When you first start a business, it usually begins on a very small or limited scale. After a while, you will want to have your business grow with a greater income and a wider reach. Just like planting an apple seed, after a few years, you are expecting a full grown fruit-bearing tree. Watching your business grow is one of the most exciting things for any business owner.
To nurture business growth, you will need to make sure that all factors are taken care of and managed well. Just like the apple tree that needs sunlight, water, nutrients, and space to grow, your business will need to be looked after well. But, unlike the tree, your business has far more factors that need to be managed, each needing particular skills and talents. These are far too much for you to do all by yourself.
That is why you should get a virtual assistant to help you so you can see your business growth multiply. There are many tasks and projects that a VA can do or manage to ensure your business growth to its full potential. Here are 7 examples:
1. Bookkeeping and managing finances: Bookkeeping and managing finances need a particular skillset to be done well, and maybe you are just not a fan of numbers. Most bookkeepers and accountants are people who are good with numbers and keeping track of calculations. You can get a VA that is professionally trained in this field to help you stay on top of your finances. There are also so many apps and web-based tools that will help you to set up a great accounting system with your VA. These tools also help you to keep your information and money secure.
2. Managing emails, phone calls, and appointments: Like any other secretary or executive assistant, a VA can manage your email account and phone line, and book your appointments. This does not take much skill, and you will just need someone who is good at verbal and written communication and time management. Together with online voice calling and calendars, your VA can effectively manage all your communications.
3.Setting up and managing social media: Many businesses are turning to social media for marketing and to keep in contact with customers and clients. There are many social media accounts that need to be created and they need to be updated regularly to ensure it stays relevant. This can be a very time-consuming task, therefore getting a VA is your best option. Your VA can help manage the account, keep in contact with customers, create content and keep up to date on the latest news and trends in your industry
4. Organising files and records: As more businesses move to working online, the days of working with stacks of paper and rusty filing cabinets are over. By using web-based storage drives, you save time, money and the environment. It also makes it easier to access from anywhere, but still securely. You can get a VA to help organise your files and records in your online drive. Your VA can also create an efficient filing system, setup and manage databases, and create data interpretations.
5. Conducting online research: To plan effectively and make sure that your business is growing in the desired direction, you need to do plenty of research. You’ll also need to do research for general tasks from time to time. Your VA can do this for you while you manage more demanding tasks. By informing your VA clearly about what research you are wanting to conduct, they can definitely find what you are looking for. They can do research for blogs or reports, find information on corporate websites, explore new or competing products and find new business contacts.
6. Recruiting new employees: When you are ready to grow your business and start employing staff or volunteers, it will save you loads of time if you get a VA to run recruitment. Instead of wasting your valuable time looking through the many applicants and sifting out only the suitable ones, you can employ a VA to do these initial stages of recruitment for you. They can sift through resumes received, choose suitable candidates according to your specifications, and conduct first round interviews. When they do find a suitable candidate, they can then pass them onto you for a final interview.
7. Editing and proofreading: Some VAs have very good language and writing skills. These are very useful when it comes to making sure that all your reports, emails, and blogs are grammatically correct and make sense. Editing and proofreading are also tasks that take a lot of time, so it will be more efficient to get someone else to do it. Furthermore, having someone else to edit your work allows you to get a different perspective which is usually very helpful in developing well thought out written work.
If you find that you’re struggling to find time to complete all your tasks and would prefer to spend time on less menial tasks then perhaps it is time to get your business a VA. Your VA could help you with so many different things with a fresh perspective and eager attitude. Your VA can and will multiply the growth of your business.
Beyond VAs is a London based social enterprise that helps solopreneurs and SMEs grow their businesses by connecting them with talented virtual assistants from countries with high unemployment rates. To find out more about Beyond VAs, get in touch with us or subscribe to the newsletter here: www.beyondvas.com/contact-us