Working with a Virtual Assistant can save you hours of work, lower your costs, free up time to do income producing activities and get you back on track to focus on the tasks which really matter. Working WITH them can be the best decision you make for your business. It is always best to work WITH your VA right from the start. This way, it will help build a good solid working relationship and set out expectations.
Be Transparent from Day One and keep in regular communication
From day one, it’s important to get your VA familiar with the ins and outs of your business and its goals and objectives. They will also need to understand their role in helping achieve this. Effective communication is THE foundation for success when working with any remote team member. Make sure to provide clear instructions for the work that needs to be completed. Always check in with your VA and schedule regular meetings, especially in the beginning. This will keep your VA clear on the tasks to be completed and helps build trust and confidence to form a working relationship that lasts.
Delegate tasks
It is always best in the beginning to start by drafting a list of tasks you would like your assistant to help with. VAs can complete a wide variety of tasks, and many are skilled in certain areas such as social media management, bookkeeping, day-to-day office management, sales calls, digital marketing campaigns, administration etc. Once your task list has been finalised, delegate these tasks accordingly and ensure that your VA is set up with the right access and passwords to complete them.
Provide reasonable deadlines
When delegating tasks, it is important to share clear expectations of deadlines. If they're routine tasks which you want performing on a daily basis, make sure your VA is aware of your expectations and has with the right tools to complete these tasks. If there is a deadline or multiple deadlines, make sure you communicate these in a timely manner. By giving your VA a reasonable timeframe to complete the work, you’re giving them the opportunity to complete high-quality work.
Use the right tools
When working with remote team members, use effective digital platforms to ensure your team is working together efficiently and effectively. Using collaboration platforms like Google Drive, Slack, Zoom, Dropbox or Trello will enable effective ongoing teamwork.
Document processes
Documenting processes might seem like a tedious task at the beginning, but it will save you a whole lot of time in the long run. If you don't yet have these documented, this is something your VA can do as you're training and onboarding them!
Working with a VA has immense benefits for you and your business. You’ll save time, save money, become more productive and shift your focus to what really matters for growing your business.
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