How lucky are we to live in a world where our admin can be outsourced? Isn’t it amazing to think you can handover routine and admin intensive tasks to someone else anywhere in the world with the comfort of knowing that the task will be taken care of? What a weight off your shoulders.
Technology has enabled so much these days and one of the most amazing things that it has enabled is remote work. Gone are the days of having to commute to a brick and mortar building to get work done. With the advent of modern technology, businesses and teams can function effectively without being in the same place.
If you own a small business, you will soon realise how admin intensive it can be to run the entire operation. There are so many things you don’t think about when you first start that eventually come at you with full force. Routine tasks like banking and diary management that require dedication and care. Owners of small businesses simply don’t have time to get everything done and their main aim should be to expand the business. Their focus needs to be on sales and growth and customer experience. The rest can simply be outsourced.
Here are 10 crucial tasks that you can successfully outsource to virtual assistants (VAs):
1. Office admin
These are basic receptionist and secretarial duties, for example answering phone calls, responding to emails, scheduling appointments and calendar management. But they can also get a little more complex for example creating document templates, or taking the minutes of meetings or running personal errands or even onboarding new staff.
2. Customer service
This would entail everything you need to do to ensure you’re looking after existing customers. From managing support tickets and responding to compliments, complaints and requests to sending thank you messages and reminders.
3. Financial
This involves all the financial aspects of running a business and includes things like managing the payroll, bookkeeping, invoicing, banking and tax.
4. Database management
Database management involves updating existing customer info to keep it current and inputting new leads from conferences, or your own digital platforms like your website and social media handles. This is so important because keeping your data up to date is essential for good customer relationship management (CRM).
5. Digital marketing
This involves website development and maintenance, social media marketing, email marketing and inbound marketing or SEO. These tasks ensure that all your online platforms are being used effectively to promote your products and services.
6. Content creation
With online platforms comes the responsibility of keeping those platforms current and relevant. Content creation involves developing relatable content or material for the online world. Content creation types include: blogs, website content, newsletter writing and copywriting. These tasks also involve proofing and editing.
7. Event management
This includes all the logistical aspects of successfully planning, organising and managing a calendar of events.
8. Presentations, reports, dashboards
Conducting the research for facts, figures, stats and other information required to compile winning presentations and combining the relevant business data in order to publish reports and dashboards.
9. Travel requirements
This is not just finding flight and hotel options and making bookings, it’s all the logistical, financial, and safety considerations required for business travel.
10. Sales support
This is any function that helps your sales reps sell your product/service and close deals. For example following up on sales leads, providing data and reports to help the sales team and keeping track of sales targets.
Obviously it will take time for you to find a rhythm with your new VA. Like any relationship it takes time and effort on both sides. But what you’ll soon realise is that you can’t live without them.
It’s great to know that you can successfully outsource any or all of these activities. What you will quickly learn is that it’s crucial to handover some aspects of your business to free up as much time as you can to focus on the things that only you can do. The things you do well. Hire a VA and let them help you buy more time!
