Deciding which tasks to delegate to a Virtual PA, VA or Virtual Assistant can take a
while to establish.
Most virtual assistants are self employed and work from home focusing on
administrative tasks similar to those of an executive assistant in a corporate office.
As the number of virtual assistants increases, their area of expertise is growing - it is therefore much easier to find someone who fits your needs than say it was five years ago when Virtual Assistants were only just beginning to get their names out there in the UK.
Entrepreneurs tend to
use virtual assistants for everything from making client calls to sending out
marketing material to prospective clients. It's important to build trust, just as
you would with a permanent assistant as a good VA will be become a member of your team - he or she works virtually, saving you the overhead of office space, recruitment costs and expensive health / life insurance.
1. Online Research
You can easily delegate Internet research to a Virtual PA. Requests could include searching for information on corporate websites, exploring new products and vetting potential employees or business contacts. It is important to give clear instructions, as well as user names and passwords so your assistant can get access to speciality search tools or paid websites. You can ask your VA to research blog topics and to find out what the current trends are before you delegate your Twitterfeed, blog, newsletter or website updates.
You can easily delegate Internet research to a Virtual PA. Requests could include searching for information on corporate websites, exploring new products and vetting potential employees or business contacts. It is important to give clear instructions, as well as user names and passwords so your assistant can get access to speciality search tools or paid websites. You can ask your VA to research blog topics and to find out what the current trends are before you delegate your Twitterfeed, blog, newsletter or website updates.
2. Database entries From new business cards picked up at networking events to updated information for existing contacts, keeping databases current is vital if you want to become an expert marketeer.
Be specific about your needs and make sure your Virtual Assistant is aware of your expectations. Proper follow up is crucial for business owners if they want to market themselves efficiently. You can even scan
business cards to your VA who will enter them into your database.
3. PowerPoint Presentations
Creating PowerPoint
presentations from raw data and flipcharts or summarising research findings in a Word document can be a huge
timesaver and can help you to prepare for those important meetings Your VA can return the data to you in an electronic format which
is easily shared later on.
4. Managing email
To save you time on a daily basis, your Virtual Assistant can filter your most important e-mails and respond to the rest on your behalf, ensuring nothing gets missed. E-mail management is simple to administer remotely, but if your assistant is new to your business, you may need to provide guidance on how to select key e-mails and don't forget to ask your PA to ensure you are kept in the loop!
To save you time on a daily basis, your Virtual Assistant can filter your most important e-mails and respond to the rest on your behalf, ensuring nothing gets missed. E-mail management is simple to administer remotely, but if your assistant is new to your business, you may need to provide guidance on how to select key e-mails and don't forget to ask your PA to ensure you are kept in the loop!
5. Social tasks
Virtual assistants are worth their weight in gold when it comes to drafting correspondence, writing cards or sending thank you notes. This type of task can become a real bugbear for business executives but a good Virtual Assistant will take care of it all seamlessly.
Virtual assistants are worth their weight in gold when it comes to drafting correspondence, writing cards or sending thank you notes. This type of task can become a real bugbear for business executives but a good Virtual Assistant will take care of it all seamlessly.
At the end of the day it is all about creating a level of trust with your
VA, Virtual PA, or Virtual Assistant and being prepared to just “let go” - a must for anyone who wants to grow and expand their business. No-one got rich by "doing it all themselves!"
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