Top-trier Apps for Virtual Assistants [MUST TRY!]

  • Ola Rybacka
  • April 19, 2024
  • 12 min read
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One of the most popular topics in remote work discourse is now apps for virtual assistants. Running on a tight schedule may require additional help in performing non-core operations. The best solution is to delegate tasks to someone whose skills complement your needs. Luckily, thanks to fast SaaS market development, you can extend your search by looking for such a professional worldwide and successfully enable them to your team.

And then, bang! You’ve just found the perfect specialist—skillful and astute. It’s time to equip them with a top-tier online toolkit to ensure the best collaboration results between parties.

However, let’s not forget about the virtual assistants themselves! Are you a lucky person who’s just been hired as a virtual assistant? And you’re in dire need of tools to streamline your workflow?

Regardless of the reason, if you need help choosing the right tools, read our guide on how to choose the best apps for virtual assistants!

But first, a few words about what are the responsibilities of a virtual assistant. Just in case you’re here while still considering entering this path of career 😉

♦ Read also: Enhance your Boards with 19 Best Power-Ups for Trello!

What is a virtual assistant, and what do they do?

A virtual assistant provides administrative, technical, or creative support to clients remotely. From managing emails and scheduling appointments to conducting research and handling customer inquiries, virtual assistants offer a wide range of services tailored to meet their client’s unique needs.

Working from home, virtual assistants leverage communication tools to collaborate effectively and deliver high-quality work within deadlines. Whether assisting entrepreneurs, small businesses, or busy professionals, virtual assistants play a crucial role in helping clients stay organized, focused, and productive.

With their versatile skill sets and dedication to client satisfaction, virtual assistants serve as valuable partners in today’s fast-paced digital world.

How to get a virtual assistant job?

To become a virtual assistant, you should begin by honing your skills in areas such as:

  • Administrative tasks – such as project management, invoicing, payments, customer relationship management,
  • Communication – to collaborate easily with your boss, other team members and clients,
  • Organization – to learn task delegation and prioritization,
  • Time management – to balance effectively between tasks assigned by multiple clients (or to assign the right amount of time to all the tasks scheduled by one bigger client).

While honing the skills mentioned above, you can build a strong online presence through platforms like LinkedIn or freelance websites. This will help attract potential clients.

Creating a professional website or portfolio showcasing relevant experience, qualifications, and services offered can also enhance credibility. Networking within relevant communities and leveraging personal and professional connections can lead to job opportunities.

Additionally, actively searching and applying for virtual assistant positions on job boards, freelance platforms, and company websites can increase visibility and chances of landing a job. Demonstrating reliability, professionalism, and a willingness to adapt to clients’ needs during interviews and interactions is crucial for securing and retaining virtual assistant roles.

Why use virtual assistant software?

Different industries have different requirements for virtual assistant’s work, but the purpose of hiring them is the same for every branch—to handle various tasks their bosses struggle to fulfill. They’re mostly time-consuming yet important tasks which, if unattended, may cause serious inconvenience for the company.

However, a virtual assistant’s day is also 24 hours long. Even if they do their best to stick to the schedule, overworking may affect their bodies and mental health, ultimately leading to job burnout. And while there’s no way to stretch time magically, the only thing they can do is make better use of it.

Here, apps for virtual assistants come with a helping hand.

They streamline many tedious processes, such as:

  1. Time tracking – By accurately tracking time spent on various tasks and projects, virtual assistants can gain insights into their daily activities, identify areas of improvement, and review progress to optimize their time management strategies,
  2. Task Management: Virtual assistant software can help organize and prioritize tasks efficiently. It tracks deadlines, sends reminders when the due date is near, and ensures that workload is kept under control.
  3. Automation: Apps for virtual assistants can automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more complex and strategic responsibilities. They can use AI phone agents to handle routine calls and automate scheduling, freeing up time for complex tasks. Whether sending emails, scheduling appointments, or generating reports, automation can streamline the virtual assistant’s workflow.
  4. Communication: Effective communication is key for virtual assistants, and software can facilitate this by providing tools for managing emails, messages, and calls. Features like templates, canned responses, and integration with communication tools can make interactions smoother and more professional.
  5. Information Management: Virtual assistant software can centralize information and documents, making them easily accessible whenever you need them. Whether it’s client details, project files, or reference materials, having everything in one place improves productivity and responsiveness.
  6. Performance Tracking: Apps can help track performance metrics, such as response times, task completion rates, and client satisfaction scores. By analyzing these metrics, virtual assistants can identify areas for improvement and refine workflows to deliver better results.
  7. Competitiveness: Your CV should highlight your knowledge of various online tools, which will help you stand out from other candidates.

