manager with remote employees relaxing

The life of a manager with remote employees: Virtual assistant transforms businesses

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The internet has made it easier than ever to be your own boss. If you’re looking for an alternative career path, this article is for you. There are no more excuses for not managing your own tasks and projects. Whether you’re in the online marketing sphere, want to work from home while still getting the benefits of being on-site, or have experience managing remote staff in a different capacity, there’s a company out there waiting to have you as their remote employee! Remote work can be done from anywhere in the world and doesn’t have any major requirements that would stop someone from starting their career as a remote worker.

 

 

What business was like before virtual assistants (crazy busy!)

Businesses before hiring virtual assistants commonly faced the following with their teams:

1. Scaling was a real challenge, especially when the business was growing at an exponential rate.
2. Individual employees lacked focus and worked on multiple projects, wasting a lot of time. This led to delays in delivery time and high costs.
3. Communication and workflow was inefficient due to a lack of experienced individuals having to take care of all the administrative tasks manually leading to slow progress in growth for the business
4. Employees were not motivated to work because of their inability to advance professionally hence affecting their morale levels which again affected productivity adversely
5. Too much at once — there were multiple issues that were not being dealt with and proactively addressed leading to poor productivity as a result.
6. Poor communication within the team leading to lost time, inefficient job assignments, and delays in delivery.
7. Lack of predictable time for deliverables among the employees leading to low morale levels, slow progress, and sunk costs due to overspending on the wrong projects
8. Employees had a different skill set that was not being leveraged (more pressing priorities), resulting in waste of resources which again lead to lower morale and productivity levels with no ROI for the business.

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

 

What business was like after virtual assistants (crazy efficient!):

Yikes, the list of reasons why this is a good thing is huge.

1. Hiring virtual assistants helped businesses scale up easily without issues and delays due to not being able to hire the right kind of people or having to do too much training for them.
2. Local employees’ higher focus on projects & assistants’ constant tasks completion led to more predictable delivery times, saving precious time for businesses from their side as well as the client’s side in line with project delivery dates.
3. Due to this new time freedom, employees become more motivated and hence have a higher level of productivity.
4. Tailor-made job assignments mean no longer stressed out over what to do next causing lower levels of employee absenteeism which lead to great ROI for the business
5. Involvement of virtual assistants resulted in an increase in sales and customer acquisition but also meant that the business was reaching out to a wider client base as a result of that which also meant more revenue.
6. Involvement of virtual assistants resulted in better consistency which meant businesses worked more efficiently day-to-day allowing them to achieve greater ROI by getting more done with less overhead costs.
7. Greater focus on “Making a difference” rather than “Just getting by” led to higher morale levels as well as spending less money on team building activities etc, again boosting ROI for the business.
8. Better defined process flow between the business and the employees led to less wastage of time in meetings so that more time was spent on the important projects giving way to a better ROI for business in line with project timelines.

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

 

 

How Remote Work, well, works!

 

Obviously, as a manager of remote workers, a few adjustments were made. For one thing, it can be hard to stay in touch with employees who work remotely — to compensate for this lack of physical proximity, we rely on a variety of different tools to stay on the same page as each other:

  • Weekly meetings where we sync up face-to-face using Zoom or Google Hangouts.
  • Documentation for tasks and milestones in project management software like Trello or Asana.
  • Regular communication via email and project management software.

The tools that are mentioned above have all proven themselves to be helpful in different situations, but for the most part, we rely on these three: weekly calls, project management software, and email.

Every Friday, we have a weekly meeting where all of our employees join in on a call. We use this time to discuss what everyone’s working on, make sure everyone has gone over their weekly goals and is still headed in the right direction with their work, and check in as a team. During the call, we also take time to go over what we were working on the week before and what our plans are for that week. This meeting allows us to stay in touch but also makes sure that everyone is aligned with where they’re supposed to be headed. If an employee is falling behind or struggling with a task, this meeting gives us a chance to handle it right then and there.

In summary, virtual assistants transformed businesses on a global scale. They are helpful, dedicated, and very smart. There are many skills required when one is dealing with such individuals. Many competitive businesses experience bottom-line success when managing them!

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

 

Things To Consider

Since not all virtual assistant providers are created equal, entrepreneurs & CEOs need to consider the right type of provider that would best serve their needs.

When you keep a growth mindset as a business professional, you’ll have a lot of opportunities to fix things and reap the benefits – and only a select few VA servicers can help strategize with you.

 

We specialize in:

  • marketing & sales development
  • general admin assistance & customer support
  • accounting & collection
  • prospecting & cold calling

 

 

 

Outpace the competition & scale your operations for 2021

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

Did You Know?  MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Pioneers of virtual assistant services, our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

 

 

 

marketing assistant qualifications

Ideal marketing assistant qualifications — The CEO & Entrepreneur Think Hub

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If you’re a business owner, there’s a good chance that you’ve hired marketing assistants, graphic designers, and public relations consultants at some point in time. But have you ever considered what are the best qualifications for these positions?

To be clear, we’re interested in looking for the perfect candidate in two angles:

  1.  The ideal qualifications on a professional resume or job application.
  2. The qualities an individual might have to help them succeed as the PR or marketing assistant of an entrepreneur or CEO.

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

 

The perfect marketing assistant needs a contagious passion for the field, an understanding of how to identify with clients’ needs, and a willingness to take initiative in order to find creative solutions. Let’s face it — we’re busy people!

This is why we’ve made this list of the ideal qualities for any marketing assistant candidate…

 

IDEAL MARKETING ASSISTANT QUALIFICATIONS (ON RESUME)

1. Experience

The best marketing assistant qualifications are the ones that show that you’ve had experience in the field. Some of the more valuable experience to look for include:
Attended a Marketing/PR/Communications bootcamp
Worked for a company that does similar work to yours (i.e. marketing, PR, or communications)
Studied PR or Marketing at college level (i.e: Journalism, Communication studies, etc.)

2. Communication skills

Communication skills are vital for any marketing assistant. They enable you to clearly convey your message to your client or employer, and also enable your clients and employers to understand the work you are doing. This is proven by requesting a sample portfolio during the vetting process.

3. Further Skills:

  • Problem Solving
  • Time & project management
  • Planning
  • Leadership
  • Salesmanship
  • Internet research
  • Public relations
  • Creativity &  graphic design
  • Writing & editing
  • Client Service

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

 

IDEAL MARKETING ASSISTANT QUALITIES

1. The Candidate is a Self-Starter

We all appreciate having people around who are self-starters. It makes it easier for us to delegate work or advance projects when we know that an individual can take initiative and follow through without having to be micromanaged.

The ideal marketing assistant candidate will be someone with great follow through and strong initiative. They will not need someone constantly looking over their shoulder while they work. They should be able to reach out to clients and respond to their needs on their own, with little supervision from the CEO or entrepreneur in charge.

2. The Candidate is an Analytical Thinker

Entrepreneurs and CEOs lead busy lives and often can’t stop to analyze every issue in detail. That’s why they need a marketing assistant who has a knack for identifying problems and solutions because they might not come up with the answers on their own.

The ideal marketing assistant candidate will be able to translate information into useful solutions or action steps that help a business run more efficiently. They will be able to draw connections that others might miss, which will allow them to present ideas to the CEO or Entrepreneur that will have value for the company. This is the best skill for any marketing assistant candidate!

3. The Candidate is a Team Player

One of the best qualities that any marketing assistant could have is the ability to work as part of a team. This can be vital for those who know they will not be able to handle every aspect of marketing or PR themselves, choosing instead to focus on other aspects in order to grow their skills and gain experience.

The ideal marketing assistant candidate will be able to leverage their experiences gained from previous jobs or as interns, but will also be willing to listen and collaborate with others with different backgrounds and perspectives. This will help them build expertise in areas they might not be familiar with when starting out.

4. The Candidate is a Creative Problem Solver

Every business owner or CEO needs to identify challenges that need to be solved. Many times these will involve creative solutions, and the ideal marketing assistant candidate will be able to help with their best ideas. Entrepreneurs and CEOs love it when they identify a solution that presents opportunities for growth, so candidates who are interested in new ideas should make themselves known when encountering them.

The ideal marketing assistant candidate will also aggressively pursue innovative ideas in order to meet the needs of their clients and company. They might not come up with every idea on their own, but they should be willing to try out a variety of solutions until an effective one presents itself.

 

See For Yourself: A Closer Look at Virtual Assistants

The popularity and acceptance of virtual assistants will grow over the next decade. It is estimated that, in 2020, 40% of the entire US task force are virtual professionals. Today’s use cases for these task-oriented professionals are vast. “Freelance virtual assistant services” will be one of the biggest industries in terms of employment and global revenue by the end of the decade.

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

 

 

“Outsourcing makes the hustle better — because you’re not burdened with many/growing expenses that you’ll need to figure out how to cover and hit profit”

 

 

Focus on your growth & scale your operations

 

 

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

 

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free ‘Double Your Business’ strategy consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment cost
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

Did You Know?  MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

project management virtual assistants

Project Management Tools (Our Top Picks)

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When you have a project to create a strategy for your company — you know that before you can even get to the exciting part of execution, there are a few administrative tasks that need to be done first.

