For small businesses in the UK, virtual assistants (VAs) have become a good option to meet the needs for reception staff and operational-related assistance. However, effectively utilising VAs often requires a financial investment in advanced technology for seamless communication, organisation and management. Without that initial investment, much of the added utility of the virtual assistant could be lost. The good news is that getting the right technology doesn’t have to be expensive and, in many cases, can actually be a tool that already exists within your VoIP phone system.
What VoIP Features Matter Most For a Virtual Assistant?
Not all VoIP features are created equal. For a virtual assistant setup, the most useful ones are:
- Call forwarding: Call forwarding is crucial so calls to your business number route directly to your VA, wherever you might be.
- Voicemail to email: Missed calls are transcribed and sent to your VA’s inbox so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Call recording: VoIP offers call recording, which allows for a clear record of every conversation, useful for client notes and quality assurance.
- Auto-attendant: A professional greeting that directs callers intelligently, even when your VA is on another call.
- Multiple extensions: Virtual Assistants can manage calls for different departments or team members under one system.
What Tools Do You Need to Set Up a Virtual Assistant?
The right tools for a virtual assistant are a must-have, and for virtual assistants, there is really only one main type of infrastructure that is crucial to ensure your business is optimising the tool. Your VA is a virtual extension of the face of your business to the outside world, so it is imperative that they have a phone system that captures the professionalism it can offer. A phone system that uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is essential, and in the UK, small businesses can find many reliable VoIP providers that offer VA’s as an advanced feature- making installation simple with little to no downtime.
Why VoIP is Essential for Virtual Assistants
A VoIP phone system provides flexibility to businesses, and your VoIP VA can take your business line anywhere that internet access is available. You can use a virtual assistant while working from a home office, from a shared office space or even from a different state or country. When clients make a call to your business line, your VA seamlessly gets it directly.
How Does a VoIP System Help a VA Stay Organised?
A modern VoIP system, such as bOnline, has an amazing feature of keeping a record of every single phone call, which keeps your data organised and accessible. Your VA can gather information such as who called, when the call occurred, how long the call was and what the discussion points were; all from a single interface. That means better handover notes, more accurate client records and fewer ‘I thought you were handling that’ moments between you and your VA.
Communication and Collaboration Tools
There are many different communication tools that small businesses can use for better collaboration with their virtual assistant. From Slack to Microsoft Teams, there is a cloud-based app for every need:
Slack
Slack is an excellent choice for a messaging app that is utilised by remote teams, and for a good reason. It organises all discussions in specialised groups (called channels), so your VA is able to have a channel for each client, a channel for each admin task and even a channel for all messages that are time-sensitive.
Microsoft Teams
For organisations which have already adopted Microsoft 365, Teams can centralise business communication, which means that your virtual assistant can message, voice and video call, along with document sharing and editing. Teams can be integrated with your VoIP systems, allowing your virtual assistant to make and receive calls from the Teams app, without needing to use multiple apps.
Google Drive or OneDrive
Your VA needs somewhere to store, access and share documents securely. Google Drive (if you use Google Workspace) and OneDrive (if you use Microsoft 365) are the two most common options for UK small businesses and both work seamlessly with the other tools in this list. Set clear folder structures from day one as it will save hours of searching later.
Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar
Your VA needs access to your calendar to book appointments, schedule calls and protect your time. Shared Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar access is the simplest solution; your VA can see your availability, add bookings and send invites on your behalf. Pair this with your VoIP system’s call scheduling features, and your VA can manage your entire communication diary without needing to interrupt you.
Calendly
Rather than your VA going back and forth to find a time that works, Calendly lets clients book directly into available slots. It syncs with your calendar, sends automatic reminders and eliminates the scheduling admin entirely. For businesses that take a lot of enquiry calls or consultation bookings, it’s a small tool that saves a significant amount of time.
How bOnline Ties It All Together
At bOnline, we build VoIP phone systems specifically for small UK businesses, and we understand that your VA setup is only as strong as the communications infrastructure underpinning it. Our system gives your VA everything they need to handle calls professionally, stay organised and represent your business exactly as you’d want.
