What do Virtual Assistants do and how can they help YOU?
“So, what is it that you actually do?”
This is a question I get asked quite regularly, and it’s totally fair enough, as the term “virtual assistant” is rather broad!
In a nutshell, Virtual Assistants are there to make your (the business owner) life easier, without having to commit to hiring an employee. I’ve written an article all about VAs vs Employees if you want to compare the two.
There are THOUSANDS of VAs in the world and we all have our own skill sets and niches.
Some VAs may have a very specific niche such as Pinterest Management for beauty salons or Facebook ads for coaches. Others may be more of a generalist, doing a little bit of everything for everyone.
Me? I LOVE to focus on business development through streamlining, automating and implementing new (more efficient) systems and processes for my clients. For example, I was recently able to save a client of mine thousands, by introducing a deposit and strict cancellation policy to all of their customers, reducing no-shows and lateness by over 90%.
Sometimes, when you’re stuck right in the middle of your business, it’s easy to miss things that may seem obvious to others. That’s where I come in! I’m kind of like a right-hand (wo) man.
I do however, focus on a variety of other tasks for my clients. Here is a typical example of my client tasks in a day:
- Social media creation and scheduling for 2/3 hours
- Inbox tidy
- Edit videos and upload to Youtube
- Edit auto captions and download for LinkedIn/ Facebook
- Liaise with suppliers
- Write and upload podcast show notes
I’m quite a techy VA and I love variety. Bookkeeping for example, would be my idea of hell but there are plenty of VAs who live for this!
Simply put, it doesn’t matter what you need assistance with, there will be a VA out there who can help you.
Thinking of a hiring a VA but don’t know where to start?
If you think you’re ready to start outsourcing, then congrats! If you try to do everything yourself, your business can only grow so much. Don’t be a bottleneck!
The first thing you need to do is really think about the tasks that you can give to your VA. It’s no use hiring a VA then not giving them anything to do, because you’re terrified of giving stuff away (I’ve had a client do this, and it’s rather annoying).
The next thing you need to do is research! Remember, not all VAs are the same and you want to make sure that the one you’re hiring will be a good fit for you, your business and the tasks at hand. So book some calls and discuss your requirements with a few VAs before hiring one. And please, do NOT just go for the cheapest.
Working with a VA can take a little bit of getting used to (they might live thousands of miles away, for a start!), so please do read my article – How To have The Best Relationship With Your VA – to ensure both parties are always happy and that you both have a great working relationship.
If you’d like to find out more about the services I offer or you want to arrange a free 30-minute call, visit my website.