This is where Project Management software comes in handy. Tracking each step of your project can help ensure success. It also helps ensure deadlines are met by providing an overview of tasks and their deadlines so nothing falls through the cracks.

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

 

So, what are some tools to help with project management?

1. JIRA Software

IntelliJ IDEA users may recognize this name as a popular and top-notch Java IDE written by Oracle. However, JIRA is not limited to Java Projects — it has the ability to manage most types of projects. And it is not only for programmers but also for non-programmers that need assistance managing their projects. It works by taking notes of issues and tasks from managers, assigning them dates and milestones, as well as tracking progress with an issue’s dependencies. It also manages various relationships between different teams who collaborate on one project (which includes sub-projects within your projects).

2. Basecamp

Basecamp is another popular project management tool where work is tracked from beginning to end including a variety of features such as the ability to see project priorities, interactions with other members of your team, progress through different tasks, and more.

3. Trello

Trello is very similar to Basecamp in terms of its features, but it has a lot more flexibility than Basecamp. For example it allows you to jump between different projects or even different customers’ projects without a lot of hassle. It also allows you to create lists for yourself and other members of your team. Sounds simple, but the simplicity is what makes it an effective tool.

4. Pivotal Tracker

Pivotal Tracker is a project management tool where it allows you to track tasks across the entire team, or individual tasks if you only need to focus on one area at a time. It also allows you to see the percentage of completion for each task and what stage the teams are in.

5. Asana

Asana is great for managing small projects that don’t require a lot of features. It allows you to comment on tasks, see the progress, and also view what each person is working on. Asana also provides your team with notifications when they are needed. I would recommend this tool for simple projects.

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

Outsourced Virtual Assistants for Agile Project Management

Virtual assistants, also known as VAs, are expected to make an impact on projects by reducing waste and ensuring that the plans are executed swiftly.

To understand how it works, let us take an example of how a VA is utilized in agile project management. VAs help agile teams by tracking and sharing data on the progress of a project with one another. They enable team members to focus on delivering value rather than reporting data.

One of the top-rated virtual assistants for agile project management is MyOutDesk. Hire a full-time assistant who curates information at every stage of the development cycle to help team members execute their roles more efficiently. This enables them to deliver projects faster and at a lower cost, without sacrificing quality.

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

 

Virtual assistants ensure that the right data is at the right time, which can be a challenge for agile teams. VAs also enable them to focus on growing their business by equipping them with top-quality project management tools and speeding up their project delivery time.

To learn more about MyOutDesk and how it helps organizations to improve performance, visit MyOutDesk‘s scale resources.

MyOutDesk is a leader in outsourced virtual assistants for agile projects. The company’s virtual assistants are proven professionals who complete projects quickly by following their client’s plans thoroughly. They are skilled professionals who can handle a wide variety of projects efficiently.

 

See For Yourself: A Closer Look at Virtual Assistants

The popularity and acceptance of virtual assistants will grow over the next decade. It is estimated that, in 2020, 40% of the entire US task force are virtual professionals. Today’s use cases for these task-oriented professionals are vast. “Freelance virtual assistant services” will be one of the biggest industries in terms of employment and global revenue by the end of the decade.

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

 

 

“Outsourcing makes the hustle better — because you’re not burdened with many/growing expenses that you’ll need to figure out how to cover and hit profit”

 

 

Focus on your growth & scale your operations

 

 

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

 

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free ‘Double Your Business’ strategy consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment cost
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

Did You Know?  MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

handshake sales assistant

How to Hire a Sales Assistant

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Hiring a sales assistant can help your business close more deals and find more overall success. If you’re intrigued, find out more about sales assistants here.

 

How to Hire a Sales Assistant

When it comes to the success of your business, very few factors outweigh that of your sales ability.

No, we don’t mean your specific tactics and strategies. Let’s be real, you are a seasoned professional!

But you’re still just one person. Even if you have a team of salespeople, you probably missed your quota over the last few years (check out this Forbes study where over 57% of businesses missed their quotas as well).

Don’t make the same mistake again this fiscal year!

A sales assistant can help maximize your revenue and overall business success without any extra effort on your part. Read on to see how you can benefit from hiring a sales assistant today!

Why Hire a Virtual Sales Assistant?

Well, to be brief, you can’t afford to not hire one.

One of the most astonishing examples is Marvin Mitchell’s story (which you can read here). His virtual assistant earned his company over $43,000 in revenue… in only half an hour.

The math is simple: as a leader, the ability to delegate tasks to maintain the highest order of efficiency should be at the very top of your skillset. Virtual assistants can follow up on leads, distribute warm leads to sales staff, organize inventory, and essentially streamline any/all other basic tasks that eat away at your day.

Plus, they end up paying for themselves! Remember Mitchell? Well, that one client that his assistant landed made enough to pay for itself for a whole year… twice.

How Do I Get Started?

The facts speak for themselves, so hiring a virtual sales assistant should be the immediate next step for your business, and doing so couldn’t be more simple.

When creating a job posting for your desired position, it’s important to include specific descriptions of the requirements, and of your ideal candidate. This way, applicants won’t waste any time sharing their relevant experiences.

The interviewing stage is the most crucial. Gather several questions relating to the position that candidates must provide strong, clear answers to. Their answers should be confident and concise, proving they have enough credibility for the position.

Or, you could skip the lengthy application and interview process and go with a third-party service that matches you with your own assistant.

The industry leader by far right now is MyOutDesk (bonus: they’re who Mitchell used!). A virtual assistant through MyOutDesk will save you an average of 70% compared to hiring an in-person assistant, and you know that the help you’re receiving is top-notch.

All of their assistants are tenured, college-educated professionals with the latest expertise in fields such as publicity, marketing, sales, IT, project management, and more.

Just think of the time you’ll get back. Recently, businesses reported spending twenty hours per week on marketing. Your virtual assistant can do the same work in mere minutes.

Get Me Connected

Most business people waste their days completing mundane tasks that are mandatory for sales and exposure, yet boring and time-consuming. Don’t fall into that category any longer.

If you’re ready to boost your business with a virtual sales assistant, head over to MyOutDesk to compare plans and find the right one that fits your needs.

After saving their customers over $55 million last year alone, they’re ready and waiting to assist you.

real estate investing virtual assistants

Net income formula (Look no further) – Bookkeeping Assistants

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This post shares a handful of fundamental formulas for bookkeeping. Better yet, we also introduce examples to catalyze and save time and money on bookkeeping operations for your business.

The formula for calculating the net income of a company is as follows:

Net Income = Revenue – Expenses – Tax

Revenue = Sales – Returns and Allowances

Expenses = Cost of Goods Sold, Selling, General and Administrative Costs, Depreciation and Amortization, Interest Expense, Other Expense (Including Losses/Gain from Disposition of Assets), Nonrecurring Gains/Losses from Discontinued Operations

Tax = Income Tax Rate × (Income – Exemptions) + Taxes on Investment Income + Taxes on Other Sources of Earnings

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

 

How to Calculate Net Income (Formula and Examples)

Calculating and Subtracting Extra Expenses

Let’s take the example of a food company. The produce will be sold at a markup of 30 cents per pound. The selling, general, and administrative expenses will be $4 per pound sold, which amounts to approximately 32% of the cost of goods sold (CGS). The cost of goods sold is $7, and the company will have a gross profit of $3.

After recording the expenses and selling, general, and administrative expenses, we can subtract those amounts from the costs of goods sold to come up with net income. We can use a quick subtraction technique for this debit: Debit (D) – Expenses (E) – Cost of Goods (G) = Net Income.

In this example there will be no income tax to be deducted, so it is not necessary to calculate an income tax during the calculation process. Also, let’s assume that there are no withholding taxes on dividends or interest payments so it is not necessary to calculate any withholding taxes during this calculation process.

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

Benefits of a Bookkeeping Assistant

The example above is a simple case involving only two types of expenses. In real life, a business might have to deal with a variety of expenses, and depending on the complexity of these calculations, the company might need a bookkeeping assistant for this process. The role of the bookkeeping assistant is to take care of the complicated calculations involved in businesses on behalf of the business owners. The bookkeeper will normally be trained in accounting procedures and techniques, including calculating taxes and filing tax returns.

 

Now affordable – Virtual Bookkeeping Assistants:

A full-time bookkeeping assistant can offer a range of financial services to businesses, including invoicing, data entry, and bank reconciliations. To get your business working properly while keeping your financial situation under control, consider hiring a dedicated, virtual bookkeeper who can help with bookkeeping duties from their home office.

More than a bookkeeping assistant:

Since you have your virtual assistant full-time, you can also offload other administrative tasks in your business to your virtual assistant. For example, some companies want to streamline their administrative process and do not feel comfortable delegating all the work to their staff. Sometimes keeping things simple is better. In this case, your virtual assistant will handle the administrative portion of these tasks and you will focus on sales, marketing, customer service and other business operations for your company.

If you are looking for a virtual assistant with a specific skill set or need bookkeeping assistant for your business, consider the #1 rated virtual assistant company, MyOutDesk.

