Most new businesses have an insatiable appetite for information. Entrepreneurs need to control data about potential clients vefore a sales presentation or research new developments or products in related industries. Virtual Assisnants are well positioned to take care of these reserach related tasks and can also help with travel arrangements by comparing hotels, preparing itineraries and suggesting restaurants along the way.
One of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs involves staffing and delegation. It can be hard to know when to hire full-time or put extra help in place and how to do it the right way. Small businesses and new entrepreneurs might want to consider the virtual assistant, or VA. A VA is basically an independant contractor or freelancer who perfoms support-staff tasks and functions, often while at home or working spaces or even a coffee shop. Working with a VA can feel awkward and confusing at first, so let’s look at some categories of tasks that are especially suitable for delegating to this new team member.
WORKING WITH DATA:
Maybe you went to that last networking event and picked up a huge stack of business cards, or perhaps you need to comb throuhg tons of raw data to discern what the numbers are rally telling you about your business. Metrics are ultimately only useful to the extent that they suggest next steps and ways to optimize your operations, and whether via customer support, marketing or product-related research, VAs can help traslate your company’s data into plain English. And that means you can improve on the company’s current performance and hopefully contribute to a healthier financial bottom line.
Email Management:
There are few tasks more frustrating to a busy professional than email. Lighten your load by assigning a trusted VA to your inbox. Email management is especially apt as remote work, since ther’s no need to be right there in your office. It can take some time ot establish procedures and guidelines, but once you do, a VA can save you loads of time each week by forwarding requests to the appropriate person, responding to simple inquiries directly and saving really crucial messages for your personal review.
Calendar Management & Scheduling:
If you’ve ever tried to coordinate the schedule sof busy professionals, you recognize the value a skilled VA can bring to the table simply by taking over calendar management. From scheduling client appointments and coordinating sales meetings with prospects to broader event planning, VAs are greta at helping you keep your team organized and on time.
Social Media:
A VA can be a terrific resource in managing your social media presence. Look for a VA with social media management adn content-creation experience, then give them specific guidelines on your brand’s voice and tone and what kinds of content to share (and what’s forbidden). If you’re not comfortable oursourcing all of your social media to a VA, consider using them for social media research. They can save you time by finding interestedin industry news and other content you can share from corporate accounts, as well as research new accounts and influencers to follow or engage with and keep tabs on relavent metrics.
Content Creation:
Some VAs marry remote-assistant skills with content-creation experience. Perhaps they know the ins and outs of WordPress and can contribute to your blog. Maybe they can help design inforgraphics or videos. Whatever content you can imagine sharing through your company’s websiter, a vitual assistant can help you create it. You can even outsource specific aspects of the conten-creation process, such as SEO optimization or finding images. A VA can also help promote content through socail media, email marketing or influencer outreach.
Whether you need help with data entry, graphic design or some other administrative task, virtual assistance may be the answer. You can start a VA on a part-time basis, before determining whether they have the skillset to be your next permanent assistant.