Leveraging virtual assistant tools has numerous benefits. It helps streamline your operations, improve your productivity, and provide a higher level of service to your clients.

How to choose the best apps for virtual assistants?

Choosing the best virtual assistant software depends on your specific needs and preferences.

Here’s a comprehensive list of assets to consider when comparing different options:

  • Feature set – different tasks require different approaches. For example, not every project management tool offers time tracking features, and vice versa. In that case, considering the nature of your assigned duties, identify areas of features the tools should have to ensure smooth collaboration,
  • Integrations – in order to build a professional toolkit for virtual assistants, choose apps that offer a wide range of integrations with various other tools,
  • Cost—before purchasing, remember to check the tool’s pricing model. Providers usually offer a one-time fee, subscription (per month or per user per month), or a combination of the two—a one-time initial fee plus paid plans. Don’t forget to make sure any additional fee isn’t required. If possible, sign up for a free trial before committing,
  • User-friendly interface – a free trial also helps you find out how easy it is to use the tool you are considering purchasing. If getting familiar with its features and UI in general takes a suspiciously long period of time, better ditch it and look for a more user-friendly alternative,
  • Support and training – especially important for not tech-savvy people. Besides a set of valuable features, an ideal tool should provide various ways of supporting their clients, like a Knowledge Base, in-person training, or a highly responsive team of support agents.

Considering these features and conducting thorough research on available options will help you choose the virtual assistant tools that best align with your needs and goals.

Top Virtual Assistant Tools in 2024

Let’s get through a list of carefully picked apps for virtual assistants!

1. Time tracking software – TimeCamp

Meeting deadlines and facing tasks of different natures every day requires making the most of working hours. That’s why adopting time tracking tools to your workflow is a must, whether you’re hired by one yet busy client or you deal with a few different clients at once.

Luckily, with TimeCamp, the best time tracking software currently available on the market, failures are out of question! Let’s get through its key features to find out how it’ll help you squeeze the most out of your workday.

Efficient time tracking with computer activity and billable hours

TimeCamp adjusts to your workflow, never the opposite. While you can focus entirely on tasks piled up in your schedule, we’re doing the dirty work of filling your timesheets with working hours and daily activities. And what’s more, if you’re running your own business, billable and non-billable hours tracking comes in handy to make sure you’ll always get paid fairly for your virtual assistant services.

Virtual assistants benefit most from automatic time tracking. To enable this feature, install a desktop app and create lists of keywords for specific projects or tasks. Once you switch time tracking mode to automatic, TimeCamp will seamlessly assign time entries to the right tasks based on keywords in the titles of websites and applications you’re working on. It will also automatically select a task and start a timer.

time tracking for virtual assistants

Pro tip: If you work for multiple clients, create a separate project for each client and organize tasks according to the clients to which they belong. Next, set a list of keywords for each project to let TimeCamp recognize the names of apps and websites.

It sounds pretty convenient, doesn’t it? TimeCamp saves you time spent filling out timesheets manually and reduces distractions, so you can focus entirely on daily responsibilities.

Besides an automatic time tracker, TimeCamp equips you with clutter-free timesheets, tons of integrations with other tools (read below), and a browser plugin for Chrome and Edge.

Time tracking automation

Your time matters. Make better use of it with TimeCamp

Reporting features

Enhancing productivity with TimeCamp starts with its top-tier, detailed reports. First, you can monitor your own performance using a real-time dashboard that breaks down daily activity. Second, it provides valuable insights based on time tracking data for making more informed decisions about resource usage for your clients’ projects.