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

 

See For Yourself: A Closer Look at Virtual Assistants

The popularity and acceptance of virtual assistants will grow over the next decade. It is estimated that, in 2020, 40% of the entire US task force are virtual professionals. Today’s use cases for these task-oriented professionals are vast. “Freelance virtual assistant services” will be one of the biggest industries in terms of employment and global revenue by the end of the decade.

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

 

 

“Outsourcing makes the hustle better — because you’re not burdened with many/growing expenses that you’ll need to figure out how to cover and hit profit”

 

 

Focus on your growth & scale your operations

 

 

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

 

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free ‘Double Your Business’ strategy consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment cost
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

Did You Know?  MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

two hands over a desk with a piggy bank in one palm and clock in the other

Time Tracking for Virtual Assistant Services

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Offering virtual assistant services means that you have to find an efficient way to track your time. Learn more about time tracking here.

 

Time Tracking for Virtual Assistant Services

Virtual assistants can be an asset to both your company, but it’s hard to know how they’re using time when it’s all over the computer. That’s why time tracking tools are important—you can see how your virtual assistants are helping you and how much value you’re getting!

The Best Time Tracking Tool: MyTimeIn

MyTimeIn is founded by virtual assistant experts — a next-generation remote productivity platform that helps business owners and managers increase the overall productivity of remote employees.

This software provides a suite of tools that enable you to track time, monitor what your virtual assistants/employees are working on, track attendance, see screenshots of their workflow, and much more.

Clockify

Clockify is one of the best tools for time tracking for assistant services. It’s easy to use, and you can keep track of multiple projects at the same time. It’s completely free too, so you don’t have to worry about unexpected fees hiding around the corner after you’ve started using it.

The only downside to Clockify is that there is no way to do invoicing. However, you can create your own invoices with the billable hours from Clockify itself, making it fairly easy to work around.

Paymo

If you’re looking for a time tracking app that’s also a project management tool, then Paymo is a great option. If you choose to use Paymo, be prepared to learn how to use it—it’s not very easy.

For the free version, you can keep track of three different projects at the same time. However, there are paid upgrades if you enjoy them. Additionally, you can use Paymo for invoicing, making it a great option for an all-in-one assistant service tool.

Timecamp

If you’re looking for the most basic time tracking tool on the internet, then check out Timecamp. It’s easy to use, but you’re not going to be able to keep track of anything besides time with it.

For some virtual assistants, this is perfect. If you have your own way to send invoices and keep track of your projects, then this could be the perfect application for you.

Tsheets

If you want something that you can use from any kind of device, then Tsheets is the best option. You can use this from mobile devices or your laptop with full functionality.

This is also a pretty good tool all around. It has options for invoicing along with time tracking, alerts, and even reporting. The best part? All the features are free.

My Hours

If you’re looking for something that’s visually appealing to look for a simple way to clock your hours, then My Hours is great. You can use this time tracking tool to keep track of your projects as well.

The only downside to My Hours is that the invoicing feature costs extra money. However, some people enjoy the program more than the other free invoicing programs because of its clean design.

Want More Virtual Assistant Help?

Time tracking tools are just the start to programs that you’ll need as a virtual assistant. You can find even more information about how to be the best virtual assistant you can be on our blog. If you’re looking to hire a virtual assistant, then we can help! Feel free to contact us at any time.

businessman working with a computer

Upwork vs Fiverr: The 2021 Features & Benefits of Both Platforms

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When it comes to using Upwork & Fiverr, there’s a lot you need to know about both platforms. Here’s a quick guide to help you out.

 

Upwork vs Fiverr: The 2021 Features & Benefits of Both Platforms

Throughout the U.S., more than half of businesses have increased their use of freelancers over the last few years.

Are you looking for a freelancer to help with specific projects? Are you confused about the differences between freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr?

If you’re not sure which to choose between Upwork vs Fiverr, keep reading. Explained below is everything you need to know about both options.

What Is Upwork?

Upwork is a popular job site among the country’s 64 million-plus freelancers.

It’s is an easy-to-use platform for both freelancers who are listing their resumes and professionals who need to hire contractors. All you have to do is create an account, post job listings, and wait for applicants to reach out. You can also contact freelancers directly if you see someone who seems like a good fit.

Upwork Pros and Cons

Upwork has grown a lot since it was first launched, and it’s a heavily saturated platform. This is great for businesses because they have tons of contractors to choose from.

Upwork also verifies everyone who advertises their services on the site. They use a rating system, too, that helps you ensure you’re hiring someone qualified and competent.

Some users have complained about the interface and said that it’s frustrating to use. However, most people find a contractor on the platform without too much effort.

What Is Fiverr?

The basic premise of Fiverr is similar to Upwork. The main difference is pricing.

Fiverr started as a platform where freelancers could sell their services and complete projects for just $5. It’s changed over the years, though. Now, many contractors offer packages or different tiers of services to earn more than the $5 minimum per project.

Fiverr Pros and Cons

Generally speaking, it’s easy to figure out how to use Fiverr, whether you’re looking for an SEO specialist or a graphic designer.

Even though every seller listing their services uses a slightly different pricing model, the majority of people who look for freelancers on the platform access quality work for a fair price. Fiverr also has a fast, easy-to-use dispute resolution feature, so if there is a problem, it doesn’t take too long to address it.

Over the years, Fiverr has dropped a bit in popularity compared to sites like Upwork. This has to do, in part, with the low prices, which may attract scammers looking to make a quick buck.

To combat this issue, Fiverr displays ratings and reviews just like Upwork. If you do your due diligence, you’ll likely still find competent contractors using the platform.

Upwork vs Fiverr: Which Should You Choose?

Now that you know more about the Upwork vs Fiverr debate, which one seems like a better fit?

Are you still on the fence after reviewing the pros and cons of each platform? If so, don’t forget you can also check out MyOutDesk’s recruiting assistant.

If you’re looking to bring someone onto your team, from a content writer to a graphic designer, MyOutDesk recruiting assistants will help you find the perfect match in no time.

Constant contact and virtual assistant working on keyboard

Constant Contact and a Virtual Assistant: How to Get Started

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Do you plan on hiring a virtual assistant to help you out on Constant Contact? Here’s a guide for how to get started with your new assistant.

 

Constant Contact and a Virtual Assistant: How to Get Started

Constant Contact is a great business tool for small business owners, but only if you have the time and the know-how to get the most out of this platform.

If you don’t, you run the risk of investing in a tool that ends up as just another item on your massive task list.

Here’s an alternative idea for you. Hire a specialist Constant Contact virtual assistant to carry out all your critical tasks. In this article, we’ll outline a simple way to get started.

Review Your Most Labor-Intensive Tasks

Constant Contact is feature-rich, so there may be some aspects of email marketing that you want to stay under your control.

To take advantage of the full benefits of a virtual assistant, start by reviewing your most labor-intensive tasks in Constant Contacts, such as template creation. These are the obvious candidates to begin to delegate.

Create Admin Access in Constant Contact With the Right Permissions

Before hiring a virtual assistant, use the permissions settings in Constant Contact to set up the right amount of admin access for the tasks you want your assistant to complete.

Doing this upfront means you can maintain proper security over your email list at all times, even when hiring new people to help in your business.

Set up an Approval Process for Critical Tasks

Once you have admin access set up for your assistant, you need to decide what tasks you can delegate and which tasks need your approval. For example, you might want to approve emails before your assistant sends them to your list.

Create Clear Goals for Your Virtual Assistant

A useful tip when working with a virtual assistant for the first time is to create clear goals and tasks. That will help your assistant understand what you need and how they can best support you with your email marketing.

Find an Assistant With Experience in Constant Contact

All the leading mail marketing systems vary in system complexity and the types of functions they provide for your business.

If you need help with Constant Contact, make sure you seek an assistant with specific experience in that platform instead of someone with a generic email marketing background.

Challenge Your Virtual Assistant to Improve Your Processes

A virtual assistant can do more than complete your day-to-day tasks. By hiring a Constant Contact specialist, you can listen to their advice on how to improve your business processes within the platform.

Ask for Weekly Reporting

Don’t forget that Constant Contact has advanced reporting functionality. Make sure you ask your virtual assistant to provide weekly reporting to you.

Reporting will help you oversee your email marketing and keep tabs on what’s working. It will also allow you to look in more detail at the areas which need your immediate attention.

Hiring the Right Virtual Assistant

An experienced Constant Contact assistant will help you reach your business goals by taking some of the most critical email marketing tasks off your hands.

To get the most out of hiring a virtual assistant, let us guide you through the process. Book a strategy call with one of our experts to get tailored advice on how to support your growing business with virtual assistant services.

virtual assistant and docusign operator

Docusign and a Virtual Assistant: 5 Ways to Make Docusign Even Easier

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Have you ever considered hiring a virtual assistant to help you out with DocuSign? Here’s why you should consider hiring one today.

 

DocuSign and a Virtual Assistant: 5 Ways to Make Docusign Even Easier

Has your business boomed lately? Modern technology makes the workday easier than ever, but managing all that technology can be challenging.

That’s why you shouldn’t hesitate in hiring a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant who is well-versed in DocuSign can be an enormous help.

Focus your energy on expanding your business. Read on for five reasons why a virtual assistant can make utilizing DocuSign even easier.

1. Prepare Documents for DocuSign

You’re busy negotiating contracts and hammering out details on business agreements. Putting these documents together can take up your valuable time.

