When you run a business, you’ll have to hire extra help when your company’s growth outpaces your ability to manage everything on your own. Two decades ago, you might have hired a personal assistant to work in your office and handle various tasks in person.
You have other options in the digital age. Consider hiring a virtual assistant (VA). Hiring a VA is a wise idea, whether your company is entirely remote or you have an office.
What can a virtual assistant do for your business? A virtual assistant can perform most of the same essential functions as a traditional assistant. The key difference is they work from a home office or other remote location. That means you can find the perfect assistant for your needs. You don’t have to choose an assistant from candidates who live in your area.
Hiring a virtual assistant offers many potential benefits. For example, you’ll save money by hiring an employee who works as needed and doesn’t need you to provide them with office space. Hiring a virtual assistant can also give you more time to focus on tasks only you can handle.
Those are just two of the advantages a VA offers. The following overview explains how you may further improve your business with virtual assistant services.
Tasks to Delegate to a Virtual Assistant
What can virtual assistants do? The answer may vary somewhat on a case-by-case basis. Whether you’re hiring part-time help or a full-time virtual assistant, be sure to confirm they offer the specific services you need.
Common tasks for virtual assistant work include:
Customer Service
A common use for a VA is handling customer service. Many virtual assistants address basic customer service or support tasks, like responding to customer inquiries.
Hiring a virtual assistant to handle these tasks ensures a team member is always available to respond when customers contact your business. This is critical. Many consumers who stop buying from businesses do so because of poor customer service experiences.
Remember that your virtual assistant will work remotely. That means you can hire a virtual assistant in another time zone. You may consider doing so if you need someone to address customer service requests while you’re not working, away on business trips or vacations, or at night.
Data Entry
When thinking about how to use a virtual assistant in your business, don’t overlook the basics. Offloading general administrative tasks like phone calls and data entry can free up a lot of time in your weekly schedule. Hiring a VA for these purposes can allow you to focus on growing your business rather than keeping up with it.
Lead Generation
A virtual assistant can handle general tasks like booking flights, scheduling appointments, etc. However, hiring a virtual assistant may also help you attract more business.
For instance, some virtual assistants offer appointment-setting services. This may involve a virtual assistant identifying a potential client or customer. The VA reaches out to qualified leads to promote your products and services. They may set appointments with leads who express interest.
As a business owner, you may feel it’s entirely your duty to attract new clients. That’s not the case. As your business grows, you’ll likely have too many time-consuming tasks on your plate to focus as much on inbound marketing efforts. You could save time by hiring a VA who can find sales opportunities and set up meetings on your behalf.
Social Media Management
Managing your online presence across social media channels is another task you might not have time for. In addition, you may lack familiarity with all these platforms.
When considering how a virtual assistant can help you, don’t just think about the tasks for which there’s no room in your schedule. You can also hire a virtual assistant to help with certain tasks where your expertise is limited.
A virtual assistant handling social media management could:
- Ensure you post quality content regularly across all social channels
- Gather data for analysis
- Ensure posts have a consistent brand voice
- Use targeting tools and features to reach the right users on social media
- Provide general insights on how to improve your social media marketing strategy
That’s just one example of an important business priority you may not be comfortable handling yourself. Along with having the proper experience, a virtual assistant may already have the tools and resources necessary to implement your campaigns effectively.
Researching Vendors, Products, and Services
Your virtual assistant may already use their own tools and resources to serve your needs. However, it’s likely you will need to buy other tools or schedule other services as your business grows.
Researching your options to ensure you’re making wise purchases is important but takes time.
Buying products and choosing vendors is another instance where you can offload a critical task to a virtual assistant. They can research products you’re thinking about buying before you make a purchase. Your virtual assistant may generate reports to help you better understand whether certain products are worth your money. If you have a very good relationship with a virtual assistant and trust their judgment, you may even authorize them to make smaller purchases themselves.
Generating Content
Some virtual assistants help business owners generate content for their marketing campaigns. For example, a virtual assistant in charge of running your social media might generate posts so you don’t have to. Depending on their level of expertise, they may even generate ideas for other forms of content, such as blogs or web pages.
How to Use a Virtual Assistant in Your Business: Ideas to Consider
This guide doesn’t cover all the potential roles a virtual assistant could play in your business. The more you work with an assistant, the more you may come to appreciate the value they can offer.
It’s vital to hire a VA you can trust to deliver reliable service. Finding such a virtual assistant is easier when you hire one through a reputable agency.
That’s exactly what you’ll find at PEAK Outsourcing. We work closely with our clients to connect them with the right virtual assistants for their needs. Learn more about what we can do for you by contacting us online or calling us today at 1-866-861-1731 to discuss your project.
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