You can grow your business without sacrificing your personal life.

Wouldn’t you like to create more free time and spend more of your working hours on tasks that are worth your hourly rate?  Are you tired of being a Jill or Jack-of-all-trades?

A virtual assistant can be one of the biggest weapons in your company.  A VA can handle administrative tasks, act as a resource on everything from reputable repair companies to local top restaurants, and market your business in new ways you never imagined.  A virtual assistant can support your business by taking on tasks such as Web maintenance, marketing mailings, or creating Flyers and brochures. 

The biggest challenge in choosing a virtual assistant is finding someone who clicks with you.  A virtual assistant has to be your right-hand person and know that you can count on her to delegate the work you’ve given her.  This is why it’s important to have frequent communication with each other and be able to understand one another.  Price can be a huge factor in choosing the right VA, but remember that price doesn’t always win over experience.  Once you find the perfect VA, you’ll feel stable and comfortable to work with her. 

It is important to write out a plan before exploring the virtual world.  Write a list of where you need the most support.  Ask yourself, ‘What jobs can I give the assistant?  What am I comfortable doing on my own?’  Once you’ve geared up with what you need help on, the interview process will run smoothly.  Make sure to hire an assistant that complements your character and has the skills in the field you need help with.  Remember to hire someone who has values because you can always teach new skills.

The internet has a vast amount of Virtual Assistant websites.  Each profile is different and most VA’s specialize in a task of expertise, so it’s important to contact the one that you feel has the experience that reflects your business.  Make sure to view a VA’s portfolio page where you’ll see a few of the work she’s done in the past.  Most VA websites have an “About Me” page that can give you a brief description of the assistant and when and why they started a virtual assistant business.  You will usually find a “services” page that includes all the tasks they can perform.

Have fun with your search!  You’ll thank yourself once you’ve found your perfect match!

How to work with a Virtual Team

When working with clients and/or business partners that are hundreds of miles apart, it is crucial to understand how to use virtual meetings.

Here are a few suggestions.

1. Instant Messaging

I’m sure you’ve used them to keep in touch with family and friends. Who says you can’t use it for business? With IM’s you can see everyone’s message and collaborate just as if you were in an in-person meeting. You can categorize each person by lists, such as friends, family, co-workers, business partners, and so forth. Most IM's will allow you to save the chat for future reference. You can also share files and folders as well as view each other on a webcam if desired. The only tricky side to all this is that everyone has to have the same program running on their computer.

2. Set up a Virtual Office

Having a teamwork agenda is a great way to keep up-to-date with what’s going on and what needs attention. You can manage this agenda by creating a SharePoint site that your team can use and access it to update calendars, reports, add to do lists and organize documents. Microsoft SharePoint is a collaboration site and has many customizable features that you can use to fit your business needs. You can get alerts when someone changes or updates a document. You can set up a SharePoint site using Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server by clicking here.

3. Virtual Conference Room

Make a slide show presentation, have a staff meeting, brainstorm, or even train a group of people by using a web-based conference. Everyone can see the same information at the same time, as if you were all in the same room. With Microsoft Office Live Meeting, you can share files and documents and even save the presentation for someone who wasn’t able to attend the meeting. Prices vary by the term you accept which can be per month, minute, or per user basis. All you need is a computer with internet access and a phone.