A virtual assistant can assist in preparing documents for DocuSign. From finishing up contracts and business agreements to filling out preliminary information, a virtual assistant focuses on the little details that may slip by you as you focus on the big picture.

A virtual assistant who is well-trained in using DocuSign is a great help if you’re unfamiliar with the program. This assistance makes it much easier to focus on running your business.

2. Coordinate Signatures

Nothing holds up progress like waiting on signatures.

Virtual assistant services are the perfect solution to getting all those contracts and authorizations signed, sealed, and delivered. A DocuSign-versed assistant has experience in prepping documents, but also getting those documents signed.

Having an additional person on staff, regardless of whether they’re in the office or not, is a massive help in ensuring those small but critical tasks, like signatures, are completed.

3. Handles Quick Turnaround Time

An additional person on your team means it’s easier than ever to ensure tasks are being completed quickly.

And with a variety of remote roles available through virtual assistant services, getting your DocuSign documents taken care of is no problem at all.

A virtual assistant can handle sending out documents and following up on unsigned paperwork. An expert DocuSign user picks up on all those signatures that need to be completed, as well as appropriately filing completed documents with the appropriate accounts.

4. Leads on DocuSign Software Integration

You have used DocuSign in the past. Whether you’ve utilized it with your clients or used the program yourself, you’ve certainly come across the program.

But if you aren’t a DocuSign expert, ensuring that the program is integrating with other programs you already use may seem like a daunting task. That’s where a virtual assistant comes in.

A DocuSign expert can lead your company in integrating DocuSign with other programs, making your business run more efficiently.

5. Create Digital Audit Trail

There’s nothing more important than a clear trail of data. A DocuSign-trained assistant creates a trail of data in cloud-based programs, making it incredibly easy to pull information when needed.

And if any contract or authorization is ever questioned, your clear data trail makes it easy to present your case.

Virtual Assistants Make Work Easier

If you’re overwhelmed by work and your DocuSign needs are piling up, a good virtual assistant is just what you need. Contact us today for the perfect virtual assistant services.

Mailchimp and a Virtual Assistant Email Marketing

Mailchimp and a Virtual Assistant: 5 Ways They Can Help

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Are you tired of managing your Mailchimp account on your own? Here’s why you need a virtual assistant to help you out in 2021.

 

Mailchimp and a Virtual Assistant: 5 Ways They Can Help

In today’s market, improving productivity is key to staying competitive. One way you to do this is through automation.

One aspect of your business you can automate is email marketing. Growing your email list and connecting with clients and customers is essential in building your business. While Mailchimp is an excellent and easy-to-use service, you can maximize it by using a virtual assistant.

A virtual assistant has the expertise to handle the tasks you delegate. As an executive or professional, you can have more use of your time other than handling your growing volume of mail. Read on to discover how a virtual assistant can help you.

1. A Virtual Assistant Can Manage Email Flow

Virtual assistants have a deep understanding of email marketing software. As such, they can plan content and tasks and integrate the systems. Virtual assistants can make big improvements to the processes.

Assistants can plan the email sequence for launch campaigns. Virtual assistants can test email delivery and impact. They can also track the interactions made with emails.

They can also upload email addresses and other details, saving you from manually updating your database.

2. Creating Templates

A good email template is crucial to make a great impression on your contacts. Virtual assistants have enough know-how to choose the right communication format across platforms. This means you can source attractive and relatable templates from your virtual assistant.

They’re also capable of crafting the most appropriate messages. Those with copywriting capabilities can align their text with your brand and strategy. If you want to spice up your mail with visuals, virtual assistants can create simple and attractive graphics to break up blocks of text.

3. Automated Mail

With virtual assistants, you can delegate tedious email marketing tasks and shorten your work. This can include purchase follow-ups, surveys, or welcome series.

They can set up email schedules that incorporate the timelines and criteria of your business. Automating your email marketing alone means a big improvement in productivity. You can devote your expertise, effort, and time to other tasks.

4. Handle Supportive Tasks

You don’t need to worry about how to use Mailchimp if you have a virtual assistant. They handle everything from start to finish, including the project management space and making edits. This can include proofreading newsletter texts from clients and making corrections.

Other tasks a virtual assistant can handle include helping in the assessment of newsletter design. Assistants consider aspects like headings, bullets, spacing, and sourcing images and links.

Another benefit is covering product promotions, events, and services. Virtual assistants can make tests and automate the forwarding of mail.

5. Give Performance Reports

When you use virtual assistants, they’ll have access to every aspect of the email marketing campaign. This means they can extract important data and give you insight.

Besides tracking email engagements, they can provide analysis as well. This can help you with optimizing conversion rates and managing your online reputation.

Use a Virtual Assistant With Mailchimp

Virtual assistants are powerful tools. Letting them handle your Mailchimp email service can do wonders for improving productivity. They can be the key to boosting your business’ performance.

If you want to know more about how a virtual assistant can work for your business, contact us today! We can walk you through the process of optimizing your business.

Quickbooks and virtual assistants

Virtual Assistants and QuickBooks: A Step by Step Guide for 2021

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Can a virtual assistant do your bookkeeping? If you use QuickBooks, here’s why you need to have a virtual assistant there to help you out.

 

Virtual Assistants and QuickBooks: A Step by Step Guide for 2021

Did you know that the global intelligent virtual assistant market is at $3.7 billion?

It’s undeniable that virtual assistants are on the rise, especially now when most companies operate online. If you want a competitive edge, you must get virtual assistant services.

Another way for you to have the edge is by using QuickBooks in your company. It’s a great program that can make bookkeeping easier.

This guide can help you coordinate with a virtual assistant for bookkeeping. Read on and learn how they can benefit your productivity.

Maintain Financial Records

A bookkeeping virtual assistant armed with QuickBooks can handle the most tedious tasks. It prevents your business from losing productivity. They can convert your daily expenses into something easy to understand and manage.

Bill Payment and Invoice Generation

Virtual assistants make paying bills easy. They’re trained and qualified to do various accounting tasks. It ranges from bills to payment collection or invoice generation.

Your virtual assistant helps you keep track by reporting requirements and tracking returns. You need not even worry about payment follow-ups. They will track dues and ensure it’s never a problem.

Payroll Management

This tedious task becomes a walk in the park with a virtual assistant. They will send weekly reports and help you throughout the payment process. Regardless of your business size, you must prioritize payroll management.

What’s great is that many virtual assistants can help you with the organization of different aspects of your business. This is why a lot of virtual assistant services are gaining demand.

Make Financial Statements

Balance sheet statements are also easy if you get a virtual assistant specializing in QuickBooks. It applies whether it’s cash flow analysis or trial balance. They’re an invaluable asset, especially since the software constantly evolves and improves.

Prepare Taxes

The penalties associated with IRS violations can be a nightmare. It causes you to lose a lot of money, especially when you have no time to work on it. When you’re focusing on other business aspects, get a virtual assistant to use QuickBooks to prepare your taxes.

These professionals can also manage your tax filings and taxable accounts. It ensures your returns are consistently on time. This is because the software helps them ensure the tax report is accurate and timely.

Track Loan and Insurance Dues

A skilled virtual assistant can track every aspect of your financial dealings. It applies whether it’s EMI or insurance premiums. It saves effort and time since you won’t miss any payment dues.

Handle Legal and Regulatory Concerns

It’s often difficult to read the fine print. It’s especially tough when you aren’t familiar with legal terms. People often lack time to update their knowledge on tax laws.

You need not worry about it with a virtual assistant. It’s their job to keep track of rules and regulations. Doing this also allows you to focus on things that you’re familiar with instead.

Virtual Assistants and QuickBooks: Get Both Today!

Getting QuickBooks and a virtual assistant improves your company’s bookkeeping activities. Use these benefits to encourage you to opt for these wonderful solutions.

Do you need a virtual assistant? Why not talk to us about your concerns? We can save your time and money with our virtual assistant services.

Gotomeeting and virtual assistants

GoToMeetings and a Virtual Assistant: 5 Things You Need to Know

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Do you need a virtual assistant? If you use GoToMeetings, here’s how they can help you to streamline your process in 2021.

 

GoToMeetings and a Virtual Assistant: 5 Things You Need to Know

Since companies are protecting customers and employees from the current pandemic, most meetings are taking place online. This may not just last for some more weeks, but potentially an extended period of time.

That’s why it’s vital to become great at running virtual meetings. There are best practices and easy-to-use technology out there for that.

Better yet, you could hire a virtual assistant to help you out with virtual meetings. These are the secretaries of the future. They are turbocharged with technology and marketing skills, and they work from home.

If you’re hosting online GoToMeetings, virtual assistants can help you to streamline your process in 2021. Here are 5 things you need to know.

1. Virtual Assistants Are Flexible

Virtual assistants are not full-time employees, typically. They are independent contractors and have the flexibility to work few or many hours. They can be hired through a virtual assistant website.

This means you can hire them only when you need them! Do you have an important GoToMeeting coming up? Then you only need to spend resources on virtual assistant services around the event, rather than all the time.

2. Virtual Assistants Help With Scheduling

The biggest pain is often finding the meeting time that fits into everyone’s schedule. It takes communication, effort, and scheduling – even for online meetings!

