25 Realistic Tasks to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants can be a huge benefit to small businesses that often are inundated with administrative tasks and responsibilities. Hiring full-time or even contractor is often beyond the financial reach of a small business. Virtual assistants such as Davinci Live Receptionists offer a cost-effective alternative. Small businesses only engage them as needed. This on-demand model helps control cost while enabling small businesses to focus their virtual assistants on tasks and activities that matter.
Studies show many small businesses are interested in leveraging virtual assistants to help tackle the pile of tasks and projects that are overwhelming them, suffocating their productivity, thwarting the time spent engaging with customers, and inhibiting business growth. But many of those same small businesses have never used a virtual assistant. So, why the disconnect? It seems many simply don’t know where to get started; they don’t know what tasks to outsource to a virtual assistant.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant (VA) is a professional who provides administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients remotely from a home office or any other location. Virtual assistants come from differing professional backgrounds and can offer a wide range of services.
Virtual assistants can handle tasks that are traditionally performed by an in-office assistant, but without the need for a physical presence. Instead, businesses can hire VAs on an as-needed basis.
The following are some of the ways virtual assistants can help a small business to focus on its customers, products and services, and growing its business:
25 Realistic Tasks to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant
1. Incoming calls.
Answer routine questions, routing those that require immediate assistance to the right person on the team, and pushing others into the correct voice mail.
2. Incoming emails and texts.
Filter incoming email and texts—answering those with basic questions and routing others regarding support and sales inquiries to the appropriate member of the team.
3. Calendar management.
Set up appointments in response to incoming emails, texts, and calls with prospects, customers, partners, and third-party vendors.
4. Outgoing administrative email and texts.
Sending thank you emails and texts and other reminders.
5. Sales live chat support.
Manage live chat support for incoming sales inquiries on the website. May include configuration and management of the live chat tool, proactive live chat engagement based on website visitor behavior, and live chat conversations with prospects.
6. Customer service live chat support.
Manage live chat for customer service inquiries—customers who have questions or are experiencing problems with product and/or support.
7. Marketing research.
Research support on topics for blog posts, newsletter, and other outbound marketing activities.
8. Database building.
Updating email and contact lists in the company’s customer relationship management (CRM) system (e.g., Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, etc.).
9. Travel logistics.
Book flights, reserve hotel rooms and rental cars, and build travel itineraries (including meetings and booking of rented meeting space such as Davinci Meeting Rooms).
10. Outbound marketing.
Manage the company’s marketing automation system (e.g., Salesforce, Infusionsoft, MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, etc.). Potential activities include list management, email development and scheduling, landing page development, autoresponders set up and management, coordination with sales, among others.
11. File/document management.
Organize files using an online file management system such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, Microsoft OneDrive, etc.).
12. Meeting minutes.
Attending meetings and scribing minutes (subsequently sent to meeting attendees).
13. Basic reporting.
Creating basic reports on a regular basis—financial, sales, marketing, operations, etc.
14. Social media.
Set up and management of the company’s social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.). Includes proactive outreach for search engine optimization (SEO) to drive traffic back to the company website.
15. Blog management.
Answer blog comments and even proactively comment on third-party blog posts to drive traffic back to the company website and blog. Also includes management of blog editorial calendar and management of writing resources.
16. Third-party boards and forums.
Participate in third-party boards and forums, posting comments and answer questions where relevant (e.g., Reddit, LinkedIn groups, industry forums and groups, etc.).
17. Liaison with the team.
Serve as a liaison between business leadership (president, head of sales, et al.) and the rest of the team (filtering emails, scheduling meetings, etc.).
18. Coworking, day office, and meeting space.
Reserve coworking, day office, and rented meeting space for the team—for everything from ongoing daily work, to team meetings, to business travel, to customer and prospect meetings.
19. Prepare PowerPoint presentations.
Help prepare PowerPoint presentations for sales, customer, internal, and partner meetings.
20. Transcription.
Transcribe meetings and voice mail used by sales, marketing, and other teams.
21. HR recruitment.
Manage job postings, help vet applications, screen applicants, and schedule interviews.
22. Freelancer support.
Search for and vet freelancers to support different business activities (e.g., graphic artists for content design and layout, professional voice-over talent, writers for blog posts and other marketing content, etc.).
23. Event management.
Identify and reserve meeting space, manage logistics such as catering, compile and send invitations, confirm attendees, construct and distribute the agenda, among others.
24. Video and podcast editing.
Edit audio files, remove background noise from audio and video, set up and manage podcasts on iTunes and SoundCloud, and publish videos to and manage them on YouTube.
25. Website management.
Conduct keyword research for blog content and webpages, maintain the sitemap, ensure all pages are optimized for organic SEO, manage Google AdWords, vet new technologies for your website and make appropriate recommendations, among others.
This list is certainly not comprehensive, and I could add even more to it. But compilation is a good starting point. Improved productivity, better coordination and collaboration with customers, partners, and employees, and even new revenue opportunities are right around the corner. Stop procrastinating and engage with a virtual assistant—a Davinci Virtual Receptionist is merely a click away.
LinkedIn Profile: LinkedIn
Website: www.tirocommunications.com
Categories
- Business Marketing
- Business Resources
- Customer Success Stories
- Customer Success Stories: Communications
- Customer Success Stories: Meeting Rooms
- Customer Success Stories: Virtual Office
- Entrepreneur Tools
- Management
- Meeting Rooms
- Virtual News
- Virtual Office
- Virtual Receptionist Services
- Workplace Culture
Subscribe to Our Blog
Archive
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- June 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- March 2015
- January 2015
- November 2014
- October 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- January 2014
- October 2013
- September 2013
- June 2013
- April 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- January 2010
Talk to an expert
Want to know more about our Virtual Offices? Give us a call
Get the Perfect Virtual Address Now
Find a Virtual OfficeServices
Virtual Offices Virtual Office Features What is a Virtual Office? Full Time Spaces Live Receptionist Live Receptionist Features Virtual Phone Number Live Web Chat Meeting Spaces Meeting Space Features Coworking Spaces Event Spaces Marketplace Incorporation Services Search Virtual Office Services Near MeInstant Group
- © 2024 Davinci virtual office