How to use a virtual assistant. Cartoon people in background.

How to Use a Virtual Assistant

Deciding to hire a virtual assistant or a VA is a great plan if you are trying to leverage your business by outsourcing tasks that cannot be automated. Virtual assistants work on a contractual basis for your company. Using a virtual assistant can leave you with time to dedicate yourself to core business activities, however, knowing which tasks you can delegate can seem puzzling at first. This is why we are going to look at some effective ways to use a virtual assistant for your business growth!

Calendar scheduling

An experienced virtual assistant can be valuable by taking over your calendar management. They will help you keep you and your team organized and on schedule, from arranging client meetings and managing sales meetings with prospects to larger event preparation.

Bookkeeping

Keeping track of company bills and other bookkeeping tasks can be one of the simplest things to delegate to your virtual assistant. Many small companies prefer to share their bookkeeping systems with virtual assistants, who can then follow up on things like outstanding payments or pending invoices. Hence, a virtual assistant can help you stay on top of all your bookkeeping tasks efficiently.

Researching

Finding information on other corporate websites, gathering information about new products, and verifying possible business contacts are all common tasks that can be executed by your virtual assistant perfectly.

Data entry

Virtual assistants are well-suited in keeping your databases accurate and continually updated. Have a discussion with your VA to communicate your goals and expectations and they will be able to manage your data seamlessly.

Email Management

Virtual assistants will filter your most essential emails and answer the rest on your behalf. Remote email management is simple, and you can ask your assistant to copy to you before sending any answers to add your inputs. With the help of a virtual assistant, communication will become a lot easier for you.

Social Media

Not many people think about delegating this task to their virtual assistants, but your virtual assistant can handle your social media accounts to establish your brand presence. This can include publishing your posts, responding to comments, and managing your overall presence.

Picking the right service

There are so many factors to consider when picking out the right virtual assistant service. Are you looking for US-based assistants or is out-sourcing to another country an option? You can get started with some services for $20 a month, while others cost a lot more.

Check out our reviews of virtual assistant services to find the right one for you.

What else?

Bonus tip: You may already be on top of your business operations, but are unable to dedicate enough time to your personal life. Then, your VA can take care of your appointments, reminders, and other activities for you.

Thus, virtual assistants are a great addition to your company for your tasks and operations.

Boldly Logo

Boldly Review

Virtual Assistants (VAs) have been stepping up to help businesses and entrepreneurs maintain maximum efficiency since about 2000. Boldly is a newer “subscription staffing” service that looks and smells a lot like a traditional virtual assistant. So how does Boldy compare with the competitors?

Boldly was founded in 2009. Their model is best suited for someone who’d like to engage in a long-term relationship with one, dedicated VA, and feels more like outsourcing to a staffing agency than delegating certain tasks. As such, they’re only available during traditional office hours.

Read the full article including breakdowns of Boldly’s pricing and a larger review of the service.

Belay Virtual Assistants

Belay (Belay Solutions) was founded in 2010, under the name eaHelp. They originally marketed administrative assistant solutions to pastors and churches, but have since rebranded and expanded to businesses of all sizes, all over the country. Their model is best suited for someone who’d like to engage in a long-term relationship with one, dedicated VA, and feels more like hiring an employee than delegating certain tasks. As such, they’re only available during traditional office hours (although this is aligned with Fancy Hands’ Dedicated Assistant service as well). Belay assistants can help with generic tasks, such as data entry, writing/editing, schedule management, and research. They also have assistants who specialize in bookkeeping, website maintenance, and social media strategy.

Read the whole article including a comparison of Belay’s pricing right here.

How to outsource tasks (with specific examples of my tasks!)

Diana Kerr has a great write-up of Fancy Hands’ virtual assistant service.

She isn’t against phone calls, but…

Despite the stereotypes about millennials and phone calls, I am not allergic to making phone calls, but I’ve realized over time that phone calls are rarely as quick as you think they’ll be.

She also recommends using the service for “Research” and “Simple purchases.”

Does Fancy Hands really work? Can I trust them?

Overall, I’m pleased, despite the occasional task that doesn’t go great

Head over and read the full review. Also check out Diana’s main website.

“The statistics that blow my mind”

Arman Assadi the founder and CEO of Steno and host of the podcast FLOW with Arman Assadi has saved valuable time by using Fancy Hands. He says, “The more you can free yourself from things that don’t require your personal attention, the more successful and fulfilled you can be.”