Well, you don’t need to do this on your own. Virtual assistants can schedule the meeting, send out reminders, and attach the right links. They may also answer any logistical questions that attendees may have about GoToMeeting.

3. Managing the Emails and Communication

You’d think you could save all communication for during the meeting. But virtual meetings often come with a lot of communication before the events for scheduling, during the event using the chat function, and after the event to send out recordings.

A virtual assistant will assist in monitoring incoming messages, sending our communications, and filtering through questions.

Moreover, they can capture real-time feedback during the meeting! This may include watching for visual cues while you run the meeting.

4. Test the Technology Ahead of Time

There’s nothing worse than the technology not functioning properly before a meeting. A virtual assistant can test the GoToMeeting environment beforehand. They can test the microphones and camera. They may even be able to offer technical advice for attendees who need to download the right software.

5. Appoint Them as a Facilitator

Virtual assistants are a great option as a facilitator during GoToMeetings. It’s tough to manage discussions or break out rooms when you’re trying to run an effective online meeting as well. A facilitator will also make sure all voices are heard during the meeting!

Optimize GoToMeetings With Virtual Assistants

It may be a major challenge to shift business operations online. If you want to make GoToMeetings work, you may have to adjust how your team works and hire a virtual assistant for support.

MyOutDesk equips you with strategies, tools, and virtual assistants that get the job done. With our services, you’ll build a competitive edge and put efficient systems in place.

Check out our services and schedule a free consultation! We’ll take the time to learn about your business and find the best solution.

customer management relationship using hubspot CRM with a virtual assistant

Hubspot: A Complete Guide

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Do you want to get started using Hubspot? Here is a comprehensive guide to help you get started using this platform in 2021.

 

Hubspot: A Complete Guide

The term CRM stands for customer relationship management, and it can revolutionize your company. In today’s digital world, it’s important to get the virtual assistance you need through Hubspot.

Hubspot allows you to track data, view tasks in one place, and translate customer data into resourcing and marketing decisions.

If you’re looking to outsource your virtual assistant work to the perfect platform, Hubspot is the place for you.

What Can Hubspot Do for Me?

Like good virtual assistant services, there are scoring criteria for good CRM platforms. Ideally, Hubspot will meet all your needs.

Start with business management. What contacts do you have and how should they be categorized? What information do you need to contact them reliably in case of a crisis?

This will help keep you organized. Hubspot help is like an old-fashioned phonebook with a searchable, digital touch.

Inventory management is an important Hubspot tool. It prevents the cost of crunch time when a customer places an order and you realize that you don’t have the products or materials available to fill it.

As you delve deeper into Hubspot, tracking customer behavior is also crucial. This will inform your website design, email marketing, social media posts, and more.

Hubspot shows you the following items in a usable, trackable way:

  • Customer spending patterns
  • Employee sales
  • Website sales
  • Click rates
  • Cart abandonment rates
  • Number of calls and how they convert to sales
  • Sales tracking toward goals

Of course, you’ll need lots more data to make good decisions, but this is a basic start for Hubspot.

Hubspot is also a great choice because of the ability to build emails and send marketing materials directly to consumers. Whether you’re promoting a new product or simply greeting new customers, it’s a great way to automate communications to your email list.

Integrations and Resource Management

It’s also worth noting what integrations Hubspot has. It works with social media, so you can schedule multiple posts at once. To save yourself time, it also gathers customer reviews and feedback so that you can course-correct from there.

Serving your customers through Hubspot is great. But it’s also crucial that it serves your employees well too.

Task and document management are some of the final perks of Hubspot. With good task management features, employees and managers alike can track progress on deliverables. There will never be a lack of clarity on who’s responsible for what, and when it’s due.

Keeping all your resources in one area is another Hubspot feature, too. This will make it easy to access documents you’ll use repeatedly, such as onboarding and sales training documents.

If you’re hesitant about training employees to use Hubspot, no worries! It’s an easy platform, and whether you’d prefer a Hubspot guide or a Hubspot tutorial, there are lots of great resources available on their website.

Leveraging Hubspot for Your Business

If you’re looking for tools that make your life easier, Hubspot is a great place to start. But getting the right people in place to use the right tools is also crucial.

If you’d like to leverage our resources to get quality virtual assistants on your team, contact us today! We’re happy to help you out.

man with a graph showing a graph of business development to success and growing growth concept

How to Scale Your Business Operations With Virtual Assistant Services

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Amplify the routines and opportunities found in your business operations by tapping into the power of virtual assistant services! Here’s how to get started.

 

How to Scale Your Business Operations With Virtual Assistant Services

Have you heard the term scalable business but are unsure of what it means? The scalable business is quite a new phenomenon, primarily used to describe digital organizations that can quickly grow in size. This ability is down to the use of virtual services, and you need to know the advantage of working with them.

Virtual services are cost-effective and easy to use. Below, we tell you how to use them to scale up your business operations.

What Is a Scalable Business?

A scalable business is a small company, that is set up to grow. It involves working to boost your income and profit, without changing much to the framework used in the companies original conception. A scalable business is one that can cope with 10 customers or 10,000 and use more or less the same procedures to do this.

A key function of scalable businesses is having the systems in place to deal with large numbers of customers in a short period of time. One of the systems many people choose to employ to do this is virtual assistant services.

Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is an independent worker who takes care of a number of tasks. Broadly speaking, they do administrative work. This can encompass social media, business development, and marketing amongst other things.

Virtual assistants have become extremely popular because they are a flexible workforce. They very often work remotely and get paid an hourly rate for their services. This is paid as and when you need them, on a part or full-time basis.

Start With a New Budget

The first task you can take to scale your business when you switch to virtual assistant services is to reconfigure your budget. You will no longer need to pay a full-time member of staff to do the job. In addition, all the expenses that come with it such as office equipment, holiday pay, and office running costs will diminish.

Best Ways To Use Virtual Assistants When Scaling Business Operations

While a virtual assistant can be used in the same way as any other member of staff, there are a few ways in which you can really maximize their potential. The first is by using their flexibility. As they do not have set work schedules, you can assign them out-of-hours tasks for no extra fee.

Secondly, when hiring a virtual assistant you do not have to bind someone into a full-time, permanent contract. Virtual assistants are best used when your business really picks up and you need extra hands quickly. In the downtimes, you are no longer paying for a workforce that is sat waiting for a job to arrive.

Thirdly, you do not have to spend money on training. You can find virtual assistants that already have specialist skill sets. This makes recruitment for specialist tasks much easier.

Be Prepared

One final tip is to be prepared. When that influx of customers arrives, you will need to scale up your business operations quickly. Knowing how and where to get reliable virtual assistants, is imperative.

MyOutDesk should be your first stop. We have a multitude of services available for all your scalable business needs. Click here to schedule your free one-on-one consultation and scale your business starting today.

man talking with a virtual receptionist on his laptop hire and train a virtual receptionist

How to Hire and Train a Virtual Receptionist for Your Business

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Take more of your business online by hiring, training, and tapping into the skills of a virtual receptionist. This short guide shares how to get started.

[Like FREE stuff? Click here to Grab a FREE Strategy Call]

How to Hire and Train a Virtual Receptionist for Your Business

You’ve put in the work and decided that you need an answering service. You’re losing too much revenue to calls after hours, or you need time back in your day.

No matter what the answer is, you’ve made a great choice. A virtual receptionist can save you a lot of time and money!

However, the process is a little different than hiring a full-time employee.

Hiring a Virtual Receptionist

Virtual receptionist tasks are very similar to an in-house team member. They’ll answer the phone, log help desk tickets, take messages, answer customer questions and start customers along their sales funnel.

If you find yourself strapped for time as calls and email numbers spike, congratulations! That means your business is growing.

But to capitalize on that growth, you’ll need to stay on top of customer responses. This is the digital age, and everyone wants an immediate response.

It’s easiest to switch gears from the typical job posting and resume review. Instead, the best value is to find virtual receptionist services.

To outsource receptionist tasks, you’ll need to find a reputable company with a staff of virtual receptionists that can work for you. It costs less than you’d pay for an in-house, full-time receptionist that would come into your office.

The best part is, we’ve already done the vetting process for you. You don’t need to deal with benefits, interviews, or worrying that you’ll accidentally hire a dud that you’ll need to fire within days.

We’ve done the work already to hire the best administrative virtual assistant for you, so you don’t have to.

Training a Virtual Receptionist

When you hire a virtual receptionist, they are the ones representing your brand. Since they’re on the front lines of your business, customers will associate this receptionist with your brand.

If your receptionist is rude or unknowledgeable, customers will blame your brand. This is true even if the receptionist isn’t an official part of your full-time, in-house staff.

That’s why drilling your company values into your new administrative virtual assistant is crucial. What character traits guide each interaction with customers?

For instance, you might be a company that provides tech support to older consumers. With that in mind, your core values may be empathy and patience.

These should govern every single reaction with customers.

Once you’ve nailed down your values in order to train new employees with them, consider what training materials you’ll need.

If your processes are fairly simple and repetitive, the fastest way is to set up a virtual video conference. This will allow you to share screens and walk trainees through the process.

