Last September, I began a new journey for my business: I started to work as a virtual assistant (VA) for two companies – a husband and wife – in Charlotte, NC. From there, I began growing and took on more local clients before expanding up north and into Chicago even! I work with wedding planners, photographers and even had the chance to work with a knit/crochet teacher! When I do tell people I’m a VA, they try to look supportive but don’t quite know what it is. So today’s blog post is all about what I do for small businesses as a VA (and why you might need to consider one for your business!).
Question 1: What does being a VA entail? For me, being a VA was a chance to expand my skillsets, bring in more income in my slower photography months and most important – HELP other creatives who needed and desperately wanted their time back. For me and my clients, being a VA means helping with tasks that are more time and energy consuming so they can focus on what they do best, be it photography, planning or even teaching.
Question 2: What kind of tasks do you work on? It depends on the client, but for most of them I assist with scheduling sessions (setting up contracts, invoices, knowing their calendar), creating new templates as needed for emails/contracts, social media scheduling (helping them create content for Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest), prepare blogs, upload galleries and whatever oddball tasks they might need done. For my local clients, I even come into their studios to help with packaging or other day-to-day tasks they might need a little break from! The tasks I could help with as a VA are limitless – I always tell my clients we’ll give it a shot and evaluate after a trial to see if it’s more helpful or not to have me take over a task.
Question 3: Why is a VA beneficial for a small business owner? Having someone to delegate tasks to – even though that might be VERY hard at first – really does free up your time. This time allows you to book more sessions or weddings or just have a day OFF (what?! TIME OFF? How does that work?!). By taking some of the more administrative tasks off my clients’ plates, I am giving them the flexibility to work on what matters more to them. Additionally by being able to put all of my focus into a few key areas of their business – particularly when it comes to social media + blogging/SEO, I can help them bring more traffic to their content, sites and ultimately bring them more business. I love being there for my clients as a sounding board and becoming their friend as we work together. So for you business owners wondering how you’ll ever make it, remember: you don’t have to do it alone!!
Question 4: Any tips for working with a VA? Yes! Start small. All of my clients had a chance to try me out before they got an invoice and we were all flexible when it came to task delegation. As a business owner myself, I know how hard it is to hand over a task for your business to someone else – it’s your baby! But trust me, it’ll feel better once we get a system in place and you can just let something go. Also, remember this is a process for both of you – it takes time, it takes patience and it takes care to get it right. No two people will work together the same. For example: some of my clients have really great workflows in place for us to work together and others use me as needed for projects. We communicate differently (some by email, facebook, even text) and I don’t see them all the same amount in person or via Skype. And that’s OKAY! And finally – don’t be afraid to end the working relationship if it’s not a good fit – whether it’s not working out for you as a client, whether it’s not the kind of tasks you want to do, etc. You both have the right to find a perfect fit for your team!
Question 5: How do I get one?! My clients have come to me two ways: 1) word of mouth and 2) from networking opportunities like the Rising Tide Society. I still have room to take on clients, so if it’s me you want to work with, send me an email at Kristina.dowler@gmail.com. If you want to look in general, try the Rising Tide Society, your local Tuesday Together page or a quick google search! You’d be surprised how many VAs are looking for work!
At the end of the day, a VA can be a super addition to your team. It’s a great way to delegate a bigger workload and give you a chance to relax – because you definitely need that as a business owner! Find someone you click with, you trust and you’re comfortable with because without feeling that connection, it’s going to be extra hard to hand over some of the tasks you want help with! Don’t feel like you have to fight this battle alone – there’s always someone out there who can help you!
If you’re interested in working with me as a VA for your business, send me a note! I’d love to chat about some possibilities!
xoxo
Kristina
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