How You Can Get Routine Admin Stuff Done
Things are finally going to plan!! Your business is growing and you now need to spend more time focusing your attention on the bigger and more important stuff – the money making tasks that only you can do. You want to develop a strategy, look at scaling growth and develop your clients too, but cracks are starting to show in that plan. You are just so busy and the everyday, mundane tasks that support your business are getting in the way!!
The time has come and you realise you will need to find a virtual assistant to help you out with those routine and time consuming admin tasks.
Finding A Virtual Assistant That’s Right For You
So how do you find a virtual assistant that is right for you?
When searching for a virtual assistant look for someone as if you were going to employ them in house, although they don’t need to be local to you as they generally work virtually from home and can service clients around the globe. This will ensure you find someone that will fit with your company culture and someone that can get the work done.
The Stuff You Need Help With
Next, think about the work you need to get done. Draft out a job description with the relevant tasks and responsibilities you need them to undertake, e.g. you might want them to look after your inbox and manage your diary.
Look at your immediate workload and think about the skills needed for each task, e.g. good organisation skills etc. Doing this may highlight areas where the virtual assistant needs specific skills. Next think about things you could envisage your virtual assistant doing for you in months to come.
Once they get to know you and your business is there an area you’d like them to look after? It could be that in six months’ time you may want your virtual assistant to add creating content for your social media to their workload.
If you’re struggle to work out what you need help with which will help you identify all the time draining tasks and highlight the valuable business building tasks.
Plan For The Future
Including a virtual assistant in your vision for the future will help you to find someone that is suited to your business and can grow with you long term.
Another area you should consider is how you would prefer to work with your virtual assistant. Is it important that they work office hours so they can interact with your clients, or is it that the tasks that you have outlined can be completed on a flexible basis? How would you prefer to communicate with your virtual assistant? Is it by email, Zoom, or would you prefer to speak to them on the phone? This is one of the questions any potential virtual assistant should be asking you.
Why Company Values Are Important
The last area you should think about is your company values. What do you see as the culture and personality of your business? Make a list of some personal qualities you’d like your virtual assistant to have, ones that you can work with. For example, would you like someone that has a creative approach? Do you want someone that has excellent organisational skills? Do you want someone that is confident at communicating whether on the phone or in written format? Or someone that is able to work on their own initiative? It would be nice to have someone that fits a full list of criteria but not in reality. Try and identify 5 qualities that are absolutely necessary and then write them down.
With a little planning and forethought, you should now have a really helpful paper that will help you find your ideal virtual assistant.
Purple Violet Business Support offers a wide range of services. Book a free consultation to find out how I can help you.
Find out more or email julia@purplevioletva.com