Then, they can try it. After trying it a few times, they’ll be able to ask questions and run into any snags while you’re looking over their shoulder and can help them correct it.

Bringing Value to Your Business

It can be tempting to want your hands in every pie” your business creates. After all, no one is more invested in your brand’s success than you are.

Your time is incredibly valuable, though. Some tasks need to be delegated and virtual receptionist duties are one of those things.

If you’re looking for vetted virtual receptionists today, check us out! We’re happy to help. You can also click the button below for a FREE one-on-one consultation with us. We’ll listen to you first, and understand your problems or concerns, then see what we can do to help.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

happy woman at laptop what can a virtual executive assistant do for me

What Can a Virtual Executive Assistant Do for Me?

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What sets a virtual executive assistant apart from other remote professionals? Get answers and how to use them at your organization in this guide.

What Can a Virtual Executive Assistant Do for Me?

Maximizing your productivity is essential to running a successful business. Sometimes, though, you have to come up with unconventional ways to do so.

Hiring a virtual executive assistant has the potential to drastically increase your company’s efficiency, but many entrepreneurs don’t know everything they should about how they can help.

Let’s take a look at everything you should keep in mind.

Scheduling

As you might guess, a virtual assistant can seamlessly handle all of your scheduling obligations. This includes setting and confirming appointments, coordinating calls, and conveying schedule changes to both you and other parties.

When tasked with this responsibility, a virtual assistant will ensure that you are fully aware of any upcoming meetings or interactions. This is particularly useful for entrepreneurs who frequently meet with clients, stakeholders, investors, etc.

Contact Management

Many entrepreneurs simply do not have the time to communicate with the people that they need to. Unfortunately, this could result in a large number of missed business opportunities.

Your virtual assistant will vigilantly monitor for relevant emails and then forward them to you. A client inquiry that requires your attention, for example, will be promptly sent to you as soon as your assistant receives it.

Additionally, they will add your business contacts to customer relationship management (CRM) software. They will also periodically organize your CRM application based on certain criteria, such as new clients who need extra attention, your highest paying business relationships, etc.

This will allow you to ensure that all of your client obligations are accounted for.

Internal Operations

Depending on what industry you operate in, your company’s internal operations will vary compared to another’s. Regardless, a virtual assistant will make these obligations far easier to handle.

Responsibilities such as proofreading documents, organizing essential files, or even setting up a project management system are all something an experienced virtual assistant can easily handle. Additionally, your assistant could review meetings or presentations that you were unable to attend and provide you with a synopsis.

Accounting

While a virtual executive assistant likely won’t be able to replace your company’s accounting department, they can help make everyone’s lives easier. To elaborate, they can ensure that timely invoices are sent to the appropriate party.

If necessary, your assistant will be responsible for securing outstanding payments if clients are proactive in compensating you for your services. They can also review your company transactions to ensure that everything has been properly documented.

Keep this in mind if you often experience difficulty when it comes to financial management.

A Virtual Executive Assistant Could Be Just What You Are Looking for

So, it’s essential that you keep the utility they’re able to offer in mind. The above information will help ensure that you choose the virtual executive assistant that fits your company best and helps you maximize your productivity.

Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.

virtual man on screen giving thumbs up onboarding a virtual assistant

VA Onboarding: 5 Valuable Tips for Virtual Assistant Training

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There’s always a light form of virtual assistant training when onboarding VAs into your business. Here are five tips to make the process go well.

 

VA Onboarding: 5 Valuable Tips for Virtual Assistant Training

With a rising demand for various virtual assistant services, more and more businesses and entrepreneurs are taking on VAs at a rapid pace. However, just because the need is high doesn’t mean that certain aspects of the hiring process should be glossed over.

Virtual assistant training is an important process to get right. If you don’t, your VA will be unlikely to fulfill your expectations, because they simply won’t be prepared.

Read on for five valuable tips to make sure your virtual assistant training goes smoothly.

1. Maintain Regular Communication

With a virtual assistant, you can’t, of course, meet in person. But that doesn’t mean communication isn’t still important.

Especially in their first few weeks, schedule regular check-in calls, ideally with video, so you can see how things are going for them and keep them informed of the next steps.

If you’re hiring a virtual assistant from another country, keep time zones and potential language barriers in mind. Clear communication is everything when it comes to remote work, so keep it consistent and simple from the beginning.

2. Have a Clear Schedule

There’s nothing worse than starting a new job and having no idea what you’re meant to be doing. On their first day, make sure your VA knows what they’re doing that day and the next few days.

Give them enough time to find their feet, but also schedule appointments in their calendar so that they have some direction. In the first few days, you’ll need to offer more assistance than you’re used to, but any good VA will find their feet soon enough.

3. Don’t Rush Training

Virtual assistant services are vast, so there might be a lot to get through. Even if it seems like a lot, however, it’s important that you don’t try to take shortcuts. Onboarding a new employee can take time, sometimes even months.

Knowing how to train virtual assistants can take some patience. Nonetheless, it will pay off in the end by how much time you free up by offloading tasks to another person. Your business will thank you in the end!

4. Be Methodical With Access

Virtual assistant onboarding is not just about training them. It’s also about integrating them into your processes. Think about every account they will need access to or software they need a profile for in advance.

Do what you can to set up these profiles for them earlier on so it doesn’t waste time on their first few days. Plus, it ensures that you don’t forget anything important in the meantime.

5. Ask for Input

Hiring a virtual assistant is not just about delegating tasks. It’s about welcoming someone into your business. Ask for their input about what works for them too.

Employees like to feel valued in their workplace, so listening to how your new VA likes to communicate, or seeing how they’re finding their training can help you make your business a hospitable place to work, even remotely.

Ready to Get Started with Virtual Assistant Training?

If you’re keen to put these tips into action with your own virtual assistant training, why not schedule a consultation with our team today? We have a range of virtual assistant services that are just waiting to take some of the strain off your business.

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How to Increase Your Sales with Sales Development Representatives

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Compliment your in-house sales team by adding a few sales development representatives to the mix! Here’s how to increase sales with the help of their services.

 

How to Increase Your Sales with Sales Development Representatives

Have you noticed a sudden drop or no change in your sale this year?

Sales development representatives (SDRs) are your solutions to maximize the impact of your sales. They are responsible for identifying and creating qualified sales in your company.

Why do you need them to increase sales? Read on to learn the benefits of hiring a sales development representative.

Keeps You Ahead of Competition

Sales development representatives make it easier for you to concentrate on offline matters. SDRs spend more time handling sales in social media aspects. Hiring a skilled virtual assistant or remote sales team boosts your team’s productivity.

With more productivity and time, you can stay above your competition. As you focus on your core operations, SDRs will boost your ads, services, and visibility. They have more opportunities to build rapport, negotiate, present, and close sales.

Increases Your Conversion Rate

To win over your customers, you need to make them feel valued with quick responses. A good way to do that is by hiring a virtual assistant and train them with pre-sale questions, responses, and scheduled calls. High-quality customer service will encourage customers to keep coming back to your brand.

Trained SDRs know how to tackle inbound service inquiries and manage customer frustrations. They can also help keep your website pages updated with current trends. Leave the customer support to sales development representatives for quick customer service.

Reduces the Company Costs

Hiring professional SDRs saves you a lot of company money since most don’t have overheads. Virtual assistants or remote sales teams don’t need offices since they work from home. Since SDRs are available on-demand, you won’t need to get unstable, temporary workers.

With their experience and training, you no longer have to train them, or offer equipment. The pay of sales development representatives all depends on their actual worked hours. Consider our virtual assistant services to save you money and scale your business.

Avoid Working Burnout

You may have days where you have to work on all aspects, from marketing to planning. At the end of the day, you’ll feel burnt out, leading to lower productivity. An SDR will take some weight off your shoulders for essential sales activities.

You can leave the work to your SDRs if you have to travel to other countries for international work. A remote sales team will also handle work 24/7 for constant leads and sales benefits.

Better Flexibility

Sales development representatives are flexible and diverse in their skill sets. They can take on multiple roles to build and support your business. The SDRs will change their approach if they notice any shifts in the industry.

They can also recognize a priority or prospects’ attitude, so they can adapt to their liking. Salespeople that handle the entire sales cycle may have to change a lot, causing them to move at a slower pace. Trained with different skills, SDRs can also teach your employees on sales development.

Sales Development Representatives Are Your Solution

You don’t have to handle everything in your business for you and your team to succeed. Get some help from sales development representatives to help boost your sales. They have the skills and tools that you may need to bring more attention to your brand.

Are you looking for a sales development representative today? Get in touch with us for our services and answers to inquiries.

virtual assistant help desk with headset

How to Get Started With Virtual Help Desks for Your Organization

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Learn how to improve customer relations and satisfaction through the use of virtual help desks. Get started with the insights and resources in this guide.

 

How to Get Started With Virtual Help Desks for Your Organization

With COVID-19 changing work environments—whether you work in-person, remotely, or in a hybrid combination—the ways you help customers are changing too.

They’re spending more time at home and more time shopping online. That’s great news if your business can adapt to meet these needs!

What’s the answer? Virtual help desks. They can handle repetitive support tickets and deal with missing or lost orders, product questions, missing passwords, or account setup issues.

