When you’re looking for a Virtual Assistant, it’s important to find someone you’re comfortable with. If they’re also someone that you like, all the better. If you get the right person, you’ll find that having a Virtual Assistant does a lot to make you happier and less stressed.
As scientists are exploring the link between stress and health it’s becoming evident that too much stress is damaging to not only your happiness, but also to your health. It’s also evident that happy people are more resistant to stress. So it’s in all of our best interests to find ways of dealing with our stress and increasing our happiness.
A Virtual Assistant can help in this, by giving you back some of your time and even taking on some of your problem areas. The areas that a Virtual Assistant can be the most helpful are:
Operations
The operations areas that a Virtual Assistant can help in include general administration tasks such as:
- Reception
- Book keeping
- Typing
- Data entry
- Format documents for consistent branding
A Virtual Assistant can also help with stock & supplier issues such as:
- Research to help you find the right supplier
- Contacting suppliers when there’s supply problems
- Monitoring stock & producing Purchase Orders as necessary
- Being first point of contact for any queries from suppliers
- Double checking supplier invoices/dispatches
Customer Service
- First point of contact for customer queries
- Monitor email accounts & social media for customer queries ensuring a quick response
- Collecting & collating customer feedback
- Troubleshoot customer problems
- Act as a Traffic Cop for customer queries to make sure they go to the best person to help as quickly as possible
Marketing
- Update website
- Create regular newsletter
- Keep social media profiles in line with company branding
- Post to social media accounts
- Format content for social media, blogs, newsletters etc
Compliance
- Create & maintain clear documentation of process & procedures
- Assist with recording & storing information required for audit
- Develop filing systems to ensure information is easy to store & easy to find
- Collate information required for regulatory bodies
- Liaise with book keeper & accountant to ensure financial responsibilities are being met
Staff
- Post advertisements for new staff with online job boards & newspapers as required
- Help screen initial applications
- Ensure all relevant paperwork is completed for new hires
- Help with rosters
- Back up staff during busy times and absences
Once you have a bit of help dealing with all of these issues that a small business has to deal with. You should be able to afford to not only spend more time doing your core business. And also, to spend time in leisure activities that make you happy. Whether it’s hanging out with friends or family, skydiving or curling up in bed with a good book – down time is essential.
