Wondering how a Virtual Assistant could help your small business?
Maybe you’re launching a new business or maybe your business has very busy periods at certain times of the year? This is where a Virtual Assistant can be the perfect solution as they can help with the ‘details’ while you concentrate on the bigger picture.
The skillset of a Virtual Assistant can vary greatly from one to the next. Below are just a few areas where they could offer assistance.
Website Support
So you’ve had a website built for you (or maybe you’ve been brave and built it yourself) but generally your website needs regular updates ‘behind the scenes’ for it to function well. You might need to update the on-page information too (new team members, new products, new policies) but have no idea how to do it. Figuring out this stuff can take up a lot of your time.
Social Media Management
You’ve set up a Facebook page, an Instagram account and a Twitter account but you haven’t posted new content in far too long because, well, it’s bottom of your to-do list isn’t it? An organised VA can brainstorm some ideas with you and schedule your content ahead. You can keep the interaction side of social media for yourself or, once you’re comfortable that your VA knows your business well, they can also do this for you on a regular basis.
Admin
This can cover a whole host of things, formatting documents, responding to emails, putting together a presentation, data input, digital filing. The list is kind of endless and it’s probably all of the small jobs that you put off ‘until later’ then end up doing at the last minute in a rush.
Research
I once worked with a cake maker who needed to source very specific bio-degradable packaging suitable for foodstuff to post out cake samples. That’s a lot of requirements and there are numerous possibilities and suppliers with varying price ranges. When your passion is baking and there are deadlines looming, then trawling through packaging websites is the last thing you’re going to want to spend your precious time on.
Project Support
Virtual Assistants come from a wide range of backgrounds, but many are experienced in being the ‘go to’ person for professionals whose skills definitely do not extend to organisation. You may know what you want the end result to be but having someone keep track of how and when the tasks along the way are completed could make all the difference to the success of your project.
How do I know if I can trust a Virtual Assistant?
A reputable VA will have professional insurance, be registered with the ICO and will most likely be an approved member of a recognised Virtual Assistant Association. The best place to check this is on their website. You should also look for up to date client testimonials, which again will be displayed on their website and social media channels.
