Let me free you up as the owner/manager so you have time to focus your time and energy on things only you can do.

 

What Can a Virtual Assistant (VA) do for you?

1. Inbox detox

I read recently that spam makes up over 80% of all emails sent worldwide. It’s really tempting to sign up to ‘business expert’ subscriptions and newsletters but do you ever get time to read them? If your inbox is full of spam, newsletters, and noise you’re probably missing genuine messages and inquiries – you need to take back control. I can do this for you by sorting out all those folders, unsubscribing from newsletters you keep forgetting to unsubscribe from, putting some systems in place and putting the important stuff in front of you.

2. Importing databases

Setting up new software? Starting an e-newsletter? Anything like this usually means you need to import lists or databases – doing all that stuff with .csv files and spreadsheets that breaks you out in hives. If you get it wrong it sends your software haywire – best to get it right the first time. Why not get me to do it for you? Then you can focus on the task at hand rather than being pulled in all directions trying to run a business.

3. Creating reports

Sales, expense, postage, cost, and mileage reports – any reports you need – give me the info and off I’ll go!

4. Transcribing audios

Record your client notes and get them transcribed to save you typing them up. Interviewed someone or done an online class? Get it transcribed by a virtual assistant so you can use it for other things (e-books, blogs, videos). Recording voice memos on your phone are easy-peasy and will save you tons of time you can spend on other things.

5. Creating forms

Opt-in, website, survey, expense, and mileage forms – any forms you need – they take time and patience to set up and that’s something that’s in short supply for most business owners so use me to do it for you.

6. Preparing meeting minutes

Do you REALLY want to spend time going through those 23 pages of scribble from the meeting and turning it into a beautifully clear set of minutes? If not, call me to decipher the scrawl and I will have it done in no time.

7. Preparing presentations

PowerPoint slides, they have been the downfall of many a happy business owner. A few hours later and many curses and tears later they give up because the animations didn’t work and they got ambushed by WordArt. It’s not pretty. Whiz your logo and notes over to me and I will do it properly.

8. Travel planning

Trains, planes, hire cars, rental cars, rental units, hotels, cruises, holidays, and, sightseeing.

9. Formatting e-books

E-books are a brilliant marketing asset whether you’re selling them or giving them away for free in exchange for email addresses to build your list. You need to make them look professional – this is the first impression most people will have of your business. I don’t mean you have to pay a graphic designer to whip them up but you DO need to get a consistent style and feel (and they need to be error free and grammatically correct).

10. Diary management

If you just want to be given a ‘to-do’ list each day, let me act like your PA.  In other words, I will manage and protect your time, book your appointments, and, keep you right and tight. Not everyone needs this but you will definitely know if you do!

11. Research

Need some statistics for a presentation or sales page or some figures for a client document? Maybe you need to find some quotes for your FB page or get some information for a client report. If you don’t have time to do the research, I will happily do this for you.  You just need to give me a time and money budget in advance.

12. Data entry

Got a list of people who attended your event and gave you their email address on a sheet of paper; or do you have a stack of business cards needing to be placed in a database? I can take this project on for you and even create reports for you from the information.

13. Creating spreadsheets

If Excel breaks you out in hives then shout for me as I  know my way around spreadsheets. You might think you can live your life without spreadsheets but if you’re honest, I’m sure you could do with some nifty cash-flow or management account spreadsheets at the very least, not to mention record keeping, PR contacts, or even your list of tweets you need to schedule. Rather than battling with Excel, call me so I can set them up for you.

14. Checking voicemail

If you’re out and about with clients, at events or in meetings, who is keeping an eye on your phone? Even if you don’t want to stretch to call handling, it doesn’t hurt to get someone to check your office and mobile voicemail at regular intervals and either deal with the queries or put them into your to-do list.

15. Project management

Whether you’re organizing a launch, going through a rebrand or working with a team to make something happen, I can help with the organization and project management. You need one person who is the contact point and knows what is supposed to happen and who is supposed to be doing it, and by when, I can run these projects for you.

