by Manisha Dhalani
I’ve talked about how hiring VA-SG has helped me with many aspects of my freelance working life. My designated VA has worked within my budget, helped me manage my family’s expectations, and kept me sane in desperate times.
She has also done a hero’s deed of improving my freelance writing career.
Let me tell you how that happened.
When I first started, my philosophy was simple – to earn a stable passive income by writing after my 9-to-5 hours. I had about two clients and everything was going smooth and easy.
Things changed when I decided to pursue writing as a full-time freelance career.
I soon realised that there was more to just writing. I had to spend hours researching, following up with clients, working with their expectations, and of course there was the much needed marketing.
I could initially handle all of this – but only until I realised how the marketing environment kept transforming every other day. Things were becoming more tech-savvy and having to spend most of my hours writing, I didn’t have the time to figure out all the tools that kept popping up like mushrooms online.
I had to focus on keeping my current clients happy before starting to rope in new ones.
But how could I start talking to new clients when I didn’t have the extra time to do so?
That’s where VA-SG came in.
Let’s get into the specifics.
1. Identify gaps
There were some processes in my initial stage of business development that I was not familiar with. Like I said earlier, I had to focus on researching and writing for my client projects, but I knew I couldn’t ignore the list of things I had to do for my own branding and marketing.
So I made a list of gaps that I had to fill – gaps that would consume time outside of my regular activities; if I were to figure them out on my own.
Once that was done, I handed the tasks, in order of importance, to my VA. She would then send me a snapshot of the information requested. I no longer had to read through lengthy articles and books to figure things out.
But it doesn’t just stop there. Work with your VA and find out the kind of gaps he or she cannot fill. For instance, some VAs are not experts in finance or accounting. However, if you have a good relationship with your VA – identify these gaps early and discuss the possibility of giving each other time to learn and adapt. This will save you time and money as you won’t have to look for another virtual assistant.
2. Compare and analyse
Another key aspect of business that is very much time consuming is the decision making process. And this is not subject to freelancers only. Even CEOs of top organisations often only leave crucial decisions until crunch time hits.
And it’s mostly because they can’t find the right tools and clear overview of possible solutions. These drags the time and the decision feels like it takes forever to be made.
Which is why I get my VA to do a lot of comparison and analysis for me.
In one case, I was looking for a free web application to ease the workflow of my business finances – i.e. sending invoices and receipts to clients. I had already spent about two to three hours on Google, clicking through links that seemed like something I could use.
But I couldn’t make a decision. And neither did I have time to try each and every one.
So I let my VA do it for me.
A few days later, she comes up with the best solution for my current business model that is now paramount to my growth. Her help has saved me a lot of money from impulsively purchasing something that wouldn’t be of use to me.
3. Give and take
Want to know how to build a give-and-take environment with your VA’s organisation? Consider a barter trade of sorts, if you’re a fellow service provider or expert in your own field.
This way you build value for yourself and your VA’s company. Read more via this link. It’s the best of both worlds.
Think you need a VA to help you strike off tedious tasks on your to-do list? Email VA-SG today!
