A day in the life of a virtual assistant

As a Virtual Assistant, we are often asked by family, friends, people we meet and prospective clients how it works being a VA. The image of clients talking to the likes of Alex or Google Home, or us sitting at home on the sofa with our pyjamas on, looking unkept with no makeup, hair everywhere and a cup of coffee in hand is the general perception. Those who are new to the idea of working with a VA can find it difficult to understand what a VA does, how do they work with clients who are often in different counties, countries and timezones. So here is a day in the life of a virtual assistant.

Our day starts no differently… Our daily routine starts the same as anyone else. We get up, we get ready and head to the office. Some of our team here at VASS work from our offices in London so it really is no different with the same commute to work each day. Those who work from home may not have the commute into work, but each has their own dedicated office space with all the necessary equipment and privacy they need for a day’s work.

Review the plans for the day Once settled in the office, it’s time to review the plans for the day. Checking what calls and meetings are scheduled in, any reminders that need to be followed up and what work needs to be completed for the day.

Time for a catch up For our busier clients on retainer packages, it often involves a morning telephone or video call to run through their schedule for the day, looking at what their plans are, ensuring they have everything they need for their busy day, and taking anything off their hands that we can deal with.

Email time Next it’s time for emails. After we have checked our own inboxes for anything that our clients need support with, it’s time to check the email accounts we manage on behalf of our clients. Often reviewing the emails from our clients or to our clients means adding things onto the to do list for the day. Our clients’ emails are managed on a daily basis, so it doesn’t take long for us to sift through, deleting any junk, flagging things to review or actioning requests as we go.

Workload for the day This is where it can be hard to describe the average day of a virtual assistant. Here at VASS we have a range of experts specialising in different areas. For some, it’s time to crack on with some bookkeeping, for others it could be marketing, data entry, general admin support, diary management, designing images and graphics, organising an event, booking travel etc.

Each and every task is tracked using time tracking software to ensure our clients are only paying for the time we are working on their tasks. Every time a task is completed, or we have need to take a break or a call, the timer is stopped.

Lunchtime Being no different to anyone else, we do stop for a lunch break. We encourage our team to take a break away from their screens and to enjoy their lunch but having a passionate and dedicated team can sometimes mean it’s hard to pull them away from their desks for very long before they are back at their desks for the afternoon workload!

More emails Unless it’s an extremely busy inbox, we encourage both our clients and our team to only check their emails at certain times of the day. This proves a much better management of time and stops their inboxes from managing their workload. After lunch it’s time to check the inboxes again to deal with anything new that has come in since this morning and action accordingly.

Follow up calls With our busier clients, the afternoon can sometimes be a time for more catch up calls as they are on the train heading back to the office or home. This is their opportunity to run through any follow ups required from their meetings that day, anything they need actioning or updates to pass on. It’s also an opportunity to review their plans for the next day, and the rest of the week to make sure both the client and our team are up to date on any changes in their schedule.

Wrapping up for the day This is the chance to check through email inboxes again and make sure there is nothing urgent outstanding. It’s also the opportunity to add any later work requests onto the to do list for tomorrow. Then it’s a final check of the calendar to see what telephone or video calls are planned in for tomorrow where the day will start all over again.

If you are considering using the services of a Virtual Assistant, why not arrange a discovery call to find out more about the services we offer and support that we can provide. Call us now on 020 3370 4075.

3 ways to master diary management

Effective diary management is fundamental to the smooth running of any successful business. From prioritising meetings and projects, to managing travel arrangements, booking rooms, catering, creating agendas, to arranging meetings, and managing expectations. There’s so much that goes into managing a diary effectively.

However, handling a busy and ever-changing diary is a difficult task in itself. It can be a time-consuming job, and if you get it wrong, it could have significant repercussions on the business. Wanting to change one meeting could have a knock-on effect and involve rearranging an entire day, or even a week of meetings and appointments. And the consequences could lead to meetings being missed, projects being forgotten, and ultimately leading to loss of sales.

Here are 3 ways to master diary management.

Choosing the right platform There are so many different platforms, apps and integrations available now that there is such a wide choice of what platform to use. But it’s crucial to find the right one, and one that works well for you. Finding the one that fits your needs, business and lifestyle.

Having features like being able to manage your diary on the go, linked to your emails and easy to use are important things to consider when making your choice.

But also consider other features like tasks, reminders, notifications, access for others to see and book meetings with you. Whether you want to be able to customise it with colour coding, having multiple calendars, the synchronisation with other calendars and platforms. There’s so much to consider so make yourself a list of key features that you’d find useful.

