Virtual Assistant
When you have loads of work pending at hand and have deadlines to meet, what is your solution?
For an individual, completing a bunch of tasks is not easy.
A virtual assistant (VA) can aid!
But which jobs should you delegate and which should you retain?
That is what we will cover in this piece.
Use this article to create a job description for a virtual assistant.
We’ll also give you some pointers on how to select a great assistant so you can get more done.
You should consider outsourcing virtual assistant responsibilities.
What services do a virtual assistant provide?
People hire virtual assistants to help them with a variety of duties.
Administrative labor is simple to outsource because it is time-consuming, straightforward, and vital.
Administrative activities are among the most popular virtual assistant roles.
However, virtual assistants are capable of far more than answering messages and scheduling appointments.
Some VAs have unique skills that allow them to take on additional responsibilities.
An assistant with experience in marketing, data research, or customer service is frequently available.
These experts charge a little extra, but their knowledge is priceless.
The following are some chores you should consider assigning to a virtual assistant
Email management
Email is undoubtedly one of the most time-consuming activities for most entrepreneurs.
Consider working hard on a specific assignment, getting into the zone, and then suddenly receiving a fresh email notice.
You open the email to see what it’s about, and before you know it, you’ve lost your concentration.
It takes 23 minutes on average to refocus and get back into the zone.
That’s what interruptions do to your productivity.
How many hours have you wasted solely due to email interruptions?
The distraction is almost never worth the lost productivity.
Having a virtual assistant manage your inbox can save you hours each week and allow you to focus on more important things.
While providing someone else access to your email inbox may appear frightening at first, there is little risk.
Email handling is a popular virtual assistant activity.
You should have no problems as long as you work with a trustworthy company or contractor.
Most simple requests may be handled by your VA, and spam communications can be deleted.
If there is an emergency, they will attract your attention.
Teach your assistant how to respond to the most typical emails.
Create rules, for example, on how to respond to frequently requested queries from clients.
It’s also a good idea to establish a guideline for promotional messaging.
The less frequently they ask you what to do, the more time you have to accomplish other things.
Don’t expect a virtual assistant to mimic your communication style right away.
Allow them time to become acquainted with your communication style.
Give them comments on a regular basis so they know what they’re doing well and where they can improve. You’ll wonder how you ever managed your inbox on your own after a while.
Returning phone calls
Phone calls, both personal and professional, disrupt you in the same way that emails do.
Delegate these minor interruptions to your virtual assistant so that you may remain focused.
It is preferable to have a live person answer your calls rather than having them go to voicemail.
Your callers will appreciate the fact that they spoke with a live person to leave a message, and your virtual assistant can handle most basic questions without bothering you at all.
They can reach you instantly in the event of an emergency.
Remember that transferring your calls to your assistant during work hours necessitates hiring someone who is available during that period.
International VAs should be prepared to work asynchronously.
If you intend to delegate phone calls to your assistant, ensure that they will be available for the full workday.
Time management
Emailing back and forth is an ineffective approach to scheduling meetings.
Meeting scheduling software is great, but you must keep it up to date or individuals will book appointments that interfere with your other responsibilities.
They keep track of your concentration time, organize appointments for maximum efficiency, and remind you to prepare ahead of time.
If you have off-site meetings, your assistant will make sure you have enough time to get from one location to another.
If you need to postpone, your assistant can contact everyone involved and arrange a new date and time.
They’ll make certain that everyone gets the message and that the new time works for everyone.
Data entry
One of the most tiresome and repetitive sorts of jobs is data input.
There’s no reason why you should waste your time doing something that everyone can do.
There are numerous virtual assistants that focus on data entry. They are rapid and inexpensive.
A virtual assistant can aid you in gathering, sorting, and entering all of your data into the software of your choice.
A VA can also assist you if you need to digitize a large number of documents.
They excel at taking on all of those time-consuming yet vital jobs.
Accounting
Although your virtual assistant is not an accountant, they can assist you with bookkeeping responsibilities.
They can, for example, reconcile transactions and keep your financial records using software such as Xero or Freshbooks.
Your VA will send you reminders to assist you to remember to pay all of your bills on time.
They can prepare and send invoices, as well as follow up on overdue bills, to ensure that clients pay you on time.
Because bookkeeping entails handling sensitive data, look for a reputable VA with a long list of references.
Some virtual assistants are experts in this field. Request that they sign a nondisclosure agreement if necessary.
Conduct research
You most likely conduct extensive research to maintain your firm functioning properly.
Research is both vital and time-consuming, whether you’re starting a new project, keeping up with business news, or seeking articles like the one you’re reading now.
A virtual assistant can be of assistance.
They can, for example, gather information about your prospects prior to a sales presentation.
Some may be capable of conducting competition analyses and other in-depth research work.
Some research assignments are still in progress.
Request that your assistant gathers any relevant news, keep an eye out for announcements regarding items or services you use, or monitor pricing swings.
