When you think you’re ready to choose a Virtual Assistant to start taking care of your administrative headaches, there are some things you should do on your end to make things a bit easier for everyone.
The most important thing you can do before you get into a contact with a VA is to clearly lay out everything you would like to delegate so you know what you want done and it will be easier for your VA to dig right in and start working.
I’ve seen it many times in my own business where I sign on with a new client and they don’t have any idea what they want my help for. This really wastes resources and energy all around because much of the VA’s time is spent coming up with things they can help you with rather than actually tackling your most important priorities. The client feels pressure to throw work at the VA and hasn’t put enough thought into their goals when initiating this important relationship.
The best way to avoid this frustration is to become aware of all those things in your life that could be delegated. Be conscious of it throughout your work week; set a reminder on your Outlook calendar or write some sticky notes to yourself to prompt you to make notes about the things you’re doing that you shouldn’t be.
Common examples of these things that take up your time but are very easy to delegate include:
- Answering incoming calls and following up with clients and customers via phone.
- Managing your email.
- Putting all of your business cards into a database or CRM software.
- Setting up profiles on the popular social networking sites and managing those social identities of yours.
- Internet research for a purchase you’ve been wanting to make or a trip you’ve been putting off planning.
- Getting a good start on your holiday card mailing (yes it’s coming sooner than we think!)
There are so many ways a Virtual Assistant can make your life easier, but you can also help to make your VA’s life easier! You want to avoid making your assistant feel as if she’s creating work to fill up your hours. If you have a clear list prepared when you go into the relationship, not only will you most likely find the perfect VA who can handle all of your needs, but your VA will be able to dive right in and start freeing up your valuable time.
One of the hardest things I found to delegate, was my email. Yet once I did, what a relief! Instead of spending an hour a day sifting through the spam and sorting out emails to respond to them, I was making money doing other things that I loved doing! With remote type interfaces like Logmemin and GoTomyPC, as a business owner, you can’t afford not to hire a VA to delegate email management to 😉
A Virtual Assistant is a highly skilled, independent entrepreneur who provides business services in a remote or virtual environment.
I started using a virtual assistant about six months ago, it has made such a big difference to my day to day work, it has helped me to become more efficient, and allowed me to focus more on the things that has helped my business to grow.