10 Ways to Add Hours to Your Day…by using a Virtual Assistant
By Jaime Lee Mann, PREVA
Have you ever heard of a Virtual Assistant? If you are a busy entrepreneur you should pay attention! A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent contractor who provides administrative support services by utilizing technology to complete work and communicate with clients.
I’ve put together a list of 10 ways a VA can help you get back to what’s important – building your business.
- Secretarial Services. Do you spend too much time scheduling appointments? Do you have piles of routine paperwork to process? Do you wish you had someone to research and arrange your travel? A Virtual Assistant can assist with all of these tasks including scheduling appointments, completing forms, making travel arrangements, researching topics and maintaining a contact database.
- Research. The Internet is a fabulous tool for research, but it can be quite time consuming. A VA can perform research for you and provide you a report on the findings and before you know it your project will be completed.
- Presentations. Do you need a PowerPoint presentation? Fax your notes, sketches and charts to your VA and they will be transformed into a professional slide show. You can even be provided with handouts or transparencies.
- Database Management. If you have a collection of business cards in your desk, you should consider having a computerized database created. Mail or courier that stack of cards to your VA and they will be entered into a custom database, designed just for you. When you have a new stack of cards, send them to your VA and watch how easy your next marketing campaign or Christmas card mail out will be! Save even more time by having your VA complete those tasks for you as well.
- Email Management. Ours is a “now” society and with email being used by so many people it’s important to your business to stay on top of it. Emails should be responded to within an hour, how are you doing? A VA can regularly check your email, responding where she can and notifying you of matters of urgency as they arise. This is a great service to consider if you are going on vacation or are often away from your computer.
- Word Processing. Perhaps you need a handwritten document typed. Fax it to your VA and she will type it and either email it back to you or print it on your letterhead and put it in the mail for you. Most printing companies will turn your signature into a stamp or a digital file which your VA can place on your correspondence to save a step. Maybe you’ve typed up a proposal or a manual but it needs to be formatted. Email it to your VA and she will give it a polished finish and send it back to you. Your VA can even take a Microsoft or Corel document and convert it to a pdf file for you which is great if you have a document which needs to be sent to a client who does not have access to the software package you use.
- Personal. Have you ever dreamed of having a personal assistant to schedule your appointments, remind you of important dates and send thank you cards on your behalf? A VA can take care of all of these things and more. Anything you would have an in house assistant take care of can be done virtually…except brewing the coffee!
- Purchasing. Whether you need to place an order for office supplies, hire someone to paint your office or purchase a laser printer, a VA can conduct research for the best price, present you with quotes, even order the items and have them delivered right to your office.
- Invoicing. A Virtual Assistant can invoice your customers for you. Fax or email the details and she can create an invoice or use your existing template, print them off, address them and pop them in the mail for you.
- Track expenses. Do you have receipts in different piles around your office, in your purse and in the glove compartment of your car? If you get in the habit of putting all receipts in one envelope, (one for each month) mail them to your VA monthly. She can create an Excel spreadsheet, break down the GST and easily track your expenses for you. This year, you will be ready at tax time!
Ready to start adding hours to your day? Jaime Lee Mann is the owner of Mann Made Time, a Virtual Assistant business based in Kingston, PEI. You can contact her by phone at 902.675.4008, email jaime@mannmadetime.com or visit her on the Web at www.MannMadeTime.com
