Become A More Efficient Virtual Assistant

For those VAs that have already set up their business, I bet that you want tips on how to better your services, business and time, who wouldn’t? Many of us love learning new things, expanding our horizons, figuring out what to focus on, but then we get so distracted with daily life! Ack! We have our “to do” list so full that we don’t know where to start. How about having a 31 day focus on how to become a more efficient virtual assistant? Yes! Of course you don’t have to do it in exactly 31 days, you take your time at it, when it’s convenient for you. Here is a great resource that does just that, help you become more efficient in your business. It was written last year but it’s a timeless resource that you can visit and re-visit anytime you want to. Click below and start!

31 Days to Become a More Efficient Virtual Assistant

Know Your Strengths—And Weaknesses

This is a guest post by Felicia Goldwire.

If there’s one thing that holds business owners back it’s this: they try to do too much.
I don’t mean that they try to grow too fast. I mean that they try to do too much on their own.

They create their own content.

They man their own help desk.

They post their own social media updates.

They edit their own videos.

They write their own sales pages.

The list goes on (and on and on) and while at first glance it might seem like the DIY approach
makes good fiscal sense, the truth is, it’s killing your productivity.

Here’s why: You’re spending more time “figuring out” how to do all those things, and not
enough time where you really shine.

If marketing and social media are where your talents lie, then video editing is a waste of your
time. If you’re a top-notch listbuilder, then creating graphics is taking you away from important
money-making task.

Others can do those things more efficiently (and for less money) than you can.

Here’s another problem with trying to do everything yourself—you will hate it. And that which
we hate, we avoid. Suddenly, things are slipping through the cracks. Videos aren’t getting
posted because the thought of fighting with your editor is just too much to bear. Products don’t
get launched because the sales page is never finished.

There’s got to be a better way.  Actually, there IS a better way!

The key to really getting things done in your business is to know where your strengths and
weaknesses lie, and to do the things things that you’re good at AND enjoy. Everything else can
be handled by someone else.

Start by making a list of all the tasks that you find yourself procrastinating on. Those are the top
candidates for outsourcing. Prioritize your list according to just how much you dislike the task,
as well as how easy it would be to turn over to someone else.

For example, you might really hate to update Quickbooks, but if doing so requires access to
your bank account, then that’s something you might want to keep on your own task list—at
least for now. But if you also don’t enjoy (or simply aren’t good at) creating posts for your social
media sites, then outsourcing this task should be at the top of your list.

You don’t have to outsource everything in your business, but you’ll find that when you
concentrate on what you do well and let go of the things you struggle with, you’ll love your
business a lot more, and be naturally more productive, too.

Felicia Goldwire, Deluxe Virtual Assistance

deluxevirtualassistance.com

How To Set Up Your Business

This is the step that many procrastinate about or are in fear about. There are so many questions about how to set up a business. There are also so many answers. It all depends on which type of business that you’ll have.

• Will you have employees?
• Will you have a partnership?
• Will you be the only employee?
• Should you have a LLC?

Our advice is to go STRAIGHT to the horse’s mouth! You should contact your local government organization to get the details on setting up your business. If you happen to read on someone’s site or blog how to set up a business and take that advice, you could have legal issues. Why? Well, every state or country is different with different rules and regulations. If you’re in the USA then you should visit the U.S. Small Business Administration. They have a ton of info and step by step instructions. There may also be a local SBA office near you where you can meet in person with someone to help you, and it’s free! So, do not neglect that great resource. They can help you get set up the legal way and help you cross all of your T’s.  : )

Are you the type of person that needs a checklist so that you can make sure that you take it step by step? You love organization like us, right? Well, we have a great checklist for you! And, it’s free! It’s all set in a pdf so that you can print it out and start checking things off.

The Virtual Assistant Start-Up Checklist

What Is a Virtual Assistant?

Hey! Glad to have you stop by. Sit down and relax. Grab your favorite beverage and let’s talk about this. When some people think of the word “virtual”, they may think of some robot or cyberspace thingy. Is a virtual assistant like a smart phone’s assistant, where you speak to the phone and it does stuff for you? Um, no.

Okay, well then just what is a virtual assistant????

Don’t get your panties in a bunch, I’m getting there….

A virtual assistant IS a male or female who works from their home office. Since that thing called the internet was invented, it made virtual assistants possible! They can help you with your business, do tasks on your dusty to do list, get that project rolling that you put off months back, help you with social media to get the word out there about your business, and much more. It’s similar to having an employee BUT you do not pay for: vacation time, sick time, break time, lipstick time, pull hair out time, talking to kids on the phone time, computers, office products, etc. They work with you to schedule a time to complete your tasks and project needs. They are business owners, just like you! They pay self employment taxes, buy their business products, computer, whatever they need to run their business.

We’re not going to ramble on and cause anyone to start drooling on their keyboards napping, so just go to this link to learn more about the value of having a virtual assistant.

What 40 Successful Entrepreneurs Can Teach You about Hiring a Virtual Assistant!

Oh, by the way, we have a sense of humor on this site, but virtual assistants are professional, well we can’t guarantee they all are BUT there are many who are. So, don’t let our humor make you think that virtual assistants are comedians, we just like to have fun here. 🙂

Dedicated to Virtual Assistants Everywhere

We’re going to help you find tools, programs, apps and other resources that are user-friendly. Stuff that we use ourselves or have been recommended to us.

We’ll also feature Seasoned and Newbie Virtual Assistants here with the hope to help you through the confusing time from set-up to generating steady profits.

A community to learn together, grow together, and help one another.

That’s what life is about, right?