The personal assistant is an American institution. Every high-level business executive has one. So do politicians, celebrities, and the super wealthy who are unable to manage their schedules. And now, the internet era has ushered in a new kind of personal assistant. Known as a virtual assistant, this is a person who performs personal assistant duties in a remote setting.
PoshyVA is a Redwood, California company that offers virtual assistants to people who sell in the Poshmark platform. Their company is a shining example of entrepreneurship that recognizes a very specific need and meets it with expertise.
Virtual assistants do not have to specialize in platforms like Poshmark. They can actually perform a variety of administrative tasks that have nothing to do with managing social commerce. The one thing all of them have in common is their ability to work remotely, using technology.
Avoiding Poshmark Jail
The benefits of having a virtual assistant are easily seen in the Poshmark example. As a social commerce platform, Poshmark is a place where people come together to buy and sell used clothing and accessories. But rather than being a straight e-commerce platform like Amazon, Poshmark combines e-commerce with social media. To succeed on the platform, you have to think with a social media mindset.
New sellers quickly discover that Poshmark’s learning curve is steep. They may find themselves in Poshmark jail because they violated one of the platforms many rules designed to prevent spamming. That is where the Poshmark virtual assistant comes in. A trained and experienced virtual assistant knows all of the finer details of the platform.
They know how to generate likes and follows without running afoul of the rules. An experienced personal assistant knows how to post in such a way as to generate interest. In essence, the virtual assistant is an expert at manipulating the platform to sell products.
Many Poshmark sellers have neither the time nor interest in mastering the platform. They are out looking for new products that they can sell. They are spending time marketing their businesses. They turn to virtual assistants to do the Poshmark work for them.
Working in the Digital World
Regardless of the specific tasks a virtual assistant performs, they work in a digital world. A virtual assistant working for a business executive might manage this person’s schedule, book their travel, and set up their meetings. All of this can be done online, from anywhere. The assistant does not actually have to come into the office.
Meanwhile, the executive and their assistant communicate via email, text message, and videoconferencing. They may be very familiar with one another’s names and faces without ever having met in person. They might not even live in the same city or state.
The Need Is Real
The idea of the virtual assistant is an example of entrepreneurship that works. Whoever came up with the idea recognized a need and figured out how to fill it. And make no mistake about it, the need is real.
The proliferation of digital technology all but requires personal assistants to be able to move quickly and from anywhere. They have to be experts in digital technology. They have to know how to use a full range of digital tools to do what they do. And with remote work here to stay, the virtual assistants are more in demand than ever before.
If you are an entrepreneur looking for a new business idea, have you considered providing virtual assistants? You can target any audience that suits you. Whatever you want to do, the market is wide open right now.