Are you on the fence about working with a virtual services firm? You need the help but don’t know what tasks to delegate? The goal is to free up your time to focus on growing your business, but you don’t know where to start?
Whether you’re a start-up business or already have some traction, delegating some of your tasks can shave hours off of your week. You don’t need to supply a workspace as they are used to working remotely.
It’s easy to ease into getting assistance from a virtual services company.
- Start small with administrative tasks that may not be difficult but are time-consuming and essential to your business’s success. Once you get to know each other, you can slowly delegate more responsibilities.
- Write out clear instructions so that the virtual company can follow them and replicate how you would do it. And, always be open to input as the experienced services may offer suggestions on making the process more efficient.
Some of the services they can help you with are:
Answering Your Phones
A live person is so much more professional than forcing them to leave a message on a voice mail system. If someone is looking for your product or service and has to leave a message on a voice mail, they may hang up and call the next vendor.
They can also make outgoing calls to confirm appointments, set up meetings, or connect with other vendors to find out more about the services they offer.
Manage Bills and Bookkeeping
Once you build trust, they can help you manage your bills and even help with bookkeeping. Do you have a customer or client running late on paying you? When you have a virtual services company call on your behalf, it is less awkward as the person on the other end knows he/she is only doing their job.
It would be best to take advantage of one of the reputable password keepers available that offer protection should you need to share login credentials for some of your accounts.
Maintain Your Database
How many times have you attended a business expo or tradeshow and end up stuffing all of the business cards you collected in a drawer? A detailed virtual services company can scan the cards into a database so you can include them in a future newsletter or set up that promised meeting.
It’s important to know they are detailed oriented to ensure the data entered is accurate. Be very specific about what information you would like included. Trick: Write on the card where you met the person and anything personal you remember so you can include it in a later conversation.
Clean Up Your Inbox
Emails can quickly build up, and before you know it, you have 100s of emails all blended, without any rhyme or reason. Ask the company to filter in a manner that makes it easy to review later.
They can also go through and clean up junk and unsubscribe from all those lists you never joined.
Keep it Personal
Holiday cards are an excellent way to remain top of mind and show you care. Addressing envelopes and getting them out the door can be time-consuming and take you away from critical tasks that keep your business running.
Managing Your Calendar
Scheduling a meeting with multiple people is a chore in itself. Let the virtual service company coordinate that important meeting for you. It’s easy to share your calendar and block out what dates/times would work for you.
If you travel frequently, it’s beneficial to allow them to navigate all that’s necessary for a smooth trip.
Getting started can be challenging, but if you follow some of the steps above, you can ease your way into a successful relationship with a solid virtual services partner.