Introduction
Just as the word says, a virtual assistant is a person you hire, who works outside your office, to take care of tasks assigned to them by you pertaining to your business. This is not a new solution, it has been around for at least a decade. It became popular however during the pandemic when people needed to hire admins at low cost to the business to keep things running.
We will look at who a virtual assistant is, what they can do for you and where you can find them.
Why is a virtual Assistant Important?
A Virtual assistant is your go-to administrator who takes up no space in your office. They also come with their own equipment, technology and infrastructure so you do not have to invest in that. But we have a whole article on how to benefit from a virtual assistant here.
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How to know you need a virtual assistant.
- You regularly get overwhelmed with business related tasks.
- Cannot find the time to spend on decision making and strategy for your business
- When you are ready to upscale and grow
- The work-life balance is out of whack.
- You find yourself exhausted and stress more regularly than not.
- You can barely keep track of your projects
- When your business needs skills you do not have
What a Virtual Assistant can do for you
Admin
- Reception
- Data entry
- Email management
- Calendar management
- Travel planning
- Scheduling appointments
- Filing documents, and more.
Accounting
- Balancing accounts
- Processing receipts and sales payments
- Income returns
- Preparing invoices
- Filing taxes
- Making Cash flow statements
- Handling financial paperwork
Social Media Marketing
- Create social media profiles
- Schedule content for digital marketing campaigns
- write blogs for the business website
- Research SEO keywords
- Manage community engagement
- Track analytics of digital marketing efforts
Event Management
- Organizing decor
- Coordinating with vendors on behalf of small business owners
- Booking caterers and researching menus
- Planning event budget
- Handling publicity and marketing
- Arranging sponsorship
- Curating guest lists
Customer Service
- Processing orders
- Answering queries
- Resolving issues
- Handling complaints
- Managing returns and exchanges
How to hire a virtual assistant
Posting a job listing – You can post a listing on LinkedIn or social media and sieve through the applicants. Another way is to post it on sites like Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr to mention but a few.
Referrals – ask around in your networks (even your LinkedIn connections) and find out whether someone may have a line to a good Virtual Assistant.
Outsourcing Agencies – Virtants Agency is one such company. It has access to some of the best virtual assistants in Kampala, Uganda. They hook you up with a virtual assistant with your specific task and expertise needs in mind. When you contact such a company, there is a small process to go through but once you have one you will feel more secure about your business
Closing
Before hiring a Virtual assistant, make sure you know exactly which tasks they will be helping you with as well as the number of hours you will need them per week or per month.
Call-to-Action
If you are thinking of hiring a virtual assistant, check out our website, contact us or have a look at some of the services we offer. We are able and willing to set you up for the success you aim for.