You can also download performance reports and send them to your clients as proof of work, along with screenshots.

time reporting for virtual assistants

Google Calendar integration

Integrate TimeCamp with your Google Calendar account to track time for meetings with clients automatically. All the scheduled events appear as separate time entries in TimeCamp, so you can clearly see the time spent hanging out with your clients on video calls.

Invoicing features

If your clients bill you per hour, time tracking software with a built-in invoicing module is a must! Enable the billable hours feature and generate invoices based on time logged for a specific project or task. Then, send it to your client, and voila! Now, just wait for the payment 😉

invoicing for virtual assistants

Free version

If you’ve just started your virtual assistant career, you’re likely looking for budget-friendly tool options… lucky you! You’ve just found yourself time tracking software that offers its key features in an entirely free plan. Extra features are available in paid plans, but be sure we offer highly affordable prices and discounts.

Free

$

0.00

billed annually

Free plan includes all the essentials (accurate time tracking, unlimited projects, a time clock kiosk, desktop, and mobile apps, idle time detection, and many more).

Starter

$

2.99

billed annually

Starter plan includes unlimited tasks, excel reports export, attendance, time-off, overtime tracking.

Premium

$

4.99

billed annually

Premium plan includes one integration, billable time, budget and estimates, apps and websites tracking, project archiving, and more.

Ultimate

$

7.99

billed annually

Ultimate plan includes unlimited integrations, billable rates, labor costs, invoicing, timesheet approvals, custom user roles, and more.

Enterprise

Talk to sales

Schedule here

Enterprise Plan, designed for companies with 50+ employees, includes priority support with SLA, self-hosted and private cloud instances, custom integrations, and more.

Streamline your virtual assistant job

Track time, analyze performance and invoice your clients with TimeCamp

2. Project management tools

When joining the bigger as a virtual assistant, chances are high that you’ll get asked to install the tool they already use to keep track of and manage tasks in one place. However, if you’re free to choose, or you’re looking for a tool mostly for personal usage, check out these task management tools:

TimeCamp Planner

Covers your back with Kanban boards and group/private chats, so there’s no need to jump between tools to collaborate with clients and other team members effectively. You can plan out your day, set priorities, and even estimate how long each task will take. It’s great for staying on top of deadlines and making sure you’re using your time wisely. What’s more, its key features are super easy to use, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time figuring out how to use it.

planner task management for virtual assistants

ClickUp

Serves as a centralized hub for virtual assistants to manage tasks and collaborate with team members. You can create tasks, assign them to team members, set due dates, and even track progress all in one place. It’s perfect for keeping everyone on the same page and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Plus, it’s customizable, so you can tailor it to fit your team’s workflow perfectly.

clickup app for virtual assistants

Notion

Empowers virtual assistants to organize and streamline their work processes across various projects and clients. You can use it for note-taking, project management, task tracking, and even collaborative workspaces. It’s flexible, so you can mold it to fit your needs exactly how you want. Plus, it’s got a sleek and intuitive interface that makes it a pleasure to use.

3. Communication tools

Remote workers, such as virtual assistants, may experience some issues with responsiveness when using only traditional communication methods. And, by the way, exchanging endless chains of emails doesn’t work anymore and is considered unprofessional. Partnering with a SaaS development company can provide innovative communication solutions tailored to remote work needs.

Luckily, there’s plenty of project management software you can adapt as apps for virtual assistants available on the SaaS market! If your team hasn’t been using any so far, or you’re looking for one for personal usage, consider giving these a try:

TimeCamp Planner

Sure, it was mentioned before, yet since it’s “one tool to replace them all”, it’s worth mentioning that Planner also offers group chats and one-on-one messages, so there’s no need to switch between team messaging and task management tools. It saves you time and enhances productivity with a distraction-free approach. Moreover, it’s super easy to implement into your daily workflow. Extra perks: free plan available, time tracking software integration provided by TimeCamp, unlimited projects and tasks and chat history.

planner chats for virtual assistants

Slack

A popular tool for virtual assistants to hang out with other team members and chat. It’s perfect for quick updates and brainstorming sessions. With channels for different topics and direct messaging, it’s easy to communicate with the whole team or just one person. Plus, you can integrate it with other tools you use, like Google Drive or TimeCamp, to keep everything in one place and streamline your workflow.

