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Virtual Assistants For Increased Income: How to Buy Time

February 10, 2015 By Gail Gardner 22 Comments

Feeling overwhelmed with all you haven’t gotten done yet? Who hasn’t wished they could clone themselves? There is a limit to what any one person can accomplish alone. At some point, if you want to grow your business you must delegate some of your work to someone else. That is where Virtual Assistants come in.

Clock image; Virtual Assistants For Increased Income

Table of Contents

  • What is a Virtual Assistant (VA)?
    • Decide What to Delegate
    • Document Instructions
    • Managing Expectations
    • Staying in Touch
    • Using VAs to Increase Income
      • Gail Gardner
      • Latest posts by Gail Gardner (see all)

What is a Virtual Assistant (VA)?

A virtual assistant, VA, or virtual office assistant, is someone to whom you can outsource some of your regular tasks. Some VAs with deeper skill sets may also be known as administrative assistants.

Regardless of what you call them, using a VA is the easiest way to ensure regular tasks get accomplished while freeing you up to focus on running your business and generating sales.

Use a VA so you can run your business instead of working in it.

Any business can hire a VA capable of completing routine work. Some are independent freelancers who work from home. Finding one could be a challenge. An easier method is to work through an agency such as www.247virtualassistant.com. Agencies can more easily match people with the skill sets you need.

Decide What to Delegate

Before you hire your VA, first put some thought into what you do that could be delegated. Tasks that are repetitive are a good place to start. Here are some examples of work commonly delegated to a VA:

  • bookkeeping
  • entering data into a spreadsheet
  • writing or editing content
  • compiling monthly statistics
  • ecommerce sites often hire someone else to add new inventory and upload product images
  • managing blogs or social media accounts
  • answering questions and resolving customer issues
  • managing email promotions

Make a list of everything you do each month. Think about what you must do yourself and what you can train someone else to do for you.

Document Instructions

The best way to avoid conflict is to be very clear in what you want done. Providing detailed written directions can really help your new VA understand what you want.

Oral directions are easily misunderstood or too vague to allow your VA to accomplish the given task. Writing down what you want in a sequential manner will make the tasks more clear in your own mind as well as your VAs.

Managing Expectations

Be clear in what you expect. If you need a particular report done by 5:00 p.m. in your time zone, ensure your VA knows what time it is where you are. Put these deadlines where your VA can find them.

We use Trello to manage projects. Trello is a virtual bulletin board. You create lists and cards which you and your VA can drag and drop.  Documents, images, and videos can be added to each card. By using Trello you reduce the potential for miscommunication.

Trello can provide a good way to document what tasks you want done. We have clients add a card for each task. All details related to that task are added to the card including target dates. Both you and your VA will be able to see at a glance what work is in progress and what has been completed.

Staying in Touch

Provide in writing the best methods to contact you including optimum methods, days and times. Be sure to provide more than one method to reach  you, ideally prioritized by what will work best.

If you always let your phone go to voicemail, be sure to tell your VA they must leave a message. If you strictly observe a Sabbath, be sure to let them know what day and times you will be unavailable.

Add their email address to your contact manager (CRM) to make sure their emails do not end up in spam. Get in the habit of acknowledging emails immediately so there is no question that the other party did receive each email. Even though a sender is whitelisted by being added to a CRM, emails can still be deleted by the ISP on either end.

Consider using Skype as a way to interact. Many freelancers leave Skype open all the time. We don’t chit-chat or interrupt each others’ work, but we do pass along opportunities and answer questions for each other. While Google Talk or Facebook chat could be used the same way, they tend to create more interruptions.

Using VAs to Increase Income

By hiring VAs to perform routine must-do tasks you free yourself up to make more sales calls and plan your business strategy. Far too many business owners are so bogged down in running their business they don’t have any time to focus on growing it. By focusing on sales you can earn more than enough money to pay for your VAs.

Have you hired any VAs? Do you work as a VA?
Feel free to share your experience and ask questions in the comments.

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Gail Gardner

Small Business Marketing Strategist at GrowMap
Gail Gardner is the founder of GrowMap.com. She is a Small Business Marketing Strategist who mentors small businesses, bloggers, and freelancers. After 23 years in the field with IBM and 5.5 years managing AdWords accounts, her focus shifted to small business marketing strategy. GrowMap.com is listed by Cision as a Top 100 Site for Marketers and has received three Small Business Influencer Awards from Small Business Trends. Named by D&B a Top 50 SMB Influencer on Twitter, you can follow Gail @GrowMap and on LinkedIn.
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Filed Under: Small Business Advice Tagged With: virtual assistants

Comments

  1. Bella D. says

    April 2, 2020 at 2:23 am

    Virtual assistants are now becoming in-demand. For online business owners, I agree that they can be more productive if they have VAs to help and work for them. Instead of doing all the hard work, they can have more time to grow and make their business even better. Thanks for this article. Keep on sharing.
    Bella D. would love you to read ..Do you think it’s still worth doing Amazon KDP as a business?My Profile

    Reply
  2. Tariqul says

    January 29, 2017 at 10:54 am

    Which work is perfect for a virtual assistant? are they give very hard work or normally company related? Thanks

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      January 29, 2017 at 9:02 pm

      Many VAs do research, update spreadsheets, schedule social media posts or do social media management.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..How to Amaze with Resource-Rich Content MarketingMy Profile

      Reply
  3. Marie B. Carlson says

    October 10, 2016 at 6:41 am

    I want to grow my Business with Local Business. Do you have any Tips? Please give me.
    Marie B. Carlson would love you to read ..Xiaomi Mi7 Release Date, Specs, Features, Rumors, News, PriceMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      October 10, 2016 at 5:03 pm

      Hi Marie,

      Read the posts at https://growmap.com/category/local-search/ and check out Mike Blumenthal’s site about Google My Business Local listings.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Compare and Contrast Questions: A Simple Way to Get Feedback on Social MediaMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Abu Hasan says

    September 28, 2016 at 9:51 am

    Really very good information you’ve shared. Currently I’m a VA working with my clients on UpWork. Its help me to make money at the age of study and improve my skill as well. Many Many thanks for this article .

