Working as a Virtual Assistant, I’ve realised that one of the biggest reasons why companies and entrepreneurs struggle to build and grow their businesses, is because they are simply trying to take everything on themselves. It’s a dangerous, downward spiral that’s very easy to get caught up in, whether you’re just starting out or money’s tight, taking on the world with no support will inevitably lead to problems, business wise and health wise.
Outsourcing makes perfect sense and it doesn’t have to cost you a small fortune either, it will however, give you your time back and give you the opportunity to concentrate on growing and developing your business.
Getting started can seem a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never worked with a virtual assistant before and I’ve found, through talking to clients, that the main reason for them not taking the plunge sooner, is that they just don’t know what to outsource! They know they need help, but they’re not sure what they can hand over.
Like most industries, there are different types of virtual assistants, some specialise in certain fields and others in certain tasks, however, there are plenty of virtual assistants, like me, who offer general secretarial and administrative services. Personally, I would recommend that unless you have a particularly specialist task in mind or work in a specialist industry, a general virtual assistant is the best option as it gives you great flexibility in terms of the types of tasks they know how to do and also gives you plenty of scope to outsource more further down the line if you so wish.
So, what can you outsource? I’ve put together a list of example tasks that can be outsourced, most of which, I either currently do for clients or have done in the past.
30 Tasks to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant
- Diary/Calendar Management
- Email Management and Filtering
- Booking appointments and/or telephone/conference calls
- Following up with clients/customers – sending thank you’s, other reminders, surveys
- Reception Duties – handling occasional calls etc.
- Business Trip/Planning/Organisation – booking flights, hotels, arranging transport etc.
- File Management – organising files using Dropbox etc.
- Minute Taking and Distribution
- Research – topics for blog posts or newsletters, potential funding sources, competitors
- Personal Errands – purchasing gifts for loved ones, restaurant bookings, family holidays
- Setting Up Social Media Accounts – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You Tube
- Managing and Updating Social Media Accounts
- Copy Typing and/or Transcription – letters, emails, reports, website or blog content, bids
- Data Entry
- Creating Basic Reports – reports on weekly tasks, sales figures etc.
- Preparing Slideshows – Powerpoint Presentations etc.
- Liaison between you and other team members
- Recruitment – sourcing potential team members, tradesmen etc.
- Setting up Autoresponders (Aweber, Mailchimp)
- Database Building – updating email or contact lists on your CRM etc.
- Create and/or Manage your Blog
- Publish posts on your Blog (usually content you have provided)
- Proofreading – reports, bids, submissions, web content etc.
- Answering Client/Customer Email Enquiries
- Project/Event Management – organising venues, caterers, entertainment etc.
- Credit Control – following up unpaid invoices, ensuring invoices are paid
- Basic Bookkeeping
- HR Tasks – recording annual leave and sickness
- Blog commenting which increase links to your site
- Participating in discussion forums or message boards – which equals more promotion!
These are just some examples of the types of tasks virtual assistants can take off your hands. I hope it’s helped take away some of the confusion but please do feel free to contact me, or visit my website if you’re still a little unsure or would like to discuss how I could be your busy bee!