How to Prepare Your Business
for a Virtual Assistant
So, you’re taking the plunge and about to begin working with a virtual assistant. Congratulations – this decision is going to save you a lot of time! And while it’s a bit of a learning curve at first, delegating tasks to someone outside your ‘realm’, you’ll get the hang of it in no time.
But before you hand work over to your carefully chosen virtual assistant, you have a little bit of business housekeeping to do, in order to guarantee a smooth transition. Here are a few things you need to prepare before you begin working with your virtual assistant:
Determine the areas of your business that require extra support
Ideally, this list should be written BEFORE your first call with a virtual assistant, to determine if they do those specific tasks or not. Virtual assistants usually have niches that they specialise in, and so, it may very well be that you’ll need to talk to a few VAs before finding the perfect match for your business. Some ideas of what to outsource could include:
- diary management
- social media support
- bookkeeping/chasing invoices
- email support
- social media image/post creation
- digital transcription
- and more
The more specific you are with your list, the easier the entire transition will be for both you and your virtual assistant.
Determine the Frequency of the Tasks
Any business usually has a set of ongoing tasks, whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly. If these are the types of tasks that you need help with on a regular basis, make sure your VA knows how often you need these completed.
Prioritise Your Task List
Once you have a general list of tasks and how often they need attention, it’s time to rearrange your list by priority.
- What tasks would you like your VA to tackle straight away?
- Are there projects you’re working on right now that you’re struggling with meeting deadlines for?
Having a clear idea of what is to be a priority is key in reducing overwhelm for both you and your VA, which is especially important in this period of transition. It will eliminate any potential conflicts with time management, and reduce any confusion.
Determine the Best Communication Tool
Communication with your VA is crucial. Virtual assistants have access to a myriad of great communication tools, which can help streamline communication for both you and your team. During your initial call, determine the best way to communicate with your VA, and ensure that your team knows how to contact them as well.
Gather Your Login Information
If your VA will need to access any of your accounts, you’ll need to make sure this information is ready from the start. Using a password manager, such as LastPass, can help with sending your login credentials securely and easily. In the event you have two-step verifications in place, be prepared to be available to verify those log-in attempts.
Be Prepared to Train, if Necessary
If you’re using internal systems or applications that are specific to your business, or your VA hasn’t used them specifically, be prepared to train your VA on how to use them. There are a number of ways to communicate this type of training, via a series of Zoom calls (with screen-sharing), Skype (also with screen-sharing), or Loom recordings. If your system/application has its own training, let your VA know this, and be prepared to answer any questions they may have.
As with any new hire, there will always be a learning curve/period of adjustment in the beginning. This is true for virtual assistants, especially if you’ve never worked with one before. It may take a bit of time to learn how each of you works. Remember that communication is key for a successful working relationship with your virtual assistant, and you’ll be ticking things off that to-do list in no time.
What tasks could you outsource to a Virtual Assistant?
This exercise will help you to identify what tasks you currently manage within your business.
By categorising them, you can identify areas that you really could outsource, which would save you time and money in your business.
Some of The Tools I Use
Asana, Adobe Pro DC, Buffer, Canva, Dropbox, Evernote, Gmail Calendar, Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, OneDrive), Hootsuite
Invoicely, LastPass, Linkedin, Outlook,