Running a startup means you wear multiple hats, and your priorities are constantly shifting. Keeping tabs on each task needed to get your fledgling company up and functioning is challenging. It’s not unusual for important tasks to get neglected, as each new priority requires your time and attention.
Virtual assistants for startups can help in the same ways that executive assistants do, from light bookkeeping and email management to social media management and content marketing. Let’s explore how startups are using virtual assistants and the benefits of using them, starting with saving you time and money.
What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
A virtual assistant may act as a personal assistant, but their duties cover a broader range than the traditional job. They can be problem solvers, taking care of small tasks that hinder your core team’s productivity. Virtual executive assistant services can handle necessary administrative tasks. These tasks, while essential, often drain the resources of specialized teams.
For example, there could be core tasks that aren’t part of anyone’s job description but still need to be done, like data entry. These mundane tasks can eat away at your core team’s time, pulling them away from their more specialized duties.
Some VAs offer specialized skills such as graphic design or social media marketing. Others function like office managers, organizing travel, and managing leaders’ calendars. These individuals complete more than just “grunt work.” They can be highly educated professionals that you can trust to represent your company to clients and business peers. They may also be adept at solving problems with minimal oversight and self-starters who can prioritize their tasks to help your business run more efficiently.
How Can I Use a Virtual Assistant?
Maximizing the benefits of a virtual assistant starts with evaluating where you need help. These individuals can help free up your time and stay organized or help you discover opportunities to keep in connection with your clients.
Some of the ways that startups commonly use virtual assistants include:
- Managing emails and completing small tasks that don’t need the company leadership to complete. They can manage your emails and delegate certain tasks. They can also sift through spam and sales pitches to select good business or networking opportunities for key players.
- Schedule management. Your VA can plan your week or month so that your priority appointments are kept and you don’t miss out on valuable opportunities. Virtual assistant services can also help if you manage teams in multiple time zones, coordinating group calls or meetings.
- Note-taking in meetings. Whether you’re meeting with your own team or a client, your VA can take notes and distill the critical points of each meeting. They can also create task lists for you and others, incorporating them into your schedule as part of schedule management.
- An outsourced VA can provide valuable outside advice to help you streamline your procedures. A VA with experience in your industry or with significant management experience can help develop best practices for a new startup that can help make your company run more smoothly.
- Monitor business trends. If you’re using your virtual assistant in more of a marketing role, then it could be your VA’s job to pinpoint trends or opportunities for niche services. Or they can comb through industry news and condense it into points you should be aware of. This can also include compiling market statistics and data determining if and when your company could or should expand.
- Recruiting and talent scouting. HR and hiring duties may be something you outsource, but a VA who is truly in sync with your startup may be a more valuable resource than a hiring agency. They can serve as your talent scouts, exploring LinkedIn and other industry-specific networks. Their goal is to find the perfect match for each role in your company.
- Lead generation and appointment setting. Researching leads and prepping for sales calls can take away from the customer focus of your sales team. Use a VA for lead generation and to qualify potential clients so that your sales team has more time to devote to closing.
- Social media management. From content marketing to posting on Twitter, your VA can ensure your startup’s social media presence is strong and strategic. They can also monitor impressions of and user engagement with each social media post.
- Create thought leadership and ghostwrite content. Social media management is more than just following industry pages or related content. Your VA can produce compelling and thoughtful content on your behalf. Many VAs are also accomplished writers (or you can look for one with a strong literary skillset) and can help establish you and your startup as an authority in your industry.
These may not be the only ways that a virtual assistant can help your company. You could consider them a valuable team member, with shifting job duties to help you pick up the slack where you need it. Developing a synergetic relationship with your VA can help you focus on getting traction for your business and taking the next steps for success.
PEAK Outsourcing: Your Virtual Assistant Solution
We offer comprehensive virtual assistant services, giving you as much or as little help as you need. Our highly trained professionals at PEAK Outsourcing have specialized in a variety of roles, from social media marketing and blogging to detail-focused data entry or accounting. As your virtual assistant partner, we first learn about your startup’s specific needs. Then, we make personalized VA recommendations to best suit those needs.
We offer VA services in multiple time zones so that your assistant is on hand when you need them. We’ll pair you with a VA who possesses the specific skills you need for your business requirements. From appointment scheduling and calendar management to more intensive services to benefit your entire team, we can deliver the support and insight that you need to take your startup to the next level. Call 1-866-796-0810 to find out more about how we can help.
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