The children are back at school, the summer holidays are over and there’s a general feeling that now is the time to get business done, as the days cool and the nights start drawing in.
It is also worthwhile reflecting on the point that your business, and your workload, has reached after the summer holidays. Is it business as usual, or are there opportunities to take things up a gear? Have you spent your time on a beach wondering, well, whether you could spend more time on the beach in future?
Those reflections may well have you wondering how to make yourself more effective. It’s a common thread among many users of virtual assistant (VA) services, who have discovered that hiring some help can be a very cost-effective way to enhance productivity.
The theory is simple. Have your VA work on some of the tasks on your “to do” list, freeing up more of your time to do other things – chasing more sales, or adjusting your life-work balance and actually rediscovering time off at the weekends. Your family may well thank you for adding a virtual assistant to the team.
The theory is all very well, so how does this work in practice. Well, unlike hiring an employee, part time or full time, you only hire a VA for the time and the tasks you need them to tackle. You don’t pay their National Insurance, or cover for them when they are off sick. You don’t need to provide a desk for them, as they work from their own office elsewhere in the country.
What you do need to do, is consider the tasks a VA can practically do for you. A range of administrative tasks can be carried out remotely, from financial matters such as preparing and chasing invoices, or bookkeeping, to administrative support such as handling new business inquiries or managing communication with existing clients. You link up with your VA via the phone, or a Skype or Facetime call, and agree what they will do for you.
It’s not unusual to discover that the tasks a VA is very good and efficient at completing, are the very tasks you are not so great at keeping up to date with. There may be other benefits, such as better cashflow as a result of your virtual assistant keeping on top of outstanding invoices, and promptly sending out payment requests.
Your VA may also be very skilled at managing a CRM system, or completing presentation files in Powerpoint or as PDFs, things you may not naturally take to.
So, what will you spend your new-found time on? Marketing for more new business, or simply spending more quality time with your family? With a VA on your team, you get to choose.
To discuss what Time Wise VA can do for you please call 0161 211 9837 or email enquiries@timewiseva.co.uk For more information, or contact us here.