Have one dedicated person managing the diary Whether you’re managing the diary yourself, have an assistant or a team of assistants, the key to effectively managing a diary is having one dedicated person managing it.

Having multiple people managing a diary leaves too much room for error. Where one person might think adding in another meeting won’t have a knock-on effect, it could have significant consequences to the whole planning of the day. Will there be enough time to get there? Does the travel need to be rebooked? Will it impact on other appointments and meetings?

One dedicated person managing the diary will be able to decide whether adding that one meeting in would cause disruption, but also allows them the ability to look into the impacts of adding that meeting in. This dedicated person is able to take on the responsibility and know the diary inside out to ensure the diary’s purpose is fulfilled.

Scheduling time for everything Many business owners and executives focus on using the diary purely for business meetings and appointments.

However, the key to ensuring effective diary and time management, is to use the diary to its full potential. This includes adding in every little detail of the days work. What admin and projects need to be planned in. Any prep time before meetings, and time to follow up after. Adding in personal appointments and commitments. Reminders to follow things up, when to complete actions etc.

Adding all of these details into the diary keeps everything on the radar but also helps ensure appointments aren’t missed, tasks are carried out and deadlines met.

Plans can change at any point, so don’t get carried away planning too far in advance, leaving no room to move anything around.

Diary management is so important but can be difficult and time-consuming. If you’re finding it hard keep track of your diary, not quite sure how to use it to the best of its ability or just struggling to find the time to organise it all then why not get in touch and find out how we could help you to effectively manage your diary. Contact us now on 020 3370 4075 to find out more.

Virtual Assistant: A Simple Definition

When you hear the term Virtual Assistant, your mind may think of the likes of Google Assistant, Google Home or Alexa. However, amongst the world of Virtual Assistants, there is a human equivalent that can also help you with reminders, manage your bookings, sort out your calendar and emails.

So, what is a human Virtual Assistant? A Virtual Assistant (also referred to as a VA) is typically a self-employed individual or agency providing professional and personal administrative services to entrepreneurs and businesses. Amongst these services, many VAs also provide technical and creative support.

Generally speaking, most VAs work from their own home offices or their own business premises where they work with clients on a remote basis. However, there are some that will also work on site or at events when required.

What services do they provide? There are different types of VAs, offering a variety of different services. The largest pool of VAs tends to fall into the general administrative and PA category, where services include diary and email management, data entry, typing and research. However, as the industry has grown, there has been an increase in more advanced and technical support. From web design, IT support to social media management, brand design and marketing.

This is where you will also notice a variety of different titles other than VA/Virtual Assistant. Terms such as Freelance PA, Virtual PA, Online Business Manager, Social Media Manager, Web Designer, Marketing Consultant; these are all becoming increasingly popular with VAs niching into different areas of expertise.

How do they differentiate from an employed PA or office assistant? A VA is typically a self-employed individual, or an agency who are contracted out to provide support to clients in their area of expertise. As they are independent contractors and not an employee, it means the VA or the VA agency are responsible for tax, NI, benefits, insurance and legalities.

Another benefit of using a contractor over an employee is the flexibility of contracts. When working with a VA you typically purchase a set number of hours or time, meaning you are only paying for the actual physical time the VA is sat working. This also gives more flexibility at times of the year when your business may be a little quieter as you adjust the number of hours as you need.

Using a VA for a specific specialised area also means tapping into their area of expertise as and when you need that area of support. They have the experience and have funded their own training to call themselves an expert, allowing you to utilise their specialised services as and when you need them.

There are a lot of benefits of working with a Virtual Assistant and you can read about some of the reasons why you should hire a VA in our blog here.

If you would like to find out more about using the services of a Virtual Assistant, want to know more about what we do and how we could help, call us now on 020 3370 4075 to find out more.

How to manage your workload

Running a business is not for the fainthearted. No two days are ever the same and what might work for one person and a particular business, won’t work for another. However, you do have to learn to wear many hats and juggle multiple things at a time. You always have to be in control and know what’s going on with your business and managing your workload. So here are our top tips to help you manage your workload.

Use a task list Whether you’re a traditional person and prefer pen and paper, or a digital fan, your task list is often the lifeline to running your business. They act as a time saver, giving you control to know what needs to happen and when, but also reduce the stress of having a million and one things going around your head at any one time. Electronic task lists can even help out when you’re on the go to ensure your list is always with you! Some of our favourites here at VASS are Wunderlist, Asana, Todoist and Trello. These are also great if you have a team to share your ideas and delegate tasks out!

