Business management entails juggling tasks requiring the utmost strategy. Consider marketing; you need to understand who you’re selling to devise creative ways of elevating your brand.
There’s also project management to help you stay on top of things and keep track of ongoing and future activities. And lest you forget, there’s people management. As a business owner, you’re expected to please your employees without compromising business interests. These require a highly tactical brain, and you need all hands on deck.
On the other side of these operations are non-strategic or non-core aspects of business management—for example, data entry. If you still participate in this task, you’re not doing yourself a favor.Â
The same goes if you have the brightest minds on your team typing away on their computers, listing data that could’ve been assigned to someone else. That someone else could be a data entry virtual assistant (VA), which you could hire via a virtual assistant company.
What is Data Entry?
Data entry is the process of data organization done with the help of computer software and tools such as a keyboard, mouse, stylus, and touchscreen. It requires the input of relevant information into a secure database and can be either of two types: straight and transcript.
Simply put, straight data entry deals with information in textual and numeral forms. Meanwhile, transcript data entry organizes details from audio and video sources to textual and numeral records.
Various industries require data entry in their daily operations. These include companies in the services, health, legal, real estate, hospitality, and sales field.
Skills Needed for a Data Entry Virtual Assistant
A competent data entry virtual assistant should not only be good at copying information. They must have the following data entry skills and qualities as well.
Excellent typing skills
This is the most basic requirement for a data entry VA. The job demands an individual with an average of 50-70 words per minute typing ability.
Attention to detail
A VA often deals with an excruciatingly long list of names and numbers. They can’t lose focus and jumble the letters or digits; hence attention to detail is crucial for the post.
Communication skills
While a data entry VA usually just type on a computer, they still need to communicate with their superiors or colleagues. That’s where communication skills come in handy.
Time management skills
Data entry VAs are either paid by the hour or project. It’s up to the client to determine the terms of the job. Regardless of the contract details, a data entry VA must have top-notch time management skills to not fall behind a deadline.
6 Data Entry Tasks a Virtual Assistant Can Work On
Data entry VAs can cater to an array of tasks. Here are some competencies you can expect when hiring one for your team.
Data entry
Consider this as your gateway to data entry VAs. They can copy information from one source to a secure database with top-notch accuracy.
Data conversion
Do you have data that needs to be converted from one format to another? Perhaps PDF files that need word document versions? Data entry VAs can accomplish this task on your team’s behalf.
Data processing
If you’re consolidating your tech systems, you’ll have to undergo extensive data processing. A VA can pull off this job without interrupting your operations.
Data transcription
Do you have audio or video files for your marketing or documentation efforts that require transcription? A data entry VA can cover this assignment. You can expect them to complete the task in no time with great accuracy.
Data typing
Those in the medical industry go through repetitive data typing, owing to details that need to be updated every time a patient visits. Typing accuracy is handy here, which a data entry VA can deliver.
Data management
Data storage demands foolproof organization. A data entry VA helps maintain your database. They ensure all information your team needs remains easily accessible and legible.
Data Entry for the Win
When running a business, the goal is to win. Doing so requires careful management of all the cogs in the machine. Plus, you also want your people to succeed. That entails letting your people shine in the kind of work they love and excel at. It’s high time to have your in-house team focus on core responsibilities. Everything else, designate elsewhere.
Data entry is one of the tasks you can outsource to VAs. While the job doesn’t directly affect critical business metrics, trained professionals can do it with great precision.
If you’re looking to hire different types of virtual assistants as part of your business optimization plans, you might consider partnering with Outsource Access. We boast a qualified pool of VAs that can cater to various tasks to help scale your business operations, including data entry.
