Blog | Staffing

How a Research Virtual Assistant Can Save You Hours Every Week

By Anna Taylor | Updated: 05 Aug, 2025

If you've ever lost hours going down a Google rabbit hole looking for vendors, digging up market data, or prepping for a pitch, you're not alone. 

Most business owners don’t mind doing internet research. But when you’re juggling a packed calendar, client calls, and growing your small business, digging for data quickly drops to the bottom of the to-do list. No matter how much you need it. 

One study found that the average worker spends 3.6 hours every day searching for information on the job. Think of all of the other more valuable tasks you and your team could complete if those hours weren’t used for research.  

That’s where a research virtual assistant comes in. 

Whether you're comparing software tools, building a prospect list, or trying to understand your competitors, a virtual research assistant does the heavy lifting so you can stay focused on strategy. 

In this post, we’ll walk through what a research virtual assistant does, how they support growing teams, and why they’re one of the smartest ways to streamline your workflow. 

Table of contents

What Is a Research Virtual Assistant? 

A virtual research assistant is someone who helps you gather and organize information, so you don’t have to. Think of them as the go-to person on your team who’s always ready to dig into the details:  

  • Compiling competitor analysis data 
  • Sourcing contact lists 
  • Tracking down vendor options 
  • Summarizing the latest market trends 
  • Building prospect lists

In many cases, research services are just one part of a broader set of responsibilities a virtual assistant handles like:  

But if your business needs involve a constant flow of information (say you're a consultant juggling multiple client research projects or a founder prepping for investor calls), it might make sense to bring on a VA who focuses solely on research. 

They serve as entry-level team members, assisting with administrative tasks. However, unlike full-time staff, they work remotely, you don’t have to cover their overhead costs, and they’re highly efficient. 

Whether you need a quick roundup of industry stats or a deep dive into potential partners, a research VA helps you work smarter by taking time-consuming digging off your plate. 

What Does a Research Virtual Assistant Do? 

A research virtual assistant finds and organizes information, so you don’t have to. That can mean:  

  • Conducting online research 
  • Using research software tools 
  • Access databases 
  • Working within your own data 

They can work directly in your CRM, manage spreadsheets, or put together presentations and summaries.  

This highly-dynamic role is flexible so it can fit your specific research needs. A research VA can support one-off research projects or work with you long-term. Sometimes they work inside an in-house research team, but most often they’ll work directly with executives, operations teams, or sales and marketing.  

Here are a number of ways you can use a virtual research assistant. 

Competitive and Market Research 

This is one of the most common research tasks VAs handle. They look at what your competitors are doing and what’s happening in your industry. 

That might mean checking websites, reading press releases, or using tools like LinkedIn, Crunchbase, or Similarweb. Your VA can pull this together into a simple report, what’s changed, what’s trending, and what you should watch. 

You can run this kind of competitor analysis quarterly or annually. It helps your marketing, sales, and ops teams stay sharp. And it gives you a heads-up on risks or opportunities, you might not have seen coming. 

For example at Headline, a VC firm, Prialto assistants took on research and data entry for executives tracking potential investments. These tasks were time-consuming and typically filled precious executive hours. With VAs handling the legwork, monitoring companies, updating templates, and formatting tear sheets, the team freed up mental bandwidth for strategy and decision-making. 

See how it works in the Headline Case Study 

Vendor and Partner Research 

Another common way leaders use research VAs is for targeted research on vendors, partners, or influencers. 

This type of work is more specific. Your VA might pull key details from websites, directories, or third-party tools. In some cases, they can even make calls or send outreach emails to gather info. 

Once they’ve collected everything, they organize it into a simple report. That way, your team can quickly review the options and make informed business decisions, whether you're choosing a supplier, vetting a new partner, or building an influencer shortlist. 

Data Entry and Collection 

When you’re running research, clean, organized data collection is everything. That’s where data entry virtual assistants shine. 

They’re the detail-oriented team members who collect information and format it so you can use it easily. You can count on them to keep spreadsheets, CRMs, and systems up to date and accurate. 

Here’s how they support research: 

  • Data preparation and cleaning: They catch duplicates, correct formatting, and tidy up your records. Clean data means valuable insights. 
  • Data compilation and reporting: Pulling numbers from multiple sources? Your VA can create reports on schedule or ad hoc so your team gets consistent updates. 
  • Data mining and enrichment: Need missing contact details, company info, or market stats? VAs dig into public websites, directories, and third‑party platforms to fill the gaps. 
  • Ongoing data management: They don’t update only once, they stay on top of your systems. Think syncing tools, running routine checks, and flagging errors before they cause issues. 

In many cases, your data entry virtual assistant and research virtual assistant is one in the same. Pulling in data, cleaning, and organizing it. They handle the repetitive detail work so your team can focus on strategic thinking and growth. 