Set deadlines Deadlines are vital when looking at your workload. They allow us to quickly assess what needs doing when and helps to prioritise what work needs to be completed. Don’t think you need one? Tasks that don’t end up with deadlines are often the ones that we procrastinate over, get pushed back or even forgotten.

Don’t get carried away ticking things off… It’s very easy to look for the ‘quick wins’ to get more items off your task list quickly. However, it means other items get pushed back or forgotten. The bigger and more challenging ones may take longer, but these are normally the important tasks that will help in developing our businesses. You will also get a much greater sense of satisfaction crossing one challenging project off the list versus a handful of easy quick jobs.

Prioritise Once you’ve set your deadlines, you can then start to prioritise what needs to be completed when. But it can be difficult to decide if everything is due at the same time, so next we need to look at what is urgent vs what is important.

Urgent vs Important Do you have any tasks on the list that need immediate attention? The kind of work that if it’s not completed by the end of the day, or within the next few hours, there will be serious repercussions. These are the tasks to focus on first, followed by anything that is not urgent, but important. Anything that isn’t important or isn’t urgent gets pushed towards the bottom of the list until it’s approaching urgent and important.

Assessing the value After we’ve reviewed deadlines, looked for anything urgent, we must look at what carries the highest value or has the biggest impact. For example, here at VASS our client work is always completed before any internal work. We ensure that our client’s work is completed and back with them for when they need it. This ensures we are adding value to our clients, helping them to meet their own deadlines, keeping them happy and ultimately is what keeps our business ticking over.

Not urgent, not important? If, at the end of reviewing your task list you find there are items on there that have no urgency or aren’t important, it’s time to decide whether they should actually still be on your list. Maybe your priorities have changed, or they are no longer need to be completed. Whatever the reason, if they’re on the list and have no importance, delete them!

Focus your time It’s very easy to become distracted and pick up other things while in the middle of working on something else. But focussing your attention to one task at a time is much more productive. Better yet, work out when you’re going to complete tasks in advance and group things together – why not have a creative afternoon writing your blogs and social media content one after the other while you’re ‘in the zone’?

Outsource If you have a heavy workload then it’s worth considering outsourcing some of the things off your task list. Whether it’s one off projects or ongoing support, look at what’s on your list, whether its something that ‘has’ to be done by you or if it’s something you could pass onto someone else to complete on your behalf and freeing up your time!

If you are looking for help in managing your workload, then call us now on 020 3370 4075 to arrange a free no obligation consultation and find out how we can help.

How to prepare for time off

How to prepare for time off

The festive season is approaching, and we all want to take some well-deserved time off to enjoy the festivities. But, before we can go off and relax, we need to ensure our business is also prepared for our absence and the logistics around taking this time off.

To help you, we’ve pulled together some of our top tips on how to prepare for time off this Christmas.

Decide when you’re planning to take time off

The first thing to think about is when you’re planning to take time off. Decide when you want to be off from, how long for and when you will be back working. If you’re a business owner, you also need to consider whether the business will be on complete shutdown or if you need a skeleton team in place.

Once that’s done, it’s time to communicate it! To customers, clients and the team.

Plan for your time off

As with anything, the key is in the planning! If you haven’t got one already, it’s time to create a plan now.

Complete shutdown What work needs to normally be completed during this period? Do you need to adjust deadlines? What will happen to any enquiries or messages? Will you set an out of office or an automated message? Are you likely to dip in to ‘check’ things in between? If you have an online store, do you need to update delivery times? What about stock levels before, during and after?

Semi shutdown Who is going to be working and when? What are the priorities for workload during the festive period? Is there a backup plan for cover, but also workload if it’s really quiet and the team end up with nothing to do? Also consider if they need any support. Is there a senior member of the team available on call for emergencies?

Prepare for the new year

As well as planning for the time you’re going to be taking off, don’t forget to consider your return. Realistically are you going to be back in and out of meetings, travelling here, there and everywhere on your first day back? This will result in an increased backlog to deal with and not a great start to the year.

Give yourself at least half a day, or a full day to work through emails, messages and enquiries. Take time to review your plan for the next quarter. What are your priorities? Review your to do list. What do you need to be tackling first?

Just giving yourself this extra little bit of time will help you get organised ready for the last quarter of the year.

Manage customer expectations

It doesn’t matter whether you sell products or services, you need to manage customer expectations. Informing them of the dates when things will be closed or on semi-shutdown. When is the last delivery date? What’s the last date your services are available? It’s important to manage their expectations to avoid dissatisfaction and maintain relationships.

