When you started out in business, no doubt you enjoyed every aspect of running it – the marketing was fun, sending out invoices gave you a thrill, organising events was a doddle and you didn’t even mind chasing money that was owed. But as your business grew, some things became a chore, while others got pushed on the back burner as you got on with the important part of the business – servicing the clients. Suddenly you realised that you had no time to update social media profiles, reports and quotes weren’t being sent out, deadlines were being missed, and emails were piling up. Maybe you were so busy working with the clients you had, that you didn’t have time to find new ones or you were so busy finding new clients that you neglected looking after the current clients.
Sound familiar?
There comes a time in every small businesses life when the owner(s) realise that, in order to grow, some things are going to have to be delegated. But what to do if there’s not enough money to take on a new member of staff? How can the business grow if there’s no room in the office for another person and desk? Are you destined to have to do everything yourself for ever?
Of course not – that’s where a Virtual Assistant comes in!
A Virtual Assistant, or VA, can take the tasks that you’re spending too much time on, and the ones that you just don’t get around to, and make sure that they’re done with efficiency and speed, all without giving you the headache of tax, National Insurance, employee rights and office space.
Here are 5 things your Virtual Assistant could help you with today, to ensure your business continues to grow and lives until tomorrow:
1) Manage your email – You know that sinking feeling you get when you log into your email and see hundreds of messages waiting to be dealt with? Maybe a lot of it is unimportant, but in amongst those newsletters and spam may be some golden nuggets waiting to be picked up; a potential client, a possible joint venture, a response to an invitation. They’re there, but you have to wade through the rubbish to get them.
Now imagine logging on to your email and ONLY seeing the important things – all set out in folders ready for you to deal with. Potential clients have already been sent to the correct page on your website and a phone call scheduled in. Joint Venture prospects have detailed information on your company and have been given 3 potential dates for a meeting. The invitation responders have been thanked and added to the guest list; then sent everything they need for your fantastic event.
Your Virtual Assistant can do all of this and more – never dread your email again!
2) Handle your email newsletters – You know you should be marketing your business, and you know that email newsletters are a great way to do this, but somehow you never quite get around to it…
Your Virtual Assistant can deal with your email newsletter client, upload content, schedule and send newsletters and send you a full report at the end, leaving you free to concentrate on the clients it brings, not worrying that you haven’t bothered to send it out.
3) Update your CRM system – Everyone hates updating their customer relationship management system, right? Wrong! Your Virtual Assistant will make sure that your system is up to date, all leads and potential clients are in there, and tasks are set to follow up.
No more calling a possible customer and finding out they’ve changed jobs, missing an important call because you didn’t set a contact to follow up, or losing a contract because you called just a day too late. Your Virtual Assistant wants your business to grow as much as you do; let them manage your customer relationships alongside you and you can both share in the glory!
4) Handle your invoicing – Invoicing is the lifeblood of any business, as we all know. Simply put, if the invoices don’t go out, the money doesn’t come in! But it’s easy to forget to invoice a client, or put it off and find that your cash flow isn’t what it should be. Not to mention the sticky business of asking new customers for deposits up front and staged payments.
Your Virtual Assistant will ensure that your invoices go out on time, every time. He or she will also make sure they’re paid on time; having someone else chasing overdue invoices takes the pressure off you and allows you to keep a friendly relationship with your client unaffected by the sometimes thorny issue of cash.
5) Organise events – Whether it’s a webinar for 20 people, an exhibition for 3000 or a training day for 50, organising an event takes time, patience and skill. Sending out invitations, scheduling phone calls, finding exhibitors or guest speakers, handling the guest list, making sure everyone has maps / passes / hand-outs / details of what they should be doing; organising an event can be a full time job in itself! So while you’re doing that, who is running your actual business?
Your Virtual Assistant can take the strain of the event away from you; most Virtual Assistant’s by virtue of their job are well organised and love this kind of thing. Let them do the bits you hate, leaving you to be fabulous and reap the rewards after the event!
This is just a short list of the things a Virtual Assistant can do for you; there are many more. I’m sure you’re already thinking “Hang on, why don’t I have a Virtual Assistant?”.
If you think a VA could help you to grow your business and become more profitable, why not drop me a line on [email protected] or give me a call on 01202 872061 or Freephone 0800 612 5596 – it could be the best call you’ll ever make, and your business will thank you for it!
