10 Things to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant
As an entrepreneur you need to be able to multi-task, however trying to don too many hats at the same time will simply lead to a burnout. Hence, it’s time to stop trying to be a superhero and be more practical in your approach to the various routine tasks that need to be done on a daily basis.
The best probable solution is outsourcing some tasks to a company like Infognana Solutions, which provides the services of a virtual assistant services providing various administrative, creative and even technical services for a fee. Here’s a list of 10 tasks you can entrust to a virtual assistant.
Booking/scheduling appointments
A busy entrepreneur needs a person to book or schedule appointments, and a virtual assistant sitting at a remote location fits the bill perfectly. It is rather difficult to manage appointments on your own, and your best bet is to entrust such important work to a virtual assistant who can help you save precious time by grouping important business meetings in convenient time slots. This ensures that you don’t ever miss an important business meeting, and in case you can’t make it to any one of them your virtual assistant will reschedule the meeting.
Researching online
Today 99% of the work is done online, and if you were to start doing the research yourself it could take you all day. Outsourcing the internet research work like mining information on business websites, keeping tabs on new products in the market, and scouting for fresh talent or new business contacts to a virtual assistant makes sense. You need to make sure that precise instructions are given so that the virtual assistant does not waste your time and money.
Database updates
A virtual assistant can help by constantly updating the database. This ensures that all the business cards you pick up while on business visits are saved on your database for future reference. Any changes in customer contact details will be updated promptly.
Email management
Most of us hate checking emails and replying to them. More so for a busy entrepreneur who simply doesn’t have the time to pour over hundreds of emails, not to mention the onslaught of spam emails filling up the inbox. A trained virtual assistant will efficiently filter the emails and bring only the most important ones to your notice, and reply to them on your behalf. All you need to do is to familiarize the virtual assistant with the key emails you receive regularly, and have them prioritized based on the level of importance.
PowerPoint Presentations
In order to sell anything today, the presentation has to be perfect. In order to create a perfect PowerPoint presentation, you need to spent a lot of time and create it meticulously. This is where a virtual assistant will be a god-send as he or she can help you with not just PowerPoint presentations but also presentations using Word or even Excel.
Assisting with social tasks
A busy entrepreneur can never find time to socialize and keep in touch with close relatives and friends. A virtual assistant can fill in the gap by remembering important birthday and anniversary dates and sending out appropriate cards or messages. Similarly, a virtual assistant can help with acknowledging invitations to various social functions and promptly send thank you notes and explain your inability to attend any function, if so required.
Travel assistance
As a busy entrepreneur you are bound to travel a lot. A virtual assistant is the best resource for scouting for the best hotels in the areas you plan to visit. Looking up the best offers from airlines and booking tickets is another function where a virtual assistant will not just assist but also help save a lot of money. The travel research tools available today can be used efficiently by a virtual assistant in order to get you the best deals.
Managing your calendar
With several scheduling tools being made accessible through the Internet, a virtual assistant can plan and manage your calendars efficiently. An efficient virtual assistant can help manage a flood of invitations that are bound to keep coming in, and help schedule appointments and plan for important events. You are sure to feel a lot more comfortable and find that you have a lot of time on your hands after leaving such chores to be handled by a virtual assistant.
Scouting for business
Your business needs to grow, and the best way to accomplish this is by finding new clients. A virtual assistant can help by spotting the various business opportunities available online, and help prioritize them for you. A virtual assistant spends a lot of time online browsing various websites that offer new business opportunities, and some great deals can be worked out.
Keeping an eye on collections
A virtual assistant can be a great bookkeeper who can help by watching over your bills with a hawk’s eye. He or she can help with basic bookkeeping and follow up on accounts receivable and help with collections. You can reduce the number of outstanding invoices and forget worrying about the pile of unpaid bills that need constant follow up.