Plan your marketing and promotions

Just because you’re not working, it doesn’t mean you should stop marketing or your visibility. Set aside time to look at your marketing plans for the period. In this digital age more people are visiting social media during their downtime. This can lead to an optimal time for businesses to reach out to potential customers and clients.

Identify what channels and going to be worthwhile posting to. What content is relevant to this time of year for your ideal client. Will you send season’s greetings to customers and clients?

Schedule and automate

If you can, are there things that you can schedule in advance or maybe set up some automations? Whether it’s scheduling in your social media, setting up an automated bot or automated email sequence to respond to general enquiries. If you’re not already using schedules or automations, now is the time to try. It will take some of the pressure off, allowing you to enjoy time off while things are running behind the scenes.

Enjoy your time off!

It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning to take a day or a couple of weeks off, remember to relax and enjoy yourself! Taking time off allows us to clear our minds, to reset everything going on in our head, adjust our focus and recharge our batteries. Leaving us feeling ready and raring to go in the new year!

If you’re looking for support before, during or after the Christmas season, why not get in touch to find out how the VASS team could help you enjoy your time off this Christmas. Call us now on 020 3370 4075 to find out more.

5 top tips to stay organised and keep on top of your workload

When it comes to keeping on top of your workload, it can sometimes feel like an impossible task. Emails come through thick and fast, you tick one thing off your to-do list but then end up adding on another three. It can feel a little overwhelming and be difficult to keep on top of it all. Here are our 5 top tips to stay organised and keep on top of your workload.

Have a to-do list Whether it’s an electronic task list such as Asana or Trello, or good old-fashioned pen and paper, having a physical list of everything you need to complete will help you stay on track and ensure that things don’t get forgotten. It’s always a good idea to also include deadlines to help you in prioritising what needs to be completed when.

Plan out your workload Once you have your to-do list and deadlines for when things need to be completed by, it’s time to plan out when you’re going to complete the work. Blocking out time in your diary will ensure you have a very clear idea of when things need to be completed by but also blocks out the time to take action. When blocking out the time in your diary always allow some buffer time around the entries in case of any disruptions or if it takes you a little longer to complete the task.

Focus on one task at a time Multitasking in the office doesn’t work. Focussing your efforts solely on one task at a time will actually increase your productivity and help you to complete tasks quicker and more efficiently. If you are juggling multiple things at a time then it’s easy to lose track or become distracted from what you’re working on.

Don’t let your inbox drive your to-do list It’s so easy to dip in and out of emails all day long that you don’t realise how much time you actually spend looking at your inbox. You then become distracted away from your to-do list and start working on other things in between. Set yourself specific times throughout the day to check your emails, setting a time limit and stick to it. You will be much more productive and will get more things ticked off your to-do list, whilst still keeping on top of your never-ending email list.

Use the ‘touch it once’ principle How often do you go through your emails skim reading or keep marking the same email as unread? Stop procrastinating and take action by using the touch it once principle. The idea is, quite simply, you only touch a task or an email once. Instead of picking something up and thinking “oh I don’t have time to do that” or “I don’t want to do that right now” you take action and complete it there and then, or if its something complex, you plan it in and get it done. The time you’ve been wasting procrastinating and visiting the same thing over and over again will save you a considerable amount of time.

If you are looking for support to help you get organised and stay on top of your workload, then call us now on 020 3370 4075 to arrange a free no obligation consultation and find out how we can help.

Would your Business Change if you Started using Virtual Staff?

Virtual teams are becoming more popular for a number of reasons. Predominantly the affordability and flexibility that comes with virtual staff is appealing, however, making the decision to hire virtual versus onsite staff can still be difficult. Weighing up the benefits versus the practicalities of not having team members onsite, as well as the financial costs need to be considered. Here is how your business would change if you started using virtual staff.

Reduce office costs Looking at the financial side of hiring a virtual team, it’s an obvious one but ultimately you will reduce your overall office running costs. You won’t need to rent out space in an office for your team, you will save on electricity costs, computers, equipment, stationery etc etc. It soon adds up and will significantly save on the running costs for your business.

Less unnecessary meetings Have you ever found when working in an office, there seems to be a lot of meetings taking place? We end up spending more time having unproductive meetings for the sake of having a meeting. Having a virtual team makes it less tempting to organise these unnecessary meetings, meaning greater productivity in day to day tasks. Meetings can and still take place, but they are normally organised in advance, run more productively and to the point.