If only we could blow away the competition by getting more actual “work” done and not having to deal with these boring, nonsense tasks. Or what if we had someone to help with the little things so we could focus on being creative and producing good work? There are far too many judgements and preconceptions about what having an assistant really means. But here’s the deal, we’re living a self-directed lifestyle, right? And if we want to be free and achieve great things we need to focus on what’s important. Outsourcing the minutiae of everyday life is one of them.

How was it judged

Category Score
Value “incredible value”
User Interface/Accessibility “Very flexible”
Quality of Work “thoroughly impressed”
Consistency “pretty consistent” (some assistants were better than others)
Responsiveness/Speed “The biggest benefit”

Is Fancy Hands worth it?

Overall, Fancy Hands offers an incredible value. According to Fancy Hands, the average task is something that can be completed in under 20 minutes. My statistics show that I’ve saved 4.1 days or over 98 hours of time. I recommend Fancy Hands to anyone with no reservations.

Read the full article to find the statistic that Arman found “Remarkable.” Check out Arman’s site to learn more about this great entrepreneur.

10 Things to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant

Alina Dizik has a terrific breakdown of how to use a virtual assistant.

Using a virtual assistant can shave hours from your workweek, but knowing which tasks to delegate can be tricky, whether you’re starting or growing a business.

She shares some tips for getting the most out of a virtual assistant.

  • Bookkeeping
  • Online Research
  • Database entries
  • Data presentations
  • Managing email
  • Social tasks
  • Travel Research
  • Scheduling
  • Chasing business
  • Industry knowledge prep

There are tons more great tips too. Read the full article.

Check out this list too.

Magic Virtual Assistants Review

We found a great review of the popular virtual assistant service Magic.

I Tried Out Magic, the New Text Message Concierge, and It Was Far From Magical

I went to sleep, dreaming of oh so many fried chicken slabs doused with the perfect marinara. I planned to wake in the morning to a slew of cheery, exclamatory Magic messages. Instead, I found no new messages on my phone.

Read the full article here.

Using a virtual assistant for a small business

Virtual Assistants aren’t just for personal tasks. Learn how to use virtual assistants from as service like Fancy Hands or Ask Sunday to transform your business.

Follow this guide to learn the best way to use a virtual assistant at your small business.

Sarita Harbour wrote a great article about this topic.

What can a virtual assistant do for your small business?

VAs perform a variety of tasks for small businesses of all sizes, ranging from daily, repetitive tasks to more specialized activities and projects, such as creating and maintaining websites and carrying out online marketing campaigns. Of course, the types of tasks you plan on having your VA cover will determine the skill level needed—and affect how much you pay them.

When to hire a virtual assistant for your small business

VAs are especially useful when you’re growing but aren’t quite ready to hire an employee, says Diane Diresta, author, founder and CEO of DiResta Communications, Inc., a New York City-based consultancy serving business leaders who deliver high stakes presentations.

How does it fit into your work-life?

“I think one of the secrets of being a good business owner is to focus on the work that only you can do and to farm the rest out to other employees, whether in-person or virtual,” says Catania. “Use VAs to open up your schedule, so you can do just that.”

  • What tasks am I currently responsible for that anyone could do?
  • What tasks/projects need to be done for my business that none of my current team members know how to do?
  • What is the most immediate task/project a VA could take on as soon as they’re hired?
  • What could I do to grow the business if a VA was handling some of this work?
  • How do I want to manage my VA (e.g., via Skype, email or phone)?

Read the full article.

Find out more information about Virtual Assistants

Fancy Hands vs Belay

Belay vs Fancy Hands

How do Fancy Hands and Belay compare?

We found a thorough review

Both Fancy Hands and Belay boast a team of US-based VAs. Both can handle a variety of tasks to help you gain precious time. Though in terms of flexibility and cost, Fancy Hands is the clear standout. With Belay, you’re simply delegating the task of finding an assistant to an outside company. You don’t have control over your assistant’s schedule. With Fancy Hands, you have access to the entire team of VAs 24/7, and when you submit different types of tasks, you can be sure that someone who’s experienced and enthusiastic will be there to help. And if you’re looking for a dedicated virtual assistant, Fancy Hands can help with that, too.

Read the full review comparing Fancy Hands vs Belay.