This list is not exhaustive. You may be surprised at how creative some business owners have become in using VAs to make their own lives easier. Some entrepreneurs have a team of VAs that specialize in different niches, which is understandable. Very few people are experts in all areas… you find many Jacks of all trades, Masters of nothing, but once in a while you find a Master, and if the price suits… well, you’d be foolish to let it go, No?
Think of your average VA like you would your personal secretary/assistant, because basically, that’s what they are. You’ll find some that specialize in website design and maintenance, and some that specialize in accounting, and some that may also offer writing/editing services. Regardless of your specialty, you will find that they all offer the “VA Fundamentals.”
With VA, one size does not fit all, but with a little adjustment, you can find one or more VAs that are perfect for your business. Here are some ideas you can use when you’re pinching and tucking…
1. Your VA can handle your email, respond to routine requests and prompt action, forward information to others for handling, or forward very important email to you that only you can handle or need to know about.
2. Going on vacation: Let your VA handle your email in your absence. What she can’t handle, she can send to you to consider in your next long, cool drink under the nearest palm tree.
3. Mail – Again, depending on where you both live, you can have your VA pick up and handle your mail as well. You can have this as a daily service or just when you are away.
4. You may be a genius at marketing or building “nice gadgets”, but you are absolutely useless at configuring your email program to change your time zone indicators, your signature, your autoresponder… Relax! ! If your VA doesn’t know right away, they know how to find out and will help you.
5. If you leave, you will probably use some sort of voicemail/messaging service to alert callers of your absence. Instead of losing business, give them your VA number or email address so you can contact them in your absence. It’s much more reassuring and professional and YOU don’t lose business!
6. Depending on where you live in relation to your VA, your calls can be forwarded to your phone so you can answer them like a real-time receptionist. You can do the same with your faxes.
7. You need help with your schedule and appointments. VAs are commonly used for this purpose. Let them schedule your appointments and keep you up to date with your schedule. Allow them to communicate with your customers, business partners, journalists, conferences, etc.
8. Customer bonding. You may not always be there for your important clients, but your virtual assistant can. Let your VA handle inquiries, information requests, appointments, rescheduling, etc.
9. Maybe you travel a lot. Let your VA arrange the best airfare for you, book lodging, and rent cars. Your VA can also set up talk spots for you, if you like to talk! Let them organize the venue, meals and snacks, hotel discounts, necessary equipment, etc.
10. This is so basic it’s hardly worth mentioning… word processing. In the immortal words of Homer Simpson… Doh! On the other hand, if you are Homer Simpson, here is what your VA can do for you: Type and prepare notes, reports, articles, memos, letters, pamphlets (drafts or originals). In fact, anything you can do in a word processor, any VA can do for you!
11. Take your scruffy meeting notes and turn them into professional minutes.
12. The VA can even produce Manuals for you and return them to you on diskette or by email. The same goes for special reports, textbooks, and professional documents.
13. Do you hold meetings and presentations? Do you need PowerPoint? Look no further than your VA!
14. Even if your VA doesn’t use MS Access, you can be sure you can use MS Excel. When it comes to databases, you want a system that you can manage yourself if necessary. If you can use Access, good for you! Otherwise, make arrangements with your VA to set up Excel databases. This is simple and anyone can use it. You’ll want to keep customer information from your business cards, credit card information, prospects, survey information, item lists, and to whom they’ve been sent… just a few ideas to get you started.
15. Sending mass emails. Some VAs will have their own special software to send mass emails to their many clients and allow emails to be sent individually, or perhaps you are a member of an online business that allows you to send these types of mass emails. Either way, your VA can handle this for you.
16. Sign up and keep track of your login IDs and passwords for everything you sign up for, from affiliate status, online article submissions, free memberships and listings, etc. Your VA can do this with their eyes closed!
17. Desktop publishing. Brochures, newsletters, pamphlets, postcards, menus, price lists, schedules, calendars, certificates… In general, all these things can be done just as easily in MS Word, but MS Publisher provides ready-to-use templates. Either way, your VA has you covered. Just tell him what you want… with or without graphics or photos.
18. Transcription of tapes and CD’s. These days, there are different types of equipment to handle the different types of tapes that are used for recordings. VAs that specialize in this area can usually handle whatever tape or CD you use. You send it to your VA, she writes it up and returns it to you. Is everything messy and everywhere and you can’t or don’t have time to clean it up? Yes, you can hire an expensive professional to clean and edit it for you or you can find a VA who specializes in this and let them do it for you.
19. Newsletter… there are different ways to send out newsletters online and depending on how much you want to spend, your VA may be able to find something to suit your budget preferences. She can handle all subscription and unsubscribe requests, putting together your newsletter and sending it out as needed, including handling all advertising requests and billing arrangements.
20. Your VA may also review and edit your newsletter and other documents, if it has this ability. There is nothing worse than receiving a newsletter from a so-called professional that is full of typos.
21. Some virtual assistants with writing experience can write your articles for placement in magazine publishers, online article sites, or for use in your own newsletter. You do NOT want someone to take something they found on the internet and add your name to it and the next thing you know you are being sued for plagiarism! Or failing that, your readers think you are a fraud because that same article appears in various other places on the Internet by various other authors. (Don’t laugh! This happens!)
22. Research – Either for an item or information or an item you are having trouble finding. You may be writing a book and want to gain insight… you may want to buy some software to help you with a particular challenge or project you have… you may just want to keep up with what your competitors are doing … your VA can become a super detective and get the information you are looking for.
23. Buying gifts… how much do you want to spend? Give your VA and gift recipient list your ideas and she can handle this for you and make sure your special clients (and even your family) are never forgotten!
24. Website. Do you need a website designed for you or maintained? Even if you already have a website, the pages need to be updated frequently. Some VAs specialize in websites and can do this for you and keep you up to date. A VA specialist in this area can also monitor your website traffic and recommend ways to improve online traffic and sales.
25. Accounting. Shudder! Well, it’s like some who think accounting is cool… there are those who don’t really care about accounting. You will find them: they can keep your books, send your invoices, do the invoicing, balance your accounts, etc. The strange thing is that they enjoy it!
26. Writing and editing services. Generally speaking, writing and editing are areas covered by professional writers and editors, usually university-trained. Just because you can spell and know where the point is going doesn’t make you a “qualified” editor or writer. So if you just want the simple things to be managed, some virtual assistants can do it for you, but if you’re looking for heavy writing or editing work, consider a professional or make sure you use a virtual assistant who has a background and experience in this. . type of job.
27. Marketing. Some VAs offer expertise in marketing and advertising. Look for one with a background and experience in this area. They can help you implement an ad campaign, monitor the campaign, etc.
28. Your VA may distribute your marketing materials to the locations and recipients of your choosing, either online or by mail.
29. Do you hire other staff? It is not a problem. Your VA can help you remember special dates like birthdays, annual performance reviews, pay raises, manage reference checks…
30. Simply put, you can use a virtual assistant the same way you would use any secretary or personal assistant. You’ll find that what she can’t do is make her coffee and file, unless she lives nearby and is happy to travel and do this for you!