Increased productivity Another obvious one is that team members working virtually tend to have less distractions that come from working in a normal office environment, giving them greater focus on the tasks at hand. They are much more productive with getting on with the work at hand and enjoy the flexibility in what they do, whilst eliminating the dreaded daily commute into the office.

Broader range of skills Hiring locally will restrict you to the local talent and skillset in your area. By hiring a virtual member to the team, you open up to a much wider audience, which could result in hiring someone with a broader range of skills. It may result in paying a little more if you require a particular specialist skillset, but ultimately, they will bring a better and more productive service to your business.

Availability Running a business isn’t always a 9 to 5 job and sometimes you need support outside of these hours. Using the services of a virtual team can give you more flexibility and availability. By working flexible hours or in different time zones, they can bridge the gap between what an onsite team member could accomplish, whilst helping you to meet deadlines and customer’s expectations.

Increased flexibility Hiring a virtual team gives you flexibility to scale up and scale down your team more easily than having a fixed location. By only paying for the hours you need, you can increase and decrease as needed, keeping your overheads low during quiet periods of the year, but ensuring you have cover during the busy times. However, it also comes back to the financial savings of hiring a virtual team; you can scale up your team easily without having to worry about additional office space and equipment.

Having a virtual team is becoming widely popular with many businesses who need to keep up with the ever-changing markets. In order to thrive in a competitive market, it’s important to provide a high-quality service, whilst meeting customer’s demands and expectations. Moving to a virtual team will definitely help take the next step in your business success.

To find out more on how we could help to grow your business by using a virtual team, call us now on 020 3890 6990.

10 things your Boss Expects you to Know About Business (and how we can help)

If you’ve been working in the corporate world for a while, you have probably realised that there are certain things your boss will expect you to know about business. When you are brought into the company to do a particular job, you are given time to adjust and learn the ways of the organisation. However, these unwritten expectations then appear, and it can feel like you are learning your job all over again. Here are 10 things your boss expects you to know about business, and how we can help.

Delegating is the secret to business growth Effective delegation is the key for a business’ success. Many managers and CEOs can get caught up thinking they are the only person who can efficiently handle every single task. By not delegating, they end up wasting valuable time, or if they do delegate, they can become hung up on micromanaging employees to get the job done. Both of these approaches will stunt the company’s growth. Your time is better spent on looking at ways to grow the business and have the biggest impact. Anything and everything else should be delegated. Not sure what you can delegate? Read our blog on 30 tasks a VA can complete in an hour or less for some inspiration.

Planning for the rainy days An important part of being able to effectively delegate certain tasks will help plan for the rainy days with a business continuity plan. Business continuity is vital for any organisation to avoid and/or mitigate the risks associated with any disruption to business operations. By clearly mapping out the steps and processes that need to happen before, during and after any event will help the company to stay operational. Aside from being able to support you in creating a business continuity plan, we can also form part of the continuity. A key member of the team goes on long term sick leave? No problem, we are on hand to quickly and effectively pick up the reins.

Customer service isn’t just a department Understanding the importance of customer service and that it’s not just a dedicated department who is responsible for the overall service provided to a customer. We know and can help you with the customer’s experience; their journey from finding your company, all the way through to purchase. How important it is that all interaction with a company needs to be a positive one and making their journey as smooth as possible to achieve customer satisfaction.

The importance of record keeping Filing and keeping records is often seen as an over the top, unnecessary chore. However, aside from the legal and tax implications for holding such records, it also helps with the running of any business. Looking at the customer journey in particular, having a full record of all interaction with a customer will help in understanding their needs. Not everyone is ready to buy immediately so keeping a full trace of what a customer has been interested in, what they like, don’t like, details of any previous quotes sent or useful information to help make their experience pleasant increases their satisfaction. Our business support team can help you to set up a good filing and record keeping system to ensure you have everything you need and in an easy to find way.

Good ideas can come from those who you least expect it Many CEOs and managers will be under the impression that only those in senior level roles will be the ones that come up with the good ideas. However, it is often those who are performing the day to day tasks that can see and find better ways of working, how to improve certain processes. And it’s no different from our business support team. We understand the pressures that come from running a business and are always looking for new and innovative ways to reduce costs and increase productivity.

And leading into ways to increase productivity… We can work with you on a particular project or process to find more effective and productive ways of working to increase efficiency. Whether it’s looking at your workload, the rest of the team, the business in general, we can support you, setting realistic goals to help you and your team work smarter. From ensuring the right tools and equipment are in place, to improve working conditions, increasing efficiency and where you can delegate.