Take the insurance firm Woodruff Sawyer. Prialto assistants saved 1,000+ hours per month for sales producers by handling research, list building, CRM updates, and event support, on top of admin tasks like travel and expenses. Their clean, organized data inputs let producers spend that time meeting with clients and closing deals 

Read the Woodruff Sawyer Case Study 

Information Verification 

It’s one thing to conduct research, it’s another to make sure it’s actually right. 

Research VAs help with both. They can double-check lead and customer details, confirm vendor information, or review third-party data before it reaches your team. 

They also go through spreadsheets or reports with a fine-tooth comb. That means checking for errors, validating sources, and flagging anything that doesn’t look accurate. 

With a research VA keeping your data clean and reliable, your team can make confident data-driven decisions with confidence, without wasting time second-guessing the numbers. 

Comparative Research 

Need help narrowing down your options? A research VA can do the legwork for you. 

Comparative research is all about gathering a list of choices, digging into the details, and laying them out in a simple, side-by-side format, so it’s easy for you to decide. 

Let’s say you're choosing between three vendors. Your VA can compare pricing, services, customer reviews, and turnaround times. Or maybe you're planning a team offsite. They can research restaurants, hotels, or coworking spots, and give you the pros and cons of each. 

From selecting a new software tool to finding the best local dry cleaner, VAs make comparison shopping fast and painless. You tell them what you’re looking for and they bring back the shortlist. 

Prospecting and Audience Research 

Before you reach out to a new group, whether it’s potential clients, event attendees, or influencer partners, it helps to know who you’re talking to.  

Your VA can gather audience data like job titles, company size, recent activity, or social media activity. This is especially helpful for sales professionals, speakers, and marketers looking to personalize outreach and refine their marketing strategy. 

It helps make outreach smarter and more personalized, so you’re not going in cold. 

What a Research VA Doesn’t Do?

A virtual research assistant is a powerful support resource, but they’re not there to lead strategy or make big-picture decisions. 

They work best with structure. That means giving them clear goals, step-by-step instructions, and the tools to get the job done. When you do that, they can take repetitive or time-consuming research off your plate and run with it. 

Here’s what to keep in mind: 

  • They’re not strategists. A research VA won’t decide what to research or why, they need direction from you or your team. 
  • They’re not project managers. While they can track tasks and organize data, they’re not responsible for managing timelines or deliverables. 
  • They need clear input. The more specific you are with formats, resources, and expectations, the better the output will be. 
  • They execute. VAs can help bring your ideas to life, but they need a clear vision to follow.
 

With the right setup, a research VA becomes a reliable extension of your team. You can stay focused on high-level work while they handle the details. 

Benefits of Hiring a Research Virtual Assistant 

Outsourcing tasks to a research VA adds real value across your team. Here’s how: 

  • Pass off high-effort, high-impact work: Research is important, but it’s time-consuming. A VA handles the digging, sorting, and summarizing so you can focus on using the insights, not gathering them. 
  • Reduce hiring and overhead costs: Hiring a full-time researcher can get expensive. A VA gives you flexible support and is more cost-effective. 
  • Scale your support to fit your needs: Need help with one project? Great. Want ongoing research support? Even better. VAs scale with your workflow so there’s no long-term commitment required. 
  • Set your team up for success: When your team isn’t bogged down by research, they can spend more time on strategy, client work, and growth. A VA helps everyone work more efficiently. 
  • Improve employee work-life balance: Offloading tedious or repetitive administrative  tasks helps reduce burnout and boost morale. Your team stays focused and happier with the right kind of support behind them.

Read more: 11 Proven Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant  

The Prialto Difference 

Prialto provides a fully managed support system. Instead of relying on a freelance VA or fractional executive assistant, our virtual assistant services ensure a smoother experience from day one. 

Our assistants don’t work in isolation. Each one is part of a pod that includes a dedicated Engagement Manager and backup support, so there’s always someone ready to step in when needed. You get the consistency and reliability of a full-time team without the overhead of building one yourself.  

We also take care of all the behind-the-scenes work like recruiting, onboarding, training, and performance management. You can focus on growing your business. Our VAs are trained to follow your systems and preferences, and we continuously optimize how they support you based on your evolving goals. 

What makes us different: 

  • Fully managed service. We handle the people, processes, and tools. 
  • Business-grade security. Our systems are built with enterprise-level security in mind. 
  • Proactive support. Your Engagement Manager monitors your VA’s performance and ensures nothing falls through the cracks. 
  • Simple onboarding. We make it easy to get started with customized support from day one.

Whether you need help with competitive research, data entry, or finding your next big client opportunity, Prialto gives you the research support you need, without the stress of managing it yourself. 

Ready to see how many hours you could save each month? Contact us today.