How to work with a regular virtual assistant

A regular virtual assistant (VA) is a great way to get you the admin support you need. We have a great mix of ad hoc and regular clients at My Freelance Admin, and in this blog we are going to talk about how to work with a regular VA. 

We know that transitioning from doing everything yourself to having regular support is quite a shift. Often clients question whether they have enough work for regular support. Yet they feel they are drowning in their own admin!

If this is the case, start small and build up gradually.

Processes are key

In the time leading up to working with a Virtual Assistant, start building a list of things you could hand over as they come up. And as you are working through a task yourself that you think you can hand over, take a few extra minutes to note down the process (the steps for completing the task). This gives a great foundation for working together.

Find your way of working

A VA is there to support you, and it is important that you find a way of working together that works for both of you. It is likely you have a busy schedule and feel you don’t have time to stop and hand over the work. Start with whatever methods work for you; voicenotes, a shareable word document where you braindump all the tasks on your mind. Over time you will get more comfortable with it, and when appropriate, discuss with your VA if there is a more efficient way of working.

How to communicate

We would recommend Slack for messaging. It’s an instant way of messaging someone however it also has handy ‘channels’ where you can create categories for example “Social Media Content”, “Urgent Tasks”, “Tasks for One Day”. You could then post in these channels (which would be shared with the Virtual Assistant) to communicate with them as to what you want doing. 

Asana is also a great tool for task setting. Here you can set tasks with deadlines, you can add content to the description and upload attachments, and leave comments on the task. This is a much more detailed way of working and you may feel you need to work up to this.

The point is, just getting started can be a real blocker for someone, and if you are drowning in admin you need support asap. So dive right in! And learn to swim with your VA. They will be there to support you and can suggest ways of working more efficiently. 

Passwords and security

We use LastPass for clients sharing their passwords with us, and it is part of our onboarding process to get our clients set up on the platform and explain the process. The client needs the Premium account in order to be able to share passwords and they share what is needed, as and when it is needed. This is a secure way of sharing the data, and it keeps it nice and organised too. Bonus!

LastPass can integrate into your Chrome Browser so you can add your passwords to your private account as and when they come up. 

What tasks can I hand over?

The traditional Virtual Assistant tasks are things like managing your inbox or calendar, planning your travel, typing up minutes etc. however nowadays a VA’s role can spread much wider than this. A VA is effectively a skilled freelancer who has decided to work on their own schedule. They have usually come from working for an employee and have an expanse of experience, and a great attitude for working, constantly developing their skills. 

Here’s some ideas of tasks that a regular virtual assistant could help you with, based on what we offer at My Freelance Admin.

• General Admin
• Personal Assistant Tasks
• Calendar Management
• Logistics Management
• Lifestyle Management
• Travel Research
• Social Media Management
• Website Edits
• Ecommerce Management
• Email Management
• Email / LinkedIn / Social Media Outreach 
• Data Entry
• Database Creation and Management 
• Online Filing Systems
• Transcription
• Research
• Bookkeeping
• Procurement 

They often have creative skills such as;

• Copywriting / Creative Writing 
• SEO
• Proofreading
• PR
• Google Analytics
• Pay Per Click Search Campaigns 
• Video Editing and Creation 
• Blogging
• Newsletter Creation
• Creating a Marketing Plan 
• Graphic Design
• Podcast Editing
• Image Editing
• Editing Audio Media

If you would like to discuss how to work with a regular virtual assistant further, please don’t hesitate to book a call, or get in touch.

Written by Rachael Bosanquet