Looking after the finances All businesses, no matter their size will be watching their numbers closely. It may seem like something only those in finance or accounts need to worry about, however, your boss will be expecting you to take an interest in the finances of the business. Whether that be shopping around for better prices or providing feedback for an upcoming investment, they want you to consider the financial implications on the business. At VASS, we offer a range of accounting services to help record and monitor those accounts to avoid the unexpected.

Planning ahead Many businesses are now expecting their employees to work proactively to increase the productivity and efficiency of the company. However, it’s not necessarily something that many workers find easy to manage. Having to plan ahead, think of things before they happen and ensuring time is well managed can be difficult. Our team of business support experts can help with looking at those little details that are so important but often overlooked. We can help to put a plan in place to help you and your company to run as effectively as possible.

Always be in sales and marketing mode You never know when or where the next potential customer may be. Your boss will want you to seize every opportunity and the best way to achieve this is by being prepared. Whether it’s help writing you the perfect sales pitch, or creating a marketing strategy, we can help you be prepared for any and every moment to develop those key relationships.

How to do it all Your boss will wear many hats in the role they undertake and sometimes they can forget that their team might not know how to do something or have all the answers they need. This is where we can really help bring value to you and your company. We have a number of specialists as part of our team who are experts in different areas. Whether you need some general day to day administrative support, help with your marketing and PR, accounts support, organising an event or to unlock your business’ potential with an unforgettable design. We can help to support all areas of your business, leaving you to focus on what you do best.

To find out more on how we could help to support all areas of your business, call us now on 020 3890 6990.

9 key skills an administrator needs and why they are so valuable to your organisation

An administrator is often seen as someone who carries out general admin tasks, inputs data, answers the phone, gets the coffee or does the filing. However, the reality is that the administrator is often the foundation of a business. They are someone who contributes towards the overall function of the business and are an integral part to any organisation. They often perform critical operational activities that ensures the smooth running of the business.

Here are our top key skills an administrator needs to have and why they are so valuable to your organisation.

Verbal and Written Communication Depending on the size of your organisation, an administrator can sometimes be the first point of contact between your company and your customers. They are also often found dealing with a variety of seniority levels within an organisation, so it is imperative that they have both excellent verbal and written communication skills. Being able to communicate with their peers and customers alike, ensures matters are handled professionally, both face to face encounters and in emails and letters.

PC Skills In a digital age, it is vital to have good PC skills and be familiar with general email and calendar systems, but also Microsoft Office software including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The ability to navigate other systems, such as an invoicing or CRM system, will ensure they can perform the duties they are required and allows them to get on with the tasks at hand.

Typing Typically, many recruitment agencies and employers will expect a minimum typing speed of 50 words per minute from an administrator. Having a good, and accurate typing speed, can be seen as a way that you will get more work done in less time, helping to increase the productivity for a business.

Organisation Organisation skills play a significant role in helping to achieve a company’s goals. Having good organisational skills will improve the efficiency in the way an administrator works. It can help to reduce stress for the administrator and their colleagues, and can instil trust and professionalism from those around them. Even simple things such as having a well organised filing system will result in things not going missing, or becoming misplaced and helps the rest of the team in being able to find what they need.

Time Management Being a versatile member of the team can result in an administrator being required to support a variety of team members or departments. To ensure an administrator is working as a crucial resource to their team, they need to accurately plan their tasks and time, making sure that their tasks are managed, deadlines are met, team members are updated, and that they are not stretching themselves too thinly.

Customer Service Good customer service skills are essential in being able to handle one-to-one interactions with clients and key stakeholders. An organisation wants to ensure they are keeping their customers happy and providing a good and quality service. Ultimately providing a good service to their customers will impact their revenue. Being able to confidently and professionally deal with any situation that arises will instil trust and professionalism, resulting in happy customers who will compliment and buy again. As an administrator often is the first port of call for a customer, this is an important trait they should possess.

Problem solving At first glance, problem solving can be seen as something straightforward, but not everyone can successfully problem solve within the workplace. It requires a certain set of skills to help identify a problem, look at ways to deal with or handle the situation, making a decision on the best course of action and then implementing the chosen solution. It’s a skill desirable in all roles of a business, but being an integral part of the business, an administrator can be a key asset to assess and find a solution quickly and effectively.

Adaptability Having an administrator in the team who is able to adapt quickly to change is a valuable asset to an organisation. Businesses have, and need, to adapt and change with the times. This makes it increasingly important to have someone who can adapt with the ever-changing demands of a workplace. Having someone with a “can-do” attitude rather than “that’s how we’ve always done it” will keep up the productivity levels and reduce the stress that can come with significant changes.

