There is almost no end to the number of tasks and activities you can delegate to a virtual assistant, though you need to remember that your VA is not an employee, they are a business partner. Whenever you want your VA to take on a new task it has to be discussed first, and agreed to, and here are a few more ideas of what your virtual assistant could be managing for you.
Client Surveys
Some clients don’t hesitate to tell you when they are unhappy about something, or to make a suggestion about your business, products or services. Find out how you are doing with those clients who don’t do this by having your VA send out survey, and then collate all the feedback.
Client Information
Have you virtual assistant create, and maintain, a spreadsheet or database containing all your client’s information. This can be basic, with only addresses and contact details, or it can be more detailed, with important dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, and even the last date you interacted with them.
Client Gifts
Thank you gifts, holiday gifts and special occasion gifts are a good way to show your appreciation to your clients, and to maintain good relationships. Ask your VA to research and order appropriate gifts for these purposes, and they can even take care of sending them out on your behalf.
Social Media
You have heard, and read, that your business needs to be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and a myriad of other social networks, but you don’t have the time for this. No problem with a VA; they can not only go about creating the accounts and filling in your profile, they can also manage it for you, submitting regular posts and updates, and responding to any customer interactions.
Press Kit
Press, or media kits, are an important part of business promotion. Whether you have an upcoming product launch, trade show, or other event, a professionally designed and packaged media kit is essential.
Copywriting
How persuasive is the content of your website? And your marketing material? If your virtual assistant is a marketing professional they can transform all your written material, optimizing the text to be persuasive, compelling and appealing to your clients.
Taxes
Your VA may not be a tax professional, but they can still assist you by ensuring that all the relevant paperwork and information is properly sorted and prepared, ready for your Accountant to finalize.
Financial Reports
The correct VA will be able to compile data, write reports and format everything into proper financial reports, from quarterly and annual forecasts, to inventory and more.
Financial Filing
You accumulate numerous receipts, bills and invoices each day, and probably struggle to keep them organized. Hand them over to your VA who can create and manage a perfect system so you never lose another receipt again.
Logo, Letterhead and Business Cards
These are items that don’t need to be created from scratch all the time, but they can occasionally do with a bit of a refresh, and a creative virtual assistant can handle this for you. They can manage everything from the actual design, through to finding the best printer for the finished product.
Newsletters
Whether you are sending out printed or electronic newsletters, they need to be compelling. Not only in design, but also in content, and you can task your VA with the layout, formatting and even writing the content, leaving you to only approve it before it is sent out.
Flyers and Brochures
Certain industries depend on having quality flyers and brochures available for potential, and existing, clients. Your virtual assistant can manage the entire process for you, from design through to printing and distribution.
Travel Research & Arrangements
At some point you will find yourself having to travel, either to meet a client based in another city, or to trade shows, exhibitions and other trade related events. Making all the arrangements can be tedious, especially when you have other more pressing matters to take care of. VAs are quite capable of doing this for you, so all you have to worry about is getting to the airport on time.
Personal Shopping
There may be times when you need to do shopping, but are too busy to get to everything in time. Arrange with your virtual assistant to occasionally take care of your household shopping, picking out of new items for your closet, or even just picking up your dry-cleaning.
Dinner Reservations
This may be a special occasion dinner with your spouse, or a business lunch, but you need everything to run smoothly. Have your VA research suitable establishments, make the reservations, and then remind you in advance of your appointment.
These are just a few ideas of what a virtual assistant could do for you, bearing in mind that all VAs have different skills. Instead of trying to find one who can do everything, look at having 2-3 reliable VAs who you can use whenever you need a specific task done.
About Out of the Office Virtual Assistance:
At Out of the Office, we are committed to providing earth-friendly administration and offer ideas and ways to increase your productivity, decrease your workload, and work more efficiently. We nurture a successful business relationship, while continuing to grow as your business partner. We are focused on streamlining your administration, social media planning and execution, and offering creative solutions for your business success.
Image credit: johnhain | CC0 Public Domain