Been thinking about hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) lately? Good for you! It’s a
very smart move. In fact it’s one of the best ways to get more done—especially when
it comes to online marketing—and still have a life.
However, one thing you have to remember is that finding and hiring a good VA, while
important and worth spending the time to do right, is just the start.
You also have to learn how to outsource effectively or even the best VA won’t be
able to do a lot for you. Plus once you start outsourcing tasks and projects,
you’re going to have a new and different role to take on in your business.
Because, in addition to taking care of clients and/or customers you’re going to go
from “chief doer of everything”, to project manager, overseer and strategist.
You see, you are the only person who truly holds the vision of your business in
your mind at all times. And only you know how you want it all to look and work.
That means, in the end, it’s your job to make sure everything is always done the
way you want it.
Luckily you can make your project management job easier by taking these seven
steps…
1) Set up systems for communication. Ideally you want to use an online project
management system, not just email. And decide how and when you expect to be
notified. This is a must, and makes it easier for you and everyone on your team to
know what’s happening at any given time.
2) Create a written and/or visual overview of your business and share it with your team. The more they understand what you do, how you do it, who you do it for, and where you’re trying to go, the easier it will be for them to help you.
3) Set aside time each day or week specifically for project management. Especially since you aren’t used to doing this, schedule appointments on your calendar or set reminders in Outlook or your Blackberry just for project management.
4) Set specific appointments or alarms to follow up on larger projects and due
dates. Do this when you first assign a task or project to help ensure nothing slips
through the cracks.
5) Create process documents and checklists for your VA. Then ask that they open and follow these each time they perform a task.
6) Assign another VA to assist with project management. Here you hire someone who proofreads and tests all your projects.Also the person will be responsible for checking regularly to make sure tasks aren’t falling through the cracks.
7) Think of your relationship with your VA team as a collaboration. Don’t just be a
task master. Treat them as an invaluable part of your team and work together to achieve your goals.
It’s your business. While it may take some time and training to get your team
working smoothly and efficiently, it’s well worth doing. Soon you’ll have way more
time and energy to devote to growing your business—and having a fulfilling personal
life.