This virtual customer support frees up your in-house team for the work they do best. If you’re interested in hearing more, then read on!

How Virtual Help Desk Services Benefit Your Business

Customer service is a tricky beast, and that’s even more applicable to online interactions. As veterans of the digital age, we know it’s hard to communicate tone and intent over the Internet.

Remote customer service isn’t only responsible for satisfied customers. They also have to tailor their communications to digital mediums, where words are easily snarled and conflict can escalate.

What’s the best way to de-escalate customer conflict? Instant response times. This can prevent misunderstandings, frustrations, and delays.

With virtual customer service and support, your brand can help customers around the clock. Since help desk agents can be available from different time zones, you can achieve around-the-clock coverage.

This way, you’ll be able to respond to your customers at any time of day or night, which satisfies that need for instant answers. This also allows you to support a live chat option, which is how many younger demographics prefer to get help from the businesses they support.

Another great benefit is customer engagement. When customers feel like their concerns are a top priority to the company, they feel heard and respected.

Help desks are often the last line of defense for upset customers. It’s the tipping point for the brand-customer relationship.

Will the interaction be redeemed, and a satisfied customer walks away?

That depends on how your help desk agent responds. If they respond in accordance with your brand values, in a quick fashion that indicates the customer is a real priority, customers may forget what they were so upset about in the first place.

Developing Virtual Help Desks

To master the fine art of customer service, you need the right people at your side. Unfortunately, you might be strapped for time already. There’s so much to do, and so little time.

You need to save your hours for tasks that only you can do. That’s the best way to ensure that your business grows!

The typical job hiring framework takes a lot of time. You need to draft a good job listing, post it, respond to applicants, and interview them. Once you’ve decided on the right applicant, you need to deal with background checks, payroll, benefits, HR, and more.

That’s why outsourcing your help desk hiring needs is a great idea.

Focusing on What Matters

Whether you need one team member or an entire department’s worth, we can help.

It’s a great way to save your business and save money. With our help desk solutions, you’ll save 60% of what you would usually outlay for in-house staff.

Are you ready to streamline your approach to virtual help desks, find the staff you need, and reach your business scaling goals? Our team of vetted professionals is ready to fill your customer service needs.

Contact us today for a consultation!

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How safe, secure & reliable are Virtual Assistants?

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From scheduling meetings to managing social media accounts, virtual assistants can help relieve the stress associated with being an entrepreneur, CEO, or manager. But before signing up with any virtual assistant company or individual, there are key things you should look into before allocating this responsibility to somebody else.

In this post, we will discuss how safe & reliable virtual assistants are and the process involved to ensure it.

How safe is it to have virtual assistants?

Businesses who choose a reliable virtual assistant service provider with thorough qualification procedures ensure high-quality virtual talent. MyOutDesk has a strong reputation for providing virtual administrative assistants, built on:

  • A stringent talent matching process that uses detailed work experience profiling.
  • A comprehensive candidate vetting process unmatched by any other outsourcing provider.
  • FBI-grade background checks.
  • DISC personality matching to ensure the most experienced, educated, and skilled virtual assistant services possible.

An unparalleled distinction of MyOutDesk among many virtual assistant providers is its high standard of service to its clients and virtual assistants. The company provides uninterrupted support services for client businesses and virtual assistants with dedicated trainers and solutions managers. Virtual assistants receive competitive benefits and medical at MyOutDesk, upholding high work morale. Hiring a highly qualified, full-time virtual assistant from MyOutDesk is safe as well as cost-effective — costing up to 70% less than hiring a full-time in-house employee.

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

According to our survey to clients, virtual assistants are most valued for their ability to help with customer service, sales, marketing, admin functions, and blogging. With that said, there is good reason for our high rehire rate: virtual assistants save businesses time and money! The time and cost benefits of hiring VAs are greater than ever before.

There is a growing number of new services available to help entrepreneurs (and even small businesses) achieve success without having employees. This software allows you to hire VAs online through a computer or smartphone app and make payments instantly online as well.

Safety, Security, Reliability

Safety for clients is a top priority for MyOutDesk. Due to the high standard of service that we provide, here are some key points to consider before hiring a VA:

  1. MyOutDesk provides dedicated support services for our clients and virtual assistants.
  2. MyOutDesk has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
  3. Our relentless talent matching process includes FBI-grade background checks.

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

 

See For Yourself: A Closer Look at Virtual Assistants

The popularity and acceptance of virtual assistants will grow over the next decade. It is estimated that, in 2020, 40% of the entire US task force are virtual professionals. Today’s use cases for these task-oriented professionals are vast. “Freelance virtual assistant services” will be one of the biggest industries in terms of employment and global revenue by the end of the decade.

“Outsourcing makes the hustle better — because you’re not burdened with many/growing expenses that you’ll need to figure out how to cover and hit profit”

 

 

Focus on your growth & scale your operations

 

 

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

 

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free ‘Double Your Business’ strategy consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

Did You Know?  MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

virtual assistant customer service and support working at a laptop

The era of customer service: Unique importance of customer support virtual assistants

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There is a new trend in customer service coming to the forefront—the era of outsourced customer support (virtual assistants). As a business owner, you have more than just traditional email, phone, and chat channels to serve your customers. E-commerce sites are seeking better calls to action for live chats, help desks, or even video broadcasts. You want more. You want a better experience, and your customers do too.

Today’s Era of Customer Service

The unique importance of Customer Support Virtual Assistants

Customer service and outsourced customer support virtual assistants have been around since the early days of virtual assistance. But now, you have the ability to hire a dedicated agent or team of agents to serve your growing customer support channel needs.

Not only will they provide better customer satisfaction across every channel, but they do it at a lower cost than in-house or outsourced customer service agents.

This arrangement is proving so effective that many companies are re-evaluating when and where to outsource their help desk services and customer support functions. Companies like Apple are even outsourcing their live chat channels on the company website for better service to their customers worldwide.

But while the benefits of virtual customer support assistants are clear, there are ways to make sure you have the right people for the job.

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]
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To best define and understand what makes a virtual customer support assistant effective you must first understand the three things every virtual assistant must know, very clearly.

Here is a quick reminder of these three things:

1) Process Efficiency

Process efficiency is key to understanding the most efficient way to serve your clients because every minute counts. Your support agent must understand task management, time-saving technology solutions, and advanced customer communication tools. They must know how to reduce call deflection across channels while still providing exceptional service. Meanwhile, with this efficiency, the cost of a full-time virtual assistant is also up to 70% less than a traditional employee.

2) Customer Communication

An outsourced customer support assistant should know your customers inside and out. They need to understand each of your customer’s pain points to create the best experience possible. Outbound communication outlets like social media, content marketing, and blogs are much more effective when handled by a virtual assistant who understands your brand, products, and services. Remotely live chatting with customers or speaking in a real-time video broadcast are two forms of digital communication that support agents must know how to use properly.

3) Trust

A reliable virtual assistant will be able to carry out their responsibilities without dropping the ball. You have a lot riding on these customer service assistants. Trust them and empower them!

The last thing you want is a support agent that simply answers questions, without giving you any context or background about your customers or why they are contacting you for help.

You want an agent that takes an active role in helping your customer reach their goals, while also sharing the right information at the right time and place. As a business owner, you want it all – better service at a lower cost than hiring in-house agents and you have it!

There is no doubt that your business needs to consider outsourcing some or all of your customer support functions. The only question that remains is: how much should you outsource? And where should you start? That is something only you can decide. But the good news is there are plenty of virtual support solutions out there.

[Up to 70% off Virtual Assistants]
Back to top

See For Yourself: A Closer Look at Virtual Assistants

The popularity and acceptance of virtual assistants will grow over the next decade. It is estimated that, in 2020, 40% of the entire US task force are virtual professionals. Today’s use cases for these task-oriented professionals are vast. “Freelance virtual assistant services” will be one of the biggest industries in terms of employment and global revenue by the end of the decade.

“Outsourcing makes the hustle better — because you’re not burdened with many/growing expenses that you’ll need to figure out how to cover and hit profit”

 

 

Focus on your growth & scale your operations

 

 

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

 

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free ‘Double Your Business’ strategy consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

Did You Know?  MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

Executive peace of mind with a virtual assistant customer service support

Why the GTD Method works: Get things done with MOD Executive Virtual Assistants

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Many people have heard of the GTD method, but few know how it can be applied to a virtual assistant. Here, we make the connection between this winning time management methodology and working with an Executive Virtual Assistant.

 

 

Create a cadence to organize your life.

Firstly, how does a virtual assistant bring value? A virtual assistant should reduce the burden on your shoulders so that you can focus on achieving your personal and professional goals. Time is at a premium for everyone, so having someone who can do all those little tasks is invaluable.

Is it actionable? Then you do it, delegate it, or defer it

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

How the GTD method works with an Executive Virtual Assistant

The GTD method works in many ways:

Habits

The small tasks that take up the most time are habits. These could be simple things like processing of incoming files, scheduling meetings etc. Here is where a virtual assistant can come in handy, as they can take up these duties.

Weekly Review

The second way this method works is via weekly review, and this is where we need an Executive Virtual Assistant to perform tasks. A virtual assistant should identify the top priorities and then provide you with an action plan to accomplish them within the week.