    Reply
  5. Jannat says

    July 28, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    Hello Gali! First Thanks form me for Sharing this Post. But, I’ve tried to increase my Earning 6 months but fail.
    Jannat would love you to read ..Robi Emergency Internet MB 3TKMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      July 30, 2016 at 10:37 pm

      Hi Jannat,

      Yes, increasing earnings during economically challenging times can be difficult. You have to come up with something that people really want and find a way to provide more value than your competitors.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..5 Components of Running a Modern Age Successful Ecommerce BusinessMy Profile

      Reply
  6. Sumi Aktar says

    July 28, 2016 at 10:19 am

    Really very good information you’ve shared. Currently I’m a VA working with my clients on UpWork. Its help me to make money at the age of study and improve my skill as well. Thanks

    My Site Link— Technewssources

    Reply
  7. shahadat says

    July 25, 2016 at 7:39 pm

    Thanks Gali for your kind advice . I look forward more article your site .For tasks that require quality writing in English including social media updates, many people hire from the Philippines .Virtual assistance is great source of earn extra money .
    shahadat would love you to read ..Gp Off Sim Offer 2016My Profile

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:09 pm

      Hi Shahadat,

      I have several VAs from the Philippines working for me, but I don’t have them writing.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..5 Ways That Email Marketing Beats Social Media MarketingMy Profile

      Reply
  8. Robi Khan says

    January 13, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    Really nice information you’ve shared. Currently I’m a VA working with my clients on UpWork. Its help me to make money at the age of study and improve my skill as well. Thanks

    Reply
  9. arefin sid says

    February 14, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    thnks gail for sharing … as i work a Virtual Assistant (VA) role to my client on freelance market place.That really embedded extra earning …

    Reply
  10. Mohd Arif says

    February 12, 2015 at 8:01 pm

    Hi, I think Virtual assistance is great source of earn extra money… thanks for writing another great article….

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      February 12, 2015 at 9:11 pm

      Thank you, Mohd. Everyone has some tasks they could outsource. This benefits everyone.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..What does Apple Pay mean for small business owners? Everything you need to know #smallbiz #ecommerceMy Profile

      Reply
  11. Dinesh says

    February 12, 2015 at 6:38 am

    You did your part very nicely. You described the skills of a VA is completely awesome. I loved your post. Thanks for good information

    Reply
  12. Grant says

    February 12, 2015 at 6:21 am

    I’ve considered hiring a VA for a long time as I want to be more efficient, but I worry about losing quality. Your post didn’t mention where any of these VAs are located. Have you tried using VAs from different countries? If so, what did you think of the experience?
    Grant would love you to read ..Travel in Asia: Bee Cheng Hiang BBQ BakkwaMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      February 12, 2015 at 9:17 pm

      Hi Grant,

      Yes, I’ve worked with VAs in other countries and know many other people who have regular teams offshore. It is important to choose tasks that fit each person, be very clear in what you want, and spend some time training before they start. You also need a way to spot-check the tasks to make sure they are doing what you asked for with the desired quality.

      There are many people I work with in India who are capable of doing anything that is repetitive and does not require writing in English. I know a manager there whose team I’ve worked with for years and recommended to many people. They charge $3/hr which is a good wage in India.

      For tasks that require quality writing in English including social media updates, many people hire from the Philippines. While it is common for people from India to speak English fairly well, they do not write it the same way Americans do. Writers from the Philippines are often very similar and some can edit or write as well as writers in the U.S.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Social Media Management for Small Business, Agencies, and FreelancersMy Profile

      Reply
      • Grant says

        February 13, 2015 at 12:46 pm

        Thanks, Gail, that’s some great insight/advice. I would never have even thought about the writing issue with Indian English speakers, but now, come to think of it, I think you’re right. Just from my recent experience trying to find a web developer, it’s apparent that they can be a little over-the-top when writing (ie, being overly polite in every message), and the use of some constructions more commonly found in British English would be caught right away by an American/Canadian readers.

        I’ll have to try looking at some VAs from the Philippines. Hadn’t considered that option before. Thanks!
        Grant would love you to read ..The “Avatar” Mountains: Wulingyuan Scenic Area in ZhangjiajieMy Profile

        Reply
        • Gail Gardner says

          February 14, 2015 at 5:08 am

          Hi Grant,

          Non-native English writers tend to leave “the” out where we expect it and add it where we don’t. That is the easiest way to spot them. People from India often call me “dear” – even if I don’t know them. I’ve tried to explain to them that using a term of endearment in your first conversation with a stranger is unusual here, but I’m not sure they understand.

          VAs in the Philippines tend to be more expensive than those in India and other similar countries, but still only half the price of an entry level VA from the United States. (No doubt there is a range of prices available in every country.)
          Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Why and How to Select Keywords and Where to Use ThemMy Profile

          Reply
  13. Sarah says

    February 12, 2015 at 11:48 am

    There are many ways to increase income at all. this is something how we can really increase our income source so do try and keep going….
    Thanks

    Reply
  14. Karanraj says

    February 12, 2015 at 6:24 am

    Great Info.
    Can you share how to become a virtual Assistant even?
    It will be a help for people like me who are looking for part time job from home.

    Reply

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