A silent revolution is bubbling under the surface in the UK—the rise of virtual secretaries or virtual secretary services. UK businesses are increasingly employing virtual assistants to cut costs and embrace a more efficient way of working, and as a result, the demand for virtual assistant jobs is skyrocketing!
What's a virtual secretary?
Your virtual secretary is your admin assistant who works remotely for you. You can have more than one virtual secretary as your team members.
What tasks do virtual assistants or secretaries perform?
They offer various sorts of business support.
Here are some administrative tasks they perform:
- Customer service/support services
- Manage multiple phone calls (work as a virtual receptionist)
- Help you with lifestyle management/work-life balance
- Data entry work
- Diary management
- Video conferencing
- Extensive research (e.g., finding particular email addresses)
- Microsoft Office & Project Management
- Prepare a to-do list and many more.
Beyond this, they are adept in graphic design and social media management.
If you belong to the legal fraternity, you can hire a virtual assistant with a legal background and experience as your legal secretary.
Why has the UK embraced this wave of virtual secretaries?
Rising Business Costs:
Given the escalating business costs in today's market, enterprises are keen to trim expenses wherever possible. Virtual secretaries offer an affordable alternative, enabling savings on salaries, office space rental fees, and equipment overheads—particularly beneficial for fledgling startups grappling with financial constraints.
According to a BBC report, “Inflation has fallen significantly since it hit 11.1% in October 2022, which was the highest rate for 40 years.
However, that doesn't mean prices are falling - just that they are rising less quickly.
Inflation had remained above the Bank of England's 2% target partly because of high energy and food prices.
Food prices are still 25% higher than at the beginning of 2022, and petrol prices are increasing again.”
Brexit Aftermath:
The repercussions of Brexit have complicated matters for UK businesses, introducing new regulations and cross-border barriers. Virtual secretaries adeptly navigate these challenges by managing paperwork, studying regulations, and coordinating international communications—thus freeing businesses to focus on post-Brexit strategies to flourish.
Beyond Brexit woes lies another bottleneck!
Skills Shortage:
A scarcity of skilled labor across various industries in the UK is a pressing concern!
A galvanising report published by the House of Commons Library on Skills and labour shortages states — “Businesses are reporting having difficulty recruiting employees with the relevant skills. In August 2022 the Federation of Small Businesses found that 80% of small firms faced difficulties recruiting applicants with suitable skills in the previous 12 months.”
Virtual secretaries come to the rescue by delivering specialized assistance remotely. No longer bound by geographic constraints, these professionals mitigate skill gaps effectively.
Hybrid Work Model:
The hybrid work model originating from pandemic repercussions has gained momentum in the UK business landscape. As employees prefer a blend of remote and onsite work setups — a trend likely here to stay — an agile workforce led by virtual secretaries effortlessly adapts to such dynamic environments.
Let's explore the list of Virtual Secretary company websites (UK Virtual Assistants) offering full-time and part-time assistance to business owners.
Features |
Boldly |
Time Etc |
Smart PA |
Virtalent |
Customer Rating |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4 |
4.5 |
Established |
2009 |
2007 |
2010 |
2014 |
Hourly Rate |
£30-36 |
£23-26 |
£24-32 |
£23-27 |
Dedicated Assistant |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Minimum VA Experience |
7 Years |
5 Years |
Varies |
Varies |
Team Access |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Rollover Hours |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Free Trial |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Alternatively, MyTasker has set a benchmark for delivering phenomenal services with a proven track record of excellence. Armed with a stalwart team of dedicated professionals, MyTasker consistently outshines the competition, providing business owners with top-tier support that transcends the service provided by all other similar companies in the industry:
Customer Rating |
Established |
Hourly Rate |
Dedicated Assistant |
Minimum VA Experience |
Team Access |
Rollover Hours |
Free Trial |
4.5 |
2012 |
£6-14 |
Yes |
8.5 Years |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Like many other leading VA companies, MyTasker assists businesses worldwide. We have worked with and helped many UK-based companies grow their businesses in the UK and internationally. When it comes to administrative support, technical assistance, and creative services, we’re well-trained, certified, and experienced.
However, if you need your secretary to make calls where the accent matters, we recommend you opt for UK-based assistants. Although we graduated from the British Education System and we speak with a neutral accent, for calling work, our UK counterparts are the better option.
If you need an experienced team or virtual full-time employee, MyTasker can be a great option. We assist you with your overall business administration. You can also hire virtual personal assistants who work exclusively for you, along with a backup assistant (at zero cost). Though we're based in India, most businesses and individuals we work for are in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. We have a dedicated team for different time zones. We've been in the VA business for over 12 years and have worked with thousands of customers. We offer 24/7 virtual assistant services.
No more extra workload! Get all your business needs to be taken care your virtual secretary.