You must still study all essential materials in order to learn, but you save a lot of time by having someone else filter out irrelevant information.
Spend your time on the most important issues and disregard the rest.
Customer Service Management
A personal touch can make a big difference.
Sending birthday cards, thank you notes, and other small presents to valued partners and clients is a terrific idea.
Keeping track of all those dates and people, on the other hand, maybe a genuine chore.
Delegating the majority of the task allows you to save time and creative energy.
Allow your virtual assistant to handle the logistics. You decide on the budget.
Your VA can select an appropriate present, write a unique message, and ensure that it is delivered on time.
In fact, your virtual assistant can also assist you in keeping track of personal dates and events. Request that they notify you of upcoming birthdays and anniversaries.
Travel preparation
If you’ve ever flown, you know how difficult it can be to get the best deals on plane tickets.
Instead of constantly checking airline websites to see if ticket costs have been reduced, hire a virtual assistant to do it for you.
They can also assist you in finding and booking lodgings.
A good assistant can accomplish more than that. The majority of your journey can be planned by your virtual helper.
They will plan your flights, vehicle hire, and hotel accommodations, as well as make dinner reservations and locate event tickets.
You’ll never want to travel in another way. You’ll soon want your assistant to organize your holidays as well.
Social media administration
Do you spend a significant amount of time on social media?
If you spend hours each week answering messages, reacting to comments, or posting to increase your digital presence, delegating can help you save a lot of time.
Determine if you want to outsource the management of your company’s social media accounts, your personal social media accounts, or both.
In addition to their firm, business owners frequently build a brand around their personality.
Your assistant can write and schedule posts as well as interact with your fans.
You can also have them act as a moderator, ensuring that unwanted remarks are not placed on your social media platforms.
They will ensure that all of the information on your social media profiles is current.
They may also assist you in maintaining a consistent brand image across channels if they specialize in social media.
Give your virtual assistant specific guidelines if you delegate social media.
They shouldn’t have to question you on everything.
These guidelines should include information about your brand’s language and tone, target demographic, and the types of content you want on your pages.
Look for a virtual assistant who specializes in this type of work, particularly if they will post as you.
Expect to pay slightly extra.
If you want someone to manage your complete social media strategy or marketing efforts, you should hire a social media marketer rather than a virtual assistant.
Content creation
If you despise writing yet need to create content for your business, consider hiring a virtual assistant to handle all of your content creation for you.
A virtual assistant can aid in the creation of blog posts, newsletters, press releases, ebooks, and other types of written content.
They can help with editing, proofreading, and adding material to your website.
If you don’t want to delegate the complete content creation process, you can delegate the research to your VA.
They can locate all of the necessary information for you to generate the content yourself.
Another alternative is to phone your VA and discuss a certain topic before having them ghostwrite a piece based on your suggestions.
Keep in mind that high-quality material is more expensive.
The majority of virtual assistants do not work as full-time writers.
They can assist fill in the gaps, but if you need someone to handle a large amount of content for your company, you should engage an expert.
Graphic design and video editing
While basic photo and video editing may be learned by anyone, not everyone has the time.
Even minor changes can take hours. It will take considerably longer if you are inexperienced.
Some of these creative chores can be handled by your graphic design virtual assistant.
Inquire about their experience making social media graphics or editing YouTube videos.
A virtual assistant can also aid you in the design of flyers, brochures, and other printed materials for your company.
This is not a skill that every virtual assistant possesses.
You might, however, ask them to assist you in finding a great freelancer to complete these tasks.
Give them a budget and some basic criteria and charge them with managing the process.
Customer service
Overflow support can be handled by a virtual assistant.
While they cannot operate as an additional agent, they can assist with some of the tasks that your outsource technical support agents regularly perform.
A virtual assistant, for example, can monitor your inbox for new emails from potential or existing customers and forward them to the appropriate recipient.
They could also assist by conducting escalation research, issuing reimbursements, or following up with clients after an issue has been resolved.
Some virtual assistant companies do provide virtual assistance.
If you employ an agency, inquire whether this is an option during your peak season.
Web Design and Development
If your company uses a software-as-a-service platform, you usually don’t need a developer on staff to keep your website up to date.
That doesn’t imply you won’t have to undertake any maintenance.
To keep your site secure, most platforms and plugins require regular updates.
This is when virtual assistants come in handy.
They keep an eye on your site for updates and to ensure that everything is working well.
Your assistant can also handle backups so you don’t have to worry about losing important data.
Request that they review your website on a regular basis for broken links and technical concerns.
If they find any, they can either rectify them or bring them to your attention if they are minor.
Conclusion
Hire an experienced VA to handle all of your concerns!
They can significantly ease your journey.
Good luck!
Author
Sarwar Abdullah
Content Developer at VAtask.com
Author Bio
Content writing is my passion. And I believe in following my dreams to achieve my goal in life! I am a full-time entrepreneur who believes in investing his time in his profession and passion equally.