Chanty

One tool to chat, share files, and even make audio or video calls with your team. With features like threaded conversations and task management, it’s easy to stay organized and keep track of what needs to get done. Plus, it’s super user-friendly, so even if you’re not tech-savvy, you’ll have no trouble getting the hang of it. Whether you’re working with a small team or a large group, Chanty makes it easy to stay connected and productive.

4. Marketing and social media management tools

Streamlining social media management tasks saves time, allowing virtual assistants to focus on other important responsibilities. Use these popular tools below to centralize SoMe activities onto one platform to improve productivity, efficiency, and organization.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite simplifies social media management by managing different accounts from one platform. It allows you to schedule posts, engage with their audience, and analyze performance across various social media channels like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Linkedin. What’s more, it provides analytics tools for tracking engagement, reach, and audience demographics to make more data-driven decisions, e.g. about paid ads budget.

hootsuite for virtual assistants

Mailchimp

With Mailchimp, virtual assistants can send out personalized emails, set up automatic email responses and mailing sequences, and see how well their emails are doing with analytics. What’s more, you can organize your email list into different groups so you can send the right stuff to the right people.

MailChimp

Ahrefs

Ahrefs, an SEO tool, is packed with features that help you figure out what’s working (and what’s not) to get your clients’ websites to rank higher in Google. With Ahrefs, you can spy on your competitors, find the best keywords to target, and see how many backlinks your site has. Plus, it offers a Site Audit that checks your website for any issues that might be holding you back in the search results.

ahrefs

Simplified

Simplify social media marketing! Simplified centralizes everything in one platform. Schedule engaging posts (made easy with their AI graphic designer!), track performance, and analyze audiences (no sweat with their AI writer!). Plus, a built-in planner keeps you organized. Go beyond basic tools with features like:

  • AI Graphic Design: Craft eye-catching visuals in seconds.
  • AI Writing Assistant: Effortlessly generate compelling content.
  • AI Video Maker: Create engaging videos without breaking a sweat.

Simplified empowers marketers to focus on strategy, not busy work.

5. File sharing

Google Drive

If you’re a virtual assistant looking for a hassle-free way to share files and collaborate with your clients, Google Drive has got your back. It makes sharing all sorts of documents and files with your clients, whether it’s spreadsheets, presentations, or just regular docs. You can create folders to keep everything organized and share them with specific clients or team members. Plus, you can control who can view or edit each file, so you don’t have to worry about anyone messing things up by accident. It’s like having your own virtual filing cabinet that you can access from anywhere with an internet connection.

google drive screenshot

Sync.com

If you’re a virtual assistant who takes privacy and security seriously, Sync.com is definitely worth checking out for safe and seamless file sharing and collaboration. It ensures the maximum level of security, so you can feel confident knowing that your files are safe from prying eyes. Moreover, it makes sharing files with your team members a breeze – you can effectively manage and organize documents, create shared folders, set permissions, and even track who’s viewed or edited each file. With end-to-end encryption and other advanced security features, Sync.com ensures that your sensitive information stays private and protected.

Streamline your virtual assistant career with the right tools

Online tools are essential to supercharge your workflow and boost overall productivity. From nifty time management apps to handy collaboration platforms, we’ve got you covered with several tools to help you stay on top of your duties.

With key features like advanced time tracking options and detailed analytics, these tools are your secret sauce for optimizing efficiency and getting things done like a pro. So whether you’re juggling multiple tasks for various clients or for just one person, these apps for virtual assistants have everything you need to streamline your workload and ace your virtual assistant game!

Streamline your virtual assistant career

Give TimeCamp a try and build a well-balanced, profitable business

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