With the aid of these two ways, you can now apply GTD to a virtual assistant.

 

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

 

Getting started with GTD: Task Management Plan and Weekly Review

  • How much time you will devote to this – the more time you spend on it, the more effective it will be
  • Working off your calendar and inbox with a three-step system – define the tasks that need to be dealt with today, create a list of them and then get to work
  • Produce a weekly review that includes feedback from others or yourself. If your team asks for clarification on something, refer them to your weekly review.
  • You can also take this opportunity to point out what’s working and not working equally as well as sharing best practices from other people.

 

See For Yourself: A Closer Look at Virtual Assistants

The popularity and acceptance of virtual assistants will grow over the next decade. It is estimated that, in 2020, 40% of the entire US task force are virtual professionals. Today’s use cases for these task-oriented professionals are vast. “Freelance virtual assistant services” will be one of the biggest industries in terms of employment and global revenue by the end of the decade.

“Outsourcing makes the hustle better — because you’re not burdened with many/growing expenses that you’ll need to figure out how to cover and hit profit”

 

 

Focus on your growth & scale your operations

 

 

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

 

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free ‘Double Your Business’ strategy consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

Did You Know?  MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

virtual assistant working with her boss on her computer marketing virtual assistants

How to Improve Your Outreach With Marketing Assistants

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Learn how to improve outreach efforts at your business by tapping into the awesome skills of marketing assistants. Learn more in this article.

 

How to Improve Your Outreach With Marketing Assistants

If your business is online, then there are certain things you should be doing in order to nurture and enhance your online presence. Digital marketing is an essential undertaking for any modern brand. But for some companies, it can prove challenging.

A lack of time, funds, or resources. Whatever the reason, sometimes a business won’t have the wherewithal to devise and implement an outreach strategy. This is where virtual marketing assistants come in.

They’re an innovative way to take care of your marketing needs without having to hire a whole new team. Or retain the costly services of a digital marketing agency. Read on to find out all the ways in which a virtual assistant can help to grow your business, all while saving you time and making you money.

What a Virtual Marketing Assistant Can Do for Your Outreach

One of the best things about virtual marketing assistants is the broad knowledge they can bring to the table. For the price of one person, you can potentially get the expertise of many more. From social media management to PPC, SEM, or SEO, these highly trained individuals can cover many bases.

When it comes to outreach work in particular you can hardly find a better candidate than a virtual marketing assistant. This is because outreach strategies tend to involve highly skilled, time-consuming, and laborious work.

It’s unproductive to have a member of your team with other responsibilities spread themselves too thin. Instead, you can hire a virtual assistant who already has the necessary training and tools to pick up the slack in this department.

Build relationships, form partnerships, and exponentially grow your client base without having to make a raft of new hires. All this and more is what a virtual marketing assistant can do for you.

Benefits of Virtual Marketing Assistants

Aside from their attention to detail and their specialized skill set, there are even more reasons to hire virtual assistants.

For example, did you know that on average, a new hire costs around $36 per hour? Add to this the recruitment, onboarding, training, and benefits that come along with a new hire, and it adds up to a whole lot of money.

In contrast, a virtual assistant works on a contract basis. Furthermore, they can be either a part-time or full-time worker. This means with a virtual assistant your money goes a lot further.

This is doubly true when you look at statistics about the productivity of remote workers. According to many studies they work more hours and are more productive than their in-office counterparts.

Virtual Marketing Assistants: The Future of Work

If you like the idea of hiring a ready-trained, ultra-productive marketing assistant who can boost engagement and increase the visibility of your business for up to 70% less than the usual cost, then why not get in touch today to see what we’re all about.

a virtual assistant working at a computer tracking with tsheets

How to Track and Manage Virtual Assistants With TSheets

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Want to get more done at your organization? Consider combining the efforts of virtual assistants with the time tracking capabilities of TSheets!

 

How to Track and Manage Virtual Assistants With TSheets

Virtual assistants free up your time so that you can focus on growing and managing your business. They also take care of projects typically handled by the various departments in a traditional office. Whether you need help with bookkeeping, social media management, or administrative work, a virtual assistant can save the day!

One unique feature of virtual assistants is where they work—from anywhere that isn’t your physical location.

Since they don’t work on-site, you need a way to track their performance. Have you considered using TSheets? In this post, we’ll show you how to use time tracking software to keep up with the work your virtual assistant does for you.

Benefits of Time Tracking Software

At the most basic level, tracking a virtual assistant’s hours ensures they get paid at the end of their payment cycle. If you use a manual system, you may run into potential problems such as:

  • Team members forget to log their hours.
  • Manual timesheets can promote excessive overtime and time theft.

You’ve likely reminded members of your team to remember to log their hours. It can seem like you’re herding cats.

Beyond knowing how many hours your virtual assistant works, time tracking offers multiple benefits, including:

Using a time tracking app is an excellent solution for virtual assistants in any industry.

How to Track Time in TSheets

Whether you work with one virtual assistant or utilize an entire crew of remote workers, a mobile app can make your life easier. Using the TSheets app allows you to eliminate the need for your assistant to attach their timesheet and submit via email or fax.

Instead, your team members will clock and submit their time on the app. Using the app, you quickly approve their time, ensuring they receive their pay on time.

Tracking Your Virtual Assistants in Real-Time

TSheets include a way for you to keep up with your team of virtual assistants as they work. Real-time monitoring helps keep people honest and enables you to detect when your team needs time management help.

Called Who’s Working, this vital app feature helps you see your entire team, no matter where they are, enabling you to determine where people are throughout the day. GPS data monitors the location of your staff. When the team knows you can locate them wherever they are, it adds another level of accountability.

Choosing TSheets for Business

The beauty of choosing TSheets to track the time your virtual assistants spending working on your projects is that you can use one or all of the features offered by the app. Currently, you can also choose from one of two TSheet plans—Elite or Premium.

If you’re looking for a time and project management tool that’s intuitive to use for everyone on your team, TSheets may just be the solutions you’ve been looking for—consider a trial to help you decide.

Looking for a Virtual Professional?

Now that you’ve found a complete-time tracking system, it’s time to find your next virtual professional. We’ve been matching small businesses with virtual assistants and other professionals since 2008.

If you’re looking for a new virtual assistant or you need another type of virtual team member, contact us. We’re here to help you choose the best fit for your virtual position.

Smiling virtual assistant at a computer using microsoft teams

How to Use Microsoft Teams to Manage Virtual Assistants and Teams

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Learn how to get set up with Microsoft Teams and leverage this team and project management platform to guide your virtual assistants and teams.

 

How to Use Microsoft Teams to Manage Virtual Assistants and Teams

Since its introduction in 2017, Microsoft Teams has quickly become a favorite tool for a collaborative workforce. It allows professionals from a wide variety of industries and departments to be productive and work together.

It also allows companies to easily integrate virtual assistants into their team and scale up, increasing productivity in an affordable, fast way.

Not sure how to use Microsoft Teams with a virtual assistant? It’s easier than you think. Here’s how.

What Is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a chat-based system in Office 365 that enables collaborative work. Teams allow members of the same organization to chat, video call and edit and share files together. Teams is a part of Microsoft’s larger suite of subscription services called Microsoft 365.

The cost of Microsoft Teams ranges from free for a limited version, to $20 a month for the most expensive package. It’s an affordable method of allowing collaboration, regardless of your industry or workplace location.

You can easily integrate new members into your Team. This includes remote workers like virtual assistants. This will allow you to fully take advantage of any virtual workers and help them easily communicate and collaborate with you.

Creating a Microsoft Team

On the Teams app, select the Teams tab on the left, then click “Join or create a team.” If you choose to create a team you can then build a new team from scratch or choose to create a team from an existing group or team. Then choose the desired privacy and name for your team.

Inviting New Team Members

You can add a new member to your team in several different ways. You can invite existing members to your teams or invite someone outside of your organization. The first involves selecting the three dots net to the name of your team under the Teams tab and choosing to add them by their name.

For someone outside of your organization, you will want to choose the “Invite people” option on the Teams tab. Then enter their email address. Any valid email address will do, but if they don’t already have a Microsoft account they will be required to create one.

Managing Microsoft Teams

Now that you’ve added a virtual assistant to your team, it’s time to manage the team. There are a few different functions you might find useful when working with a virtual team.

Chat in teams is fairly straightforward, and functions similar to other instant messaging systems. You can use the chat field at the bottom of the screen to send a message to everyone, or you can individually chat with your assistant by using the “New Chat” feature at the top.

To schedule a meeting, use the calendar on the left side of the app and choose a new meeting. From there you can set the date, time, and invite others to the meeting. You can also schedule a meeting in Outlook and have it show up in Teams or vice versa.

Finally to have a video call with your virtual assistant, select the “New chat” option from your chat list, and enter the name of the person you want to call. Then choose video or audio call.

Add a Virtual Assistant to Your Microsoft Teams

It’s easy to incorporate a virtual assistant into your Microsoft Teams.

Don’t have a virtual assistant yet? That’s an easy fix.

Regardless of your industry or the size of your business, MyOutDesk can help with our virtual assistant services. We can help you easily integrate a virtual assistant into your Microsoft Teams.

Ready to get started? Contact us today.

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