Is It Time to Work with a VA?
Have you lost that �spark� or energy that you first had when you started your business? Do you remember what it was like when you took those first steps into entrepreneurism � that excitement of obtaining your first client or making that first big sale? Maybe your love of your business has diminished and you�re not sure why. You may need to evaluate how your time is being spent and what�s pulling you away from the core of your business � and where your revenue is generated.
How many of these situations apply to you:
- If you�re providing a service, compare the number of billable hours per month to the hours spent on administrative tasks. Do the hours spent on administrative tasks seem proportionally high to the billable hours?
- Do you hesitate to take on additional clients because you�re afraid you won�t be able to provide your usual high level of service?
- Are there new products or services you would like to offer, but you haven�t had the time to fully develop your ideas?
- Do you handle administrative tasks late at night because you haven�t had the time through the day?
- Are your clients or customers waiting longer and longer for responses from you?
- Are you continually missing deadlines?
- Are you missing time with family or friends because you�re too busy running your business?
How many yes responses do you have? And how much are these �yeses� costing you in revenue every month or time away from family and friends?
What if you were to work with a virtual assistant (VA) to help you with the administrative side of your business so that you can get back to what you love about your business? If that thought excites you, it�s time to start working with a VA.
Tasks for your Virtual Assistant
Now that you�ve made the decision to work with a Virtual Assistant, what tasks can the VA handle for you? First, start making a list of those tasks that you continually procrastinate on. This procrastination is draining your energy and you need to delegate.
Next, start to make a list of the administrative tasks that you are doing and note the amount of time that you�re spending on these tasks.
Your list may include:
Customer Service
- Answering email and snail mail
- Follow-up call or correspondence after the �sale�
- Mailing or faxing information requested by potential or current clients/customers
- Returning phone calls
- Set up/confirm appointments
Marketing
- Brochure design
- Creation and distribution of newsletters
- Creating PowerPoint presentations
- Mailing holiday and/or birthday cards
- Market research � competitor information; search for new customers; search for information on current customers
- Search for sites where your business can be listed
Website
- Assist/oversee web design
- Handle email inquiries sent via website
- Locate a web host
- Make changes to website
- Submit website to search engines
General Administrative
- Assist in locating a venue for holding a seminar
- Assist in creation of hand-out materials for seminar participants
- Creation of forms
- Order office supplies including stationery/business cards
- Order stamps from the post office
- Proofreading/editing materials created by/for you
- Research for new office equipment purchases
- Track expenses
- Transcription (sent via audio file)
Personal Assistant
- Make dinner reservations at your favorite restaurant
- Purchase gifts/send flowers
- Reminder service of important dates
- Research for travel plans (air, hotel, car rental) to locate best prices
- Search for a new doctor, dentist, chiropractor or optometrist near your new home or office
- Assist you with your community activities
Working Virtually
When you begin working with your VA, you may experience some withdrawal symptoms. You�ve had entire control up to this point, so it may be difficult to just let it go and let someone else do it for you. So how do you alleviate the anxiety of knowing that the work is being done?
Communication is absolutely essential in the client/VA relationship. Your VA will be contacting you on a regular basis to update you on what she�s accomplished or to ask questions for further clarification. Some virtual assistants may send you a detailed list weekly showing the tasks accomplished as well as the time spent on each task.
Your VA may also request a weekly telephone conference so that she knows your schedule and to ask questions. This is an ideal time to review the tasks that were accomplished and to bring up any areas of concern that you may have. As your working relationship progresses you�ll begin to feel more comfortable about delegating tasks and knowing that the work is done to your satisfaction. You�ll also notice that your VA will start to take more and more tasks from you and will begin to make suggestions to help you in your business.
Before long you�ll wonder how you ever managed doing it all alone.