Initiative An administrator who can use their initiative will stand out from their team. Having a good initiative will help with identifying problems and honing in on problem solving skills, but can improve the efficiency of an organisation, allowing more proactive work to take place. Being able to think ahead and plan things in reduces the risk of problems arising and improves the productivity of an organisation, instead of waiting and then reacting when things happen.

Our Business Support Managers have all these attributes and more! We understand the pressures of running a business and our flexible support will help to reduce your workload and increase your organisation’s productivity levels. If you would like to find out more information on how VASS could help you and your business, call us now on 0203 890 6990.

Why you should hire a Virtual Assistant

7 reasons why you should hire a Virtual Assistant

If you’re a busy professional, using the services of a Virtual Assistant offers you a wealth of knowledge, experience and skills that you may not have access to otherwise. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a solopreneur running your business alone, a small company with a few employees, or a large organisation with thousands of staff; using the services of a Virtual Assistant can and will help to grow your business. Here are our 7 reasons why you should hire a Virtual Assistant.

Saves you time There are never enough hours in the day. Not having enough time to invest into your business can result in things being forgotten or missed. We can’t make your days any longer, but we can help you to regain control and start saving you time each and every day. By outsourcing even the mundane tasks from your business to one of our Business Support Managers, will free up the time that you would normally spend completing these tasks. Imagine if you could free up even an hour of your working day; across the month that’s potentially an extra 20 hours of your time!

Remove the HR headache Once your business starts to grow, the obvious choice may appear to be hiring an employee. However, with hiring an employee you need to think about the financial and process implications this will have on your business, and your time. You will have to go through the whole recruitment process of advertising, sifting through CVs, interviewing, preparing and sending out their contract. And once they are on board it doesn’t stop. You need to spend time training them, provide space for them to work, purchase equipment and licenses. Then there’s payroll, national insurance, tax, health and safety policies, dealing with holidays and sickness, organising pension, company benefits; the list goes on and on!

A Virtual Assistant is typically a self-employed individual or company. You will need to spend some time initially looking for a suitable VA and subsequently providing them with brief training, but they will have their own equipment, licenses, insurances, organise their own tax, NI and no need to worry about holidays and sickness.

Increased flexibility A significant benefit from using the services of a Virtual Assistant is the flexibility. Whether it’s finding a VA that works outside of “normal” office hours to meet your business needs, or simply that you are only paying for the hours that you actually need them. With employing a member of staff, you have to allow them time for breaks throughout the day, but also have the commitment of their fixed salary. When things are quiet you may end up paying them for sitting around doing very little.

Saves you money Although the rate of a Virtual Assistant may seem more expensive than hiring an employee, having the increased flexibility and only paying for the hours you need, added to the removal of the associated costs of hiring someone, ultimately you will save money.

However, it’s also worth thinking about your own time. If you are charging your clients say £60 an hour and paying your VA £30 an hour, you will make more money by freeing up your time so you can spend more time with your clients, bringing in more revenue.

Increase productivity By spreading the workload between you and your Virtual Assistant, you will increase the productivity of your business. Having more time on your hands allows you to focus on other activities within your business. You will have the headspace to actually think about other tasks and projects in your business that you may have been putting off. Here at VASS, we also look at ways we can help to improve your internal processes and productivity. We can suggest ways to help you work smarter and more efficiently to get more done.

Skills and experience A good Virtual Assistant wants to stay at the top of their game. This means that they will stay up to date with trends, new systems and will invest in the necessary training to get their knowledge where it needs to be. Hiring a Virtual Assistant who specialises in the support you require will allow you to take advantage of their skills and experience. VASS have a team of highly experienced Business Support Managers who are committed to continuing their professional development and deliver a high level of service.

Business growth Overall, by hiring a Virtual Assistant, freeing up your time, money, stress, pressure, increasing your productivity, increasing your revenue will give you the opportunity to put more into your business and allow it to grow. You will have the time to focus on business development and how you can take your business to the next level, as well as being able to focus on running your business and not being stuck in managing your business.

If you would like to find out more information on how VASS could help free up your time and help you take your business to the next level, call us now on 0203890 6990 or email on hello@wearevass.com.

Make Next Year Even Better!

As we approach the end of another year and look back at the year we have had, it’s time to look at how we can make the next year better. It is important not to leave thinking about our goals for 2019 until January. You need to look at your practices and routines and how you can make them more efficient and streamlined.

