In today’s fast-paced online business world, entrepreneurs and executives often find themselves wearing too many hats. Between managing websites or e-commerce stores, nurturing leads via email, handling customer inquiries on social media, and keeping up with inventory or service delivery, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. When you’re trying to grow online sales, every minute counts – but too often, business owners are bogged down by routine tasks. That’s where virtual assistant services come in. A skilled virtual assistant (VA) can take a significant load off your plate – boosting productivity, improving customer service, and freeing you up to focus on high-value activities that drive revenue.
This article explores how the best virtual assistant companies and professionals can support online sales growth. We’ll discuss the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant vs. an executive assistant or full-time employee, outline top virtual assistant tasks that contribute to sales, and highlight specific tools and platforms (from CRM systems to AI sales tools) that VAs leverage. You’ll also see real-world examples – including insights from MySigrid – of businesses scaling efficiently with remote staffing solutions. Finally, we’ll share data-backed insights and best practices (like project management and delegation tips) for outsourcing work and managing remote teams effectively, so you can reap the full ROI of hiring a virtual assistant. Let’s dive in!
Running a business that sells online requires juggling countless tasks, many of which are essential but don’t directly generate revenue. Studies show that business owners spend roughly 36% of their week on busywork like scheduling, invoicing, and data entry. Every hour spent on such routine tasks is time not spent on strategy, innovation, or closing deals. It’s no surprise that founders who delegate effectively see significantly higher revenue and profit growth than those who try to do everything themselves. In other words, handing off low-value tasks isn’t just about freeing time – it’s a smart investment in your business’s growth.
One famous quote from leadership coach Cameron Herold puts it bluntly: “If you don’t have an assistant, you are one!”. High-performing entrepreneurs understand this mindset. Your time is extremely valuable, and every minute you spend acting as your own assistant is a minute you’re not focusing on high-level business drivers.
Virtual assistants save businesses money as well as time. Over 40% of small businesses in the U.S. now use virtual assistants to streamline operations. For startups, the appeal is clear: hiring a virtual assistant can cut operating costs by about 30–50% compared to a full-time employee. Some estimates show that using offshore virtual staff can reduce costs by up to 78% by eliminating overhead. These savings improve your bottom line and can be reallocated to marketing, product development, or other growth initiatives.
Flexibility is another big draw. With remote executive assistant services, you can scale support up or down as needed without the commitments of a permanent hire. Need extra help during a holiday sales rush or product launch? Increase your VA’s hours or add a temporary assistant. If things slow down, you can scale back. This agility in remote staffing solutions allows businesses to stay lean and responsive. It’s one reason about 70% of startups use virtual assistants to grow their business without hefty overhead.
One of the top virtual assistant tasks is taking over the routine but critical work that keeps your sales engine running. By outsourcing administrative support and repetitive processes, you free up your core team to focus on closing sales and building customer relationships. Here are several key areas where virtual assistants shine:
How does a virtual assistant compare to a traditional in-person assistant or adding full-time staff? Here are a few key points in the outsourcing vs. in-house team decision:
No discussion of virtual assistants today is complete without addressing technology. AI-powered virtual assistants (in the sense of chatbots and automated tools) are becoming more common in customer service and sales. In fact, over 53% of businesses plan to use AI assistants more for customer support tasks in the next few years. Tools like chatbots can instantly answer simple customer questions 24/7, and AI-driven software can help schedule appointments or sort incoming emails.
However, as useful as automation is, it rarely replaces the human touch entirely. There will always be scenarios where a real human assistant is needed – whether it’s calming an upset customer, making a judgment call on a special request, or crafting a personalized sales email that doesn’t sound robotic. The most successful companies find a balance: they use AI and automation in administrative support for speed and efficiency, but keep humans in the loop for quality control and empathy. For example, a chatbot might handle initial FAQs on your website, but forward the conversation to a human VA for complex queries or VIP clients. This hybrid approach gives you the best of both worlds.
MySigrid’s co-founder Paul H. Østergaard emphasizes leveraging technology and human expertise together. MySigrid uses advanced AI tools and a centralized knowledge platform to assist their team of VAs behind the scenes, but they focus on the “immense value in the uniquely human touch” that a talented assistant provides. In practice, this means your VA isn’t just a task robot – they learn your business, adapt to your work style, and can even proactively suggest improvements to your workflow. That kind of insight only comes from a real person who is engaged with your company. By combining AI efficiencies with human judgment, AI and outsourcing together are shaping the future of work. The future of online sales support will likely involve smart software working hand-in-hand with proactive human assistants, delivering efficient yet customer-centric service.
Even though a virtual assistant works remotely, the right software will make it feel like they’re in the room with you. Here are some of the best remote work tools and platforms that help VAs integrate seamlessly into your online sales processes:
Using a combination of these platforms, an experienced VA can handle complex workflows entirely online. Technology minimizes the friction of remote work, so outsourcing tasks feels as natural as working with an in-house team member.
To maximize the ROI of hiring a virtual assistant and improve time management for executives, it’s important to set the engagement up for success. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:
Following these practices will help you integrate your virtual assistant smoothly into your operations. Many entrepreneurs find that once they adjust to delegating, they can’t imagine going back – their VA becomes an indispensable partner in the business.
Online sales success often comes down to efficiency and timing – responding to leads quickly, keeping your website updated, and executing marketing campaigns on schedule. Trying to do all of this alone (or with a small in-house team) can stunt your growth and lead to burnout. Virtual assistant services offer a smart way to scale up your capabilities without scaling up your costs at the same rate. From handling routine customer emails to managing complex projects, a good VA can be the behind-the-scenes hero that keeps your revenue engine humming.
In fact, as one MySigrid client enthused, “My dedicated VA is one of the hardest working and most responsive people I have had the honor to work with… I don’t know what I did before you all helped organize my life! You truly make everything possible.” This kind of result is typical once you experience what a skilled VA can do for your business.
Ready to supercharge your online sales with a virtual assistant? Take the next step by reaching out to the experts. Visit MySigrid to learn more about our human-centric virtual assistant services, connect with Paul H. Østergaard for insights on scaling with remote teams, or book a consultation now to explore how a virtual executive assistant can drive your business growth.