative Zoom)
Microsoft Teams is an excellent tool for video calling. Whether it is one-on-one, conference with clients, or virtual meetings with your team. Notably, in a remote work environment. If your company is widely using Microsoft apps – Teams are the tool to go. Nevertheless, this tool is highly integrated with Microsoft’s environment. If your company is, for example, OS user – Zoom would be the best choice.
Time Tracking Software
Remote employees know that trust is vital to establishing credibility with a client. Time tracking technology has become so widely available that the client doesn’t need to wonder whether their remote team member is honest with their timesheet. Meanwhile, the remote assistant can rest easy knowing their client knows exactly what services they are receiving on a specific time frame.
Hubstaff is a pretty basic tool but really useful if you need to evaluate the performance of your employee. Especially these days, when the majority of employees are working from home. The manager can track time worked in total and/or tasks or projects separately. It is beneficial to see how your employee is performing daily, weekly, or/and monthly.
Moreover, the manager can implement the hourly wage and monitor how much each project costs. It is also useful if you are working with contractors or freelancers by following their time spent and costs in one report.
This tool has a useful freemium version, but the cost of premium versions, starting from 7$ month/user, is quite reasonable.
Wrike is so much more than just a tool to track the time your remote employees are putting into their work. It’s a one-stop-shop platform that allows for remote collaboration in a way that is cleaner, simpler, and more multi-faceted than its competition.
With Wrike, you can do your business and track project production in the same place. No extra analytics or processing platforms necessary. Its 3-paneled view allows the work and data to be seen without changing screens. Besides, Wrike’s built-in communication features allow its users to bring attention to specific issues or functions on the screen.
There’s a great reason why Wrike receives rave reviews from creatives, professionals, and virtually anybody who objectively tests out the platform. It’s robust yet simple, merging analytics, time tracking, communication, and the ability to complete a given project collaboratively and remotely.
Business Administration Software
When it comes to the glut of software that is in the marketplace and aimed squarely at the massive array of professional spheres, ‘business administration’ could mean virtually anything. So, we figured that the best option was software that applied to almost every professional: document creation, sharing, and signing.
Not only does the PandaDoc brand name bring to mind one of the most adorable, mood-lifting mammals ever to walk the earth, but it’s also one heck of useful service. No matter what you do for a living, there’s going to be a time when you need to either create, share, or sign a document. Whether you are on the hiring side or the one being hired.
With PandaDoc, remotely creating, sending, receiving, sharing, and signing on the dotted line has never been more simple. From PDFs to Docs and other digital formats, PandaDoc facilitates the transmission of original or second-hand documents remotely with legally-binding status inherent to the platform.
Don’t let yourself get burned by a business partner because you didn’t take the time to shoot them over a document or sign an agreement yourself. With PandaDoc, sending and receiving a John Hancock is a breeze.
File Sharing and Storage Softwares
Sometimes, the most widely recognized names in the game are so widely known because they’ve earned their sterling reputation. In the case of remote file storage, no name gets more tread than Dropbox, and yes, it’s for a good reason. But when Dropbox aimed its sights on creating a platform primarily for the business world, they messed around and made a good thing even better.
Regular old Dropbox has been adopted by countless individuals who don’t have the storage on their hard drive. Also, those who have lack of patience to continuously un-plug and re-plug an external physical device. And why not? Their reputation for security is well-earned, and it’s just so darn easy to use!
Dropbox Business has all of Dropbox’s best features. Starting from simplicity, security and a range of file storage capacities to ease of access. It puts a professional twist on the winning formula. Its intended use by businesses means that the storage options are more significant than ever. Meanwhile, security measures stepped up a notch to reflect the sensitive information often shared between clients.
You may wonder why your deleted files of virtually any format can be recovered. Even months after you threw them in the virtual trashcan. It’s Dropbox’s trademark file recovery that makes this platform second to none. The option to set custom permissions and passwords allows you to treat individual files with their level of security measures. Not to mention, the easily integrated Dropbox Business doesn’t require you to break the bank. It’s available for as little as $8.
During these times of quarantine and work from home, a safe and reliable file sharing app is a must. If your company has a Microsoft Business package, why not to use One Drive (included in the package). It has seamless integration with other MS products allows revealing the full potential of an app.
With the business account, you can get 1TB of data storage, which is more than enough sharing and storing files.
To Sum Up
With these virtual assistant apps and software, you will have your professional bases covered. Those tools are especially crucial during these times when employees have to work from home. Without them, it is hardly believable that any of remote employees could work efficiently. Besides that, if you employ or contract remote assistants, or building a remote work culture, each of these tools can still be made useful regardless of what job you do.