Research is one of the most time consuming things you can do. It’s easy to get distracted and side-tracked, there’s always a ton of information, then once you’ve found some information there’s often a difficulty in evaluating the validity of the source. A Virtual Assistant can be helpful for a variety of reasons including:
- A Virtual Assistant won’t get distracted and side-tracked while performing the research.
- A Virtual Assistant will more than likely have a good knowledge of where to look for information from past experience
- A Virtual Assistant will also probably have a good knowledge of which sources provide the most accurate information from past experience.
When it comes to types of research there are a few main areas in which a Virtual Assistant can be of use:
Purchasing
When new equipment, services or supplies are needed a Virtual Assistant can research prices, inclusions, providers, service options etc. and give you a few options that best suit your needs. The Virtual Assistant can also organise quotations and service contracts on your behalf
Background information
If you need information on a certain topic for presentations, blogs, education or any other reason, your Virtual Assistant can perform the initial research for you and give you a list of resources and information on topics, subheadings and associated material.
Fact Checking
A Virtual Assistant can research facts and statistics for you to use in your promotional material and find legitimate sources to ensure that everything you publish is correct and to help promote your reputation as an authoritative source in your industry.
Competitor Research
A Virtual Assistant can help you to research your competitors whether you want information on services, pricing, offerings or any other facet of business your Virtual Assistant can help with researching your competitors and your business ideas.
General Information
All the day to day things you need to know: What is the best way to get from point A to point B? Where can you get the best Mexican meal in town? What is the time in New York? What is the current exchange rate? These are mostly quick searches that obviously, you’ll do yourself if you have an immediate need for them, but if you’re busy and just need the information – a quick email to your Virtual Assistant and the information will be in your inbox when you’re ready to access it.
Of course, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- To get the best results, you need to be clear on what information you require, and you need to be able to communicate that to your Virtual Assistant
- You’ll need to ensure the Virtual Assistant gives you information AND their sources in a format that’s easy for you to read. I’d suggest an Excel spreadsheet with columns for all the details you require, and one column for sources.
- As Virtual Assistants often charge by the hour, make sure you decide how much time you want spent on the research
Getting a Virtual Assistant to help with your research is a great way to get the information you require without a lot of fuss and frustration. As with most tasks though, it’s success will often depend on the clarity of the instruction, so take the time to think about what you want, or get your Virtual Assistant to do an hour or so research on a broad topic to help you identify issues you want to explore further. Once you’ve got the process that works best for you, you’ll find that gathering information is not that big an issue at all.