16. Sending client invoices

You know you need to do it but it’s SO hard to find time! And yet it’s the lifeblood of your business – if you don’t invoice, you don’t get paid. Get a VA to sort it for you – it might take you a bit of time to set up between you but in the long run, you’ll wonder how you ever managed. Some business owners I know do it via dictation – they record their hours and billing info onto a voice recorder on their phone, email it to me, the invoices come back to get checked, and then get sent. 

17. Credit control

OK, so invoicing is only half of the equation. The other half is making sure you get paid. The thing about chasing invoice payments is it feels so PERSONAL – one day you’re treating your lovely clients like royalty and giving great service, the next you’re on the phone reminding them their payment is late. I know, it feels kind of odd. A VA doesn't have to worry about emotions or guilt – I handle it in a very straightforward, matter-of-fact way.

18. Receptionist duties

Maybe you want to look and act like a bigger company. Maybe you just want to make sure all your calls are getting handled. Maybe you only need a receptionist / greeter occasionally when clients come to your office. Whatever the case, just book me, brief me on the task, and let me take care of it. 

19. Newsletter creation

I’ve known people to waste a week or more trying to get their newsletter to look nice. Imagine! That’s not uncommon by the way – it’s very easy to waste a lot of time going around in circles trying to get your newsletter set up if you’re not arty and you don’t know what you’re doing. 

20. Newsletter sending

You’ve got the template sorted, your email is ready to go if only you had a list of people to send it to…get me to upload your customer list for you and schedule your newsletter to go out when you want. 

21. Press release writing

Not very good with words? Stuck for what to say? Tell me your story and I'll turn it into a beautiful press release. You can tweak it afterward if needs be but the hard work will have been done – it’s much easier to amend a release than start with a blank page.

22. Press release distribution

I can send out your press release. 

23. Proofreading

If you have an important letter or email to send, you don’t want glaring mistakes or spelling errors spoiling the effect. If you’re paying good money for brochures or fliers to be printed, you don’t want to repent at leisure when you see loads of typos upon opening the box. Let an eagle-eyed VA take the uncertainty away and make sure you get it right the first time!

24. Creating autoresponders

Autoresponders are emails that go out automatically to your customers or email subscribers for a specific reason, such as welcoming them to your business or telling them what to expect from their purchase.

25. Scheduling autoresponders

Autoresponders are a two-step task – first of all you have to write them, then you need to plug them into your email software and schedule them to go out on the right days at the right time in the right order. It takes an organized, patient person to do this project.

26. Basic Bookkeeping

Rather than collecting bags full of receipts and stealing yourself for a day of torture when your accounting deadline looms, why not put each month’s receipts into a ‘month’ envelope (or even take photos of each one) and send it off to me to input into your accounting software or a spreadsheet. That way it won’t build up and my cost will be more than justified when you get your life back.

27. Reminder services

Do you keep forgetting birthdays? Or missing booking deadlines for those events you wanted to attend? I get it, life is busy but I could set up reminders for you or do it for you. Money well spent, I think you’ll find.

28. Customer service emails

If it’s taking you too long to get back to customers with quotes or answers to questions, hire me to do it for you. Give me a ‘cheat sheet’ and your pricing structure, I'll check with you before I send.  You can watch your customer service levels soar.

29. Sending greetings cards

How long has it been since you sent thank you cards to your customers? Or birthday cards to your favorite clients? How about a ‘good luck in your new home’ card to the supplier who just moved into bigger premises? Cards like this in the mail make people smile. Making people smile is good for everyone. I enjoy sending out greetings and would find it a pleasure sending out the cards on your behalf – I can even compile a ‘birthday’  or 'anniversary' list for your top clients!

30. Managing events

If you’re running an event, there are lots of things that need to be covered. From finding and liaising with the venue, setting up the ticketing and payments, marketing the event, dealing with inquiries, even manning the reception desk on the day.

31. Ask me! You might be surprised!

Every Virtual Assistant has their own unique combination of experience, expertise, skills, and knowledge so why not schedule some time to chat about what I can do for you. A chat like this could give you some great ideas for your business and you’re talking to the person who can make it happen. Awesome stuff!

There are LOADS of other things a VA could do for your business, I’ve really just scratched the surface.