There are lots of blogs out there listing the hundreds of tasks you can outsource to a VA. This is not another one of those.
When you’re a small business owner, you’ll have hundreds of tasks to do before the day is done. From bookkeeping to social media management, there’ll be a lot on your plate on a daily basis.
Outsourcing tasks to a VA who specialises in that task, will save you time and money. But you need to identify the right tasks to outsource to the right VA. VAs have specific skill sets, so often specialise. Essentially, VAs save you time, and time is an important commodity in business (and life).
So if you wanted to outsource some of your tasks to a VA, how on earth would you decide what you should outsource?
Chris Ducker, a virtual CEO and publisher of ChrisDucker.com, recommends every business owner (or entrepreneur) create a “3 Lists to Freedom” for their success.
These are the three lists he recommends you create, and use as the basis for what you will delegate to enable you to use your time more effectively and increase productivity:
Things you hate: just write down what you don’t like doing in your business on a daily basis. This could be anything from administrative tasks to scheduling Zoom calls.
Things you can’t do: write down the daily activities you don’t have the right knowledge or experience in. Maybe website development and maintenance, or social media marketing or graphic design.
The third list is the one that Chris says will fundamentally change your business and is a ‘game-changer.’ So for this one, you need to ask yourself honestly: “what shouldn’t I be doing?” Remember, you’re not a superhero.
Ducker says this is essentially the road map to taking on a virtual assistant or VA.
Once you have your list, it is likely your tasks will be able to be grouped into these areas.
Administrative tasks like email management, invoicing and handling customer enquiries can reduce the amount of time a small business owner has to focus on other essential activities. That’s where a general virtual assistant can help. They can perform the tasks of an account manager, marketer, project manager, possibly most things you need. They work similarly to a personal assistant (PA) but from a virtual office in a remote location.
Some VAs offer content writing and marketing support. To provide these services, the VA needs writing or marketing expertise so they can plan and execute a content campaign. So for instance, a graphic designer or web developer shouldn’t be in charge of writing blog posts, press releases, or newsletters. It is a different skill set.
A dedicated assistant with experience in SEO and/or digital marketing will prove invaluable to your company. The right VA can boost web traffic, sales numbers, and brand awareness with the right SEO and digital marketing techniques and strategies.
A virtual assistant with a social media skill set will understand how to get your business noticed, retweeted, liked, and shared on social networks.
Sometimes, you just have some random things that need to be done. It could be anything from taking notes during meetings to buying items for the office.
After a while, you will realise that you’re spending a lot of time on non-essential tasks, which can affect your business by taking away productivity. You know routine tasks are vital, but they can end up taking up most of your working day, leaving you no time for what you love, and the reason you are in business.
VAs can undertake a wide range of tasks, just as long as you either pick the right one, or train them properly by giving them adequate instructions.
As a business owner, you can take the weight off your shoulders by passing much of the things you’ve identified on your 3 lists to a virtual assistant.
You might ask, what can you outsource to Oyster Flame? To me, Jean? What do I specialise in? Maybe not hundreds of different tasks, but a fair few. Here is a list of tasks that previous and/or existing clients have outsourced to me, or where I have previous experience.
Maybe this list of tasks I can undertake means I can help make your life easier, freeing up your work time and making your days more efficient.
Just remember, virtual assistants don’t replace you in your business. We are there to assist and help, giving you more time to work on expanding your business.
If you are interested in finding out a bit more about outsourcing some of your tasks to a VA, please get in touch.