A Virtual Assistant Provides Essential Administrative Support
A virtual assistant provides essential administrative support to sole traders, small businesses and entrepreneurs - and you don't have to employ them!

Here's a list of tasks that a virtual assistant can complete in an hour or less?  Should you be working on these non-billable tasks?
  • Mail merge, print and post about 50 letters.
  • Create and send an email campaign to your prospects.
  • Type all your business cards from a networking event into a prospects database.
  • Type up 15 minutes of dictation, proof read it and send it back to you.
  • Call 10 prospects and secure appointments for you where possible.
  • Research a competitor or a product.
  • Research train and flight timetables, hire cars and pricing for a business trip.
  • Invoice 20 clients at month end and set up automatic reminders if the invoice becomes overdue.
  • Call 10 of your clients to tell them about a new product or service that you offer.
  • Set up and confirm all of your appointments for the forthcoming week.
  • Proof read documents, presentations, newsletters and important items before they are sent out.

A virtual assistant will undoubtedly have a much lower hourly rate than you the business owner.  Learn the art of delegation and free up your valuable time.  Do what you do best and delegate the rest! 

5 tips on using a dictating machine.

  • Remember! The quality of a transcribed piece of work begins with the quality of the dictation.
  • Avoid the use of a mobile phone for this purpose whenever possible.  There are excellent digital systems out there.
  • Get organised, gather all your information before you begin to dictate.
  • Give clear instructions at the start of the task, especially if you want all the work to go into a complicated table or a very specific format.
  • Try to eliminate background noise, shuffling your papers, coughing and clearing your throat!

And finally, two events that you may find of interest and benefit to you or someone you know.
 
'Personal Branding' - an event to help you develop your own personal branding and achieve your potential.  To be held at the Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter on Thursday 8th October 2009 from 18.30.  Call Marian Weston on 07801 930158 for more details.
 
'The Effective Use Of Time' and 'Effective Communication'.  Learn some essential rules and techniques from Guy Arnold of Crooked Stick Ltd.  To be held on Friday 13th November 2009 in Exeter.  For more information click here .