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Virtual Assistant

How To properly Utilize a Virtual Assistant

August 12, 2021
A virtual assistant is someone who, remotely in their own home, helps a business owner manage and complete various tasks. We go into detail about what a virtual assistant can do for a business owner and some examples of tasks to give to a virtual assistant.

If you’re a business owner and you’re struggling to keep up with the overwhelming flood of daily emails in your inbox, chances are you could use a break. Luckily, there’s a way to take some of the weight off your shoulders. Virtual Assistant are extremely valuable people that handle duties that you might find monotonous or burdensome.

More specifically, a particular type of assistant works online—a virtual assistant. These virtual assistants are especially prevalent in remote workplaces or when there isn’t enough office space in a physical building. They can perform their job from anywhere and are very flexible.

If you’ve been thinking about hiring a virtual assistant, check out these tips for how to use a VA.

What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?

A virtual assistant usually handles administrative tasks, such as checking emails, booking meetings, handling calls, and work of that nature. However, they also can do things like handle social media, marketing, business management, and lead meetings.

How you use a VA largely depends on what type of business you run and how much responsibility you give them. The needs of a marketing company and a law firm will differ significantly, so your experience will vary. 

A VA can run as much or as little of your business as you require. Typically, business owners want to delegate as many of the low-value tasks, such as email, to their assistants as possible.

If you wanted help beyond menial work, you could have your virtual assistant handle calls with clients or meetings with employees. There is no set way to use an assistant, so start with what you feel comfortable giving them and slowly increase their responsibilities as you see fit.

Tasks to Assign Your VA

One of the most effective ways to use a virtual assistant is to have them handle your time management. As a business owner, it can be challenging to remember all of the different tasks you have to complete daily. To solve this, have your virtual assistant create a calendar for you.

Once you have a calendar ready to be filled up, here are some of the things your VA can include in it:

  • Calls and Appointments—This can range from scheduling appointments or calls to providing reminders when you have to be present somewhere to rescheduling when things don’t work out.
  • Important Dates—Whether it’s your child’s birthday, your wedding anniversary, or the day you leave for vacation, it’s good to know in advance when you’ll need to be out of the office.

Some of the most time-consuming tasks are errands that you have to do for your life outside of work. However, with a virtual assistant, you can focus on your work while your VA takes care of them for you.

Here are some examples of personal errands to have your virtual assistant work on:

  • Pay the Bills—We all have them, and nobody likes to pay them, so have your virtual assistant do it for you. They can organize all of the bills you have and then ensure that they’re paid off every month, allowing you to rest easy.
  • Make Reservations—Are you planning a special date night? How about seeing a friend from out of town? Your VA can make the necessary arrangements for you to enjoy time with the people in your personal life.

These are just some ways to utilize a virtual assistant to make your life easier and stress-free. If you’re struggling to balance your career and personal life, consider hiring a VA to free up time.

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