I often get asked, what is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant (VA) is a sole proprietor owner of a business who supports various
business operations from a remote location. Any type of business can use VAs to help
with inbox/calendar management, social media management, marketing, and basically
any task that doesn’t require them to report to an office.
Want to know more about what type of tasks you can outsource?
Check out the list HERE.
If you have owned your business for a while, you are probably starting to think about
how to grow your business. Virtual Assistants are an affordable way to scale your
business and give you time back to focus on things that you love about your business.
Here are 3 steps to guide you to hiring a VA and scaling your business!
- Review your budget
A Virtual Assistant works remotely so you do not have to worry about the cost for office
space. Virtual Assistants are business owners just like you, so they cover their own
expenses. One hour of your time trying to figure what the content to post on your social
media, could be one hour of your time spent on calls with your clients. VAs can charge
between $25-$40 per hour for many services, more for specialized services, and
packaged rates for a certain amount of work done. - Determine where you need help
A crucial step in delegating to a Virtual Assistant is to know when you need the most
help. Allow yourself for at least 1 week to write down all the tasks and routines that you
complete in your business. As soon as you sit down at your desk, write down each task
you do throughout the day. From this exercise, you will be able to see where you spend
most of your time.
Next, label each task into the following categories: - Things only you can do
- Things you hate to do
- Things you don’t have time to do
- Things you don’t know how to do
After completing this exercise, decide where you want to focus your time and what tasks
you can pass on to a VA. - Know how to delegate
Once you are able to find a Virtual Assistant, now you need to show them how you
operate. If you have certain SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) or systems that
you use, be sure to communicate this to your VA. Clear communication works best with
any working relationship.
Here are some ways to communicate: - Weekly team meetings-meet at least once a week to discuss current project
statuses and assign tasks in advance with due dates. - Provide step by step instructions-share your list of tasks and how you complete
them. This can be shared during your meetings with a screen share or you can
record your screen to walk your VA through your thought process (I love using
Loom to record my screen and share mini tutorials.) - Send a message in any form-if writing a long email is too time consuming, you
can also send a voice message. Voxer is a great tool to use to send a quick
voice message.
What tasks on your to do list can you outsource today?
Written by:
Jilandra W. Coffin, Ed.S.
Jilandra is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist turned mompreneur. She
empowers education entrepreneurs, health/wellness professionals, and coaches to
tackle their to do lists and gain back more time to work on what they love about their
business. She is the owner of JC Virtually LLC, providing online administrative support,
business management and project management services.
Connect with Jilandra online at www.jcvirtually.com
Social Media:
Instagram: @jcvirtually
Facebook: JC Virtually LLC
LinkedIn: JC Virtually LLC
