Seven ways to use a Virtual Assistant you may never have thought of.
rhea perry
- Set appointments. Why waste time playing phone tag when your virtual assistant can manage your calendar by scheduling all your appointments and setting up your webinars? When someone asks to meet with you, just forward their email to your VA. They’ll be impressed that you have an “assistant.”
- Send correspondence. Did you know your virtual assistant knows how to use software to create personalized, printed greeting cards to mail to your customers, business associates and groups, such as your Christmas card list? Mail post cards that say, “Save the date” or “We want you back.”
You can also add brownies, cookies, gift cards or books. The software company prints and mails the cards and gifts through the U.S. Postal Service for you. Using the built-in calendar, you’ll never miss another birthday! - Sort your business email. Spam is a time thief so why spend precious minutes of every day sorting and deleting it when your VA can? Use an online email account she can access, then explain your system to her.
Anything she is unsure of can go into a special file that you can check and delete. When you are away or traveling, she can keep your busi- ness running smoothly. - Outsource technical needs. Need a transcriber but don’t know who is fast and accurate? Need a graphic designer? Need another VA to handle increased work load?
Let your VA shop for contractors. Virtual assistants are often members of networks and may know of reputable services and quality independent contractors who are available. - Book your travel. Many VAs are excellent shoppers who delight in finding great deals. Let your virtual assistant shop for your flights, hotel accommodations, and rental cars. Once she finds the deals, you can approve them before she finalizes arrangements.
- Plan your events. Got a weekend workshop coming up? Include your VA in the planning. Ask her what she would include to make your great event even better. Don’t forget to let her help with registration.
- Upload articles to directories. You spend an hour or so writing an article like this one and know you need to put it out there in cyberspace for others to read. But by the time you’ve finished writing it, you’re tired. Submitting it is not hard to do; it’s just One More Thing.
Send it to your VA and let her submit it to the article directories for you. Then you can go play golf.
