What Else Can a Virtual Assistant (VA) Do for Me?

Not that I couldn't do it myself, but I lacked the time and focus to keep at it in a consistent manner.  Enter Karen Braschuk of Office Support 911.

Karen got me organized with minimal fuss and got me noticed online in a hurry through numerous article submissions.  So I thought I would explore other ways a VA could help me and, in the process, perhaps help other "virtual workers" and "serial entrepreneurs" learn about the benefits of a VA.

I'm going to do this by posing a series of questions to Karen and asking her to share how she sees she could be of help and benefit. For example:

Question: Karen, I'm a small business person who travels extensively. What can you do for me?

Answer: In addition to handling one’s travel arrangements such as booking flights, hotels, car reservations and itineraries, a virtual assistant normally records this information in a shared calendar, which both parties can access simultaneously (Google Calendar is excellent for this - and it’s free!) Up-to-the-minute information is available instantly and scheduling problems are avoided.   Conclusion: For a business person, this is almost like being cloned!  Think how much more you can accomplish if you aren’t juggling your phone and your calendar. By giving your VA access to your schedule, you free up significant time for thinking, writing, selling or whatever else you do.  If, as Karen suggests, you use Google Calendar and you carry a Windows Smartphone (such as a Treo or one of its cousins), I strongly recommend installing "GooSync" (www.goosync.com); a free utility that synchronizes your Google Calendar to your phone.

Question: Karen, I don't have time to screen all my calls and email - how could you help me?

Answer: Most small business owners and entrepreneurs are stretched to the limit in terms of their time. There are many ways in which a virtual assistant can perform essentially the same duties as if they were physically in the same office.

Telephone calls can be handled in a number of ways. Incoming calls to a regular line can be forwarded to the VA either with a special cell phone set up for that purpose, a VoIP arrangement (Voice over Internet Protocol, which is simply the transmission of voice traffic over the internet) or even to a special business line set up in the VA’s office. If instructions have been given to put the call through if “so-and-so calls”, the VA can quickly transfer the call to the business owner. In most cases, they can handle the caller themselves or take a message.

Existing email inboxes can be shared, new joint email addresses can be set up, or autoresponders (automatic responses to incoming email) can redirect the person to a contact form on a website which the VA will respond to.

Conclusion: The same advantages as with scheduling - you have more free time to make money or make your business successful.  I can't tell you the number of times I've sat in an airport watching business people juggle multiple phone calls while trying to work on a laptop.  If you have the right VA working for you, you've basically struck gold.

Question: Karen, I can't afford an administrative assistant, but I need someone to help me with correspondence and follow-up with prospects.  What can you do in this situation? 

Answer: Following up is often critical to the success of one’s marketing campaign once it has been launched. Many VAs offer exactly this type of service on a project-by-project basis where they will follow up leads with a phone call, mail out hand-written cards or even set up autoresponders in AWeber or similar email marketing programs. Each campaign is considered a separate project and the business owner only calls upon the VA’s services as needed.

Conclusion: If your VA has your literature or estimate/proposal format, think how much more quickly your prospect could receive an answer.  Sometimes even a few hours can result in lost business; a VA could make sure that business is yours.

Question: Karen, I sell a variety of products from my website.  Handling order details, returns and customer questions leaves me very little time to grow my business.  Do you work in this area? 

Answer: Yes. Given today’s technology, one’s customer support can easily be handled “virtually” and seamlessly by a virtual assistant. Once your assistant is trained on your particular systems and processes, it’s simply a matter of setting them up with an email address and access to your corporate voice mail, as well as any login information they require to perform administrative duties.

It’s often a good idea for the business owner/entrepreneur to start off by providing their virtual assistant with a basic procedures document containing information with regard to passwords, logins, customer service policies and so on. This is usually a “living” document that is updated as required.

Conclusion: For the small business where cost control is critical, a VA would be a real benefit.  Unless you are interested in gaining large amounts of fixed cost (salaries, benefits, taxes), a VA and outsourced distribution and order fulfillment could make you look and operate like a much larger company.

Question: Karen, I wouldn't even know what to ask.  I'm not sure if you could help me or not.  Can you give me other examples of what a VA can do? Answer: As I’ve said before, “We can do practically everything…except make the coffee!”

Virtual assistants vary widely in their specialties and there is certainly a VA for everyone. Some businesses even enlist the services of several different VAs for specific needs.

Some examples of the services that virtual assistants provide are:

* Transcription* Proofreading* Customer support (email/voice/online chat)* Calendar management* Database management* Bookkeeping* Web design/maintenance* Marketing campaign research, list building and follow-up* PowerPoint presentations* Copywriting* Article submissions* Virtually anything else that can be done in a brick-and-mortar office

Question: Karen, can you give some insight on how to develop a good working relationship with my VA?  How do you develop trust and mutual understanding?  How do you handle problems that might arise? Answer: The answer to all three questions is communication, communication and more communication!

It’s truly no different than having a brand-new person sitting right outside of your office. You don’t know them and they don’t know you at first, but you gradually develop a rapport based on your day-to-day interactions.

Granted, you don’t have the benefit of offering your virtual assistant a smile each time you walk by, but it’s extremely important to share your personality with them. Your VA needs to learn your preferences (or quirks, if you will) without the benefit of that daily face-to-face interaction.

Developing a good working relationship with your VA essentially means communicating with them via phone or email. Never hesitate to do that. Remember, your VA is eager to receive communication from you. If you are pleased with the outcome of a project, share that with them. If you have concerns or wish to make changes, let them know right away.

My best advice is to treat your VA exactly the same way that you would treat any independent contractor you’ve hired. Touch base often, let them know what you’re thinking, treat them as a member of your team and be straight up with them at all times. You can’t lose when you do that.

Conclusion: A virtual assistant can boost your business or your career to that proverbial 'next level'.  I strongly recommend that, working for a company or in business for yourself, you explore how a VA can help you.

Copyright 2008 Hal Warfield