If you ever wonder why you should get a virtual assistant to format documents, there are many reasons why. Because when it comes to your business it’s important to have well formatted documents with correct spelling and grammar. It can mean the difference between getting a job or keeping a client – and not.
You can probably make nice looking documents regardless of your skill level. However, if you really know what you’re doing, you can produce documents that brand your business and promote the impression of excellence. If you want to be able to send out documents that make you look good, a Virtual Assistant is the person you should turn to. Here are 9 reasons why you should get a Virtual Assistant to format documents.
They know how to set up the document properly.
By that I mean they will set margins that work; and don’t have an error message each time you print; or text that disappears off the end of the page. They will set the right tabs for each situation rather than space across the page to align text. They will set or create a style-set for the document to make formatting consistent and to assist in the creation of a table of contents if necessary. And they’ll create headers and footers and insert your logo and branding so that all your documents look the same.
They know how to use the formatting tools properly.
I’ve already touched on tabs and styles. But I’m consistently amazed at how many documents I get that use spaces to move text across the page. Or, that have headings that are formatted individually and not-quite-the-same-each-time. They also know how to use the paragraph spacing so that you get the right amount of space between paragraphs. Without having big gaps between each line. Your virtual assistant will know when and how to use each different type of alignment tool. Plus, they know the shortcuts such as the Format Painter tool to copy formatting to different parts of a document, or the Change Case button to change the case of a large chunk of text.
They will proofread as they work.
It’s pretty much habit. So you’ll find that where you’ve had a word autocorrect to something that’s spelled correctly but doesn’t work in the context of a sentence, it will be picked up by the Virtual Assistant. Any misspelt words will be corrected as will minor grammatical errors (such as your/you’re or to/too/two). As a rule, I don’t correct grammar unless I’m asked to. Although if something was particularly difficult to read I’d probably suggest an alternative.
They know how to use the Outline View.
If you’ve got a large document that you need to rearrange Outline view makes it so much easier. You only need to work within the level (i.e.: Heading 1, Heading 2 etc.) you need moved. However, if your document isn’t set up properly to start with, it won’t work and you will end up with bits of text all over the place.
They know little shortcuts or tricks to make things easier.
For example, sometimes a documents formatting is so bad, the best thing you can do is strip all the formatting and start from scratch. Usually I do that by copying the document, pasting it into Notepad and then pasting it into a fresh document. It literally takes 10 seconds to do but saves a heap of time in the long run. There are heaps of little tricks like that and your Virtual Assistant probably knows them all.
They know when and how to use a text box.
Text boxes are a great way of adding in text when you’ve got a lot going on it a document. They can be used either to highlight something important or to insert a piece of text with precision. There are many default text boxes to choose from, or you can easily format one to suit your needs.
They know the best program to use.
I often get people sending me something with a little table that they want done in Excel because that’s the only way they know how to do a table. Or they want a complicated table with calculations done in Word. A Virtual Assistant will know the best program for the job and can help you choose where to keep a document. i.e. in Dropbox, Google Drive or just share it by email as necessary.
It will save you time and money.
Not only will a Virtual Assistant probably be a quicker typist and more familiar with the programs (and therefore take less time to create the document) it will also be saving you from having to take time away from your core business to create and format documents. Meaning not only will a 2-hour job for you only take 1 hour from your Virtual Assistant, you’ll also be saving the difference between your hourly rate and theirs.
A second set of eyes is always a good idea.
Having more than one person read through a document is a great idea, particularly for important documents. Someone else is far more likely to notice errors, pick up inconsistencies or problems with the document flow, and to catch any mistakes in any facts and figures included in the document.
If you want some help to format documents, or you’d like to get some templates made to help you produce professional documents yourself, contact me here or here to discuss your needs.