January can be a tough time for us all, as there are so many things to deal with, such as catching up on emails, tax returns, getting in touch with customers to get back on track with them and much more. It can all start to feel pretty overwhelming. For this reason, you should seriously think about hiring a virtual assistance.

Take a look at these 6 excellent reasons why you should hire virtual support now or at the very least, in 2019:

1. Low overheads

If you think that you cannot afford to add another member to your team (or even add the first member), Virtual assistants (or managers - VM’s - as we like to call them at VASS) are self-employed, so there are very cost effective. They cover all of their own costs of employment, such as tax, insurance and holidays, meaning you know exactly where you stand with an all-inclusive rate or package so require little investment.

2. They will do the jobs you hate

If you have tasks that you really hate to do, that you’re not very good at or simply don’t have time for, your virtual manager will be happy to help! VM’s carry out a wide variety of business tasks like email management, social media scheduling, blog publishing, data entry, book keeping and event coordination. Work with them on a monthly basis on an agreed set of tasks, on a one-off project or simply as and when you need help.

3. Virtual

Because they are supporting your business virtually, you don’t need to provide them with the usual things you would provide a normal employee, such as a desk in an office. So it makes no difference whether you work from home, from a coffee shop or your own premises.

4. Experience

Unlike in-house staff, you will not have to provide extensive training, as they are already experienced with the tools and software needed to complete tasks and projects. They are also experienced in working with a wide variety of clients in different industries and facing different challenges.

5. Independent

Once you’re up and running with your VM and you have given them instructions for their task or project, you can let your VM get on with it. Their aforementioned experience means they can work on their own initiative. If they have a question, they’ll ask! In the meantime, you can focus on growing your business, safe in the knowledge that your project is being taken care of.

6. Business knowledge

As business owners themselves, VMs are able to see the bigger picture. They are often highly trained individuals who will provide a very high level of support compared to a regular employee. Not only will they complete practical tasks for you, they can make a great sounding board for your ideas and plans.

So, if you are the owner of a small business, and feel that you will need some assistance to realise your goals and plans in 2019, don’t wait, hire that virtual support today.

To find out more on how we could help to grow your business by using a virtual team, call us now on 020 3890 6990.

How Being Organised at Work Helps you Focus on Success By Vass

One of the most effective skills a small business owner can have to achieve success, is to be organised. You think much more clearly when you’re organised so that you can concentrate on your targets and how to achieve them. Once you have systems in place for carrying out your work and plan regularly, you ensure that you keep your significant tasks a priority.

Achieving success comes from working proactively to drive business forward. If we’re constantly functioning in reactive way and working in a chaotic, cluttered environment then progress slows down. Here are some tips to bring order to your business life:

Organise your workspace

Don’t underestimate time lost or stress caused from an inefficient working environment. If your productivity feels low, perhaps your workspace is letting you down. To restore order:

Cull ruthlessly

Be ruthless and remove anything that doesn’t directly serve a function in your day to day activity. A few carefully selected ornaments to personalise are fine, but avoid too many.

Location, location, location

Create consistent homes for all work materials so you know where to find them. Choose locations logically based on where you tend to use the items, for example store spare copy paper near the printer. Move outside your immediate reach anything you use infrequently. Always return items once you have used them so they’ll be where you expect them next time.

Desktop order

Frustration ensues when you’re searching for a client proposal, but it’s buried among random papers. Eliminate desktop chaos by using trays, magazine files, or whatever you fancy and label as In, Out, For Action, Waiting For, Current Projects, To Read, or other relevant categories.

Effective Planning

Time spent planning saves untold hours in execution. Implementing regular planning strategies will sharpen your focus, thereby keeping you on track.

Daily planning

Start planning today for tomorrow. Each day implement a 10-15 minute routine as part of your shut-down to wrap up loose ends and prioritise key tasks. Ensure your plan is workable. A good plan for tomorrow allows you to clear your head and enjoy your evening.

Weekly power hour

Once a week ring-fence a 60- 90-minute appointment with yourself for larger scale planning and review. Use the time to progress track, research, strategise, or any of those “thinking tasks” that normally take a back seat. Select a prominent time in the day when you’re at your best. Keep this appointment with yourself and treat the time as sacred. It’s often during this “removed” time when we tap into ideas, solutions, and experience breakthroughs that may open new opportunities.

Staying organised

This requires ongoing effort. The key is to remain focused on the benefits it brings to your business success. Spend a few minutes each day restoring order to your workspace. Perform your daily planning without fail. Remember, circumstances and priorities change. Don’t despair, simply review, revise and keep moving forward.

Filing

Be brutally honest about what you need to keep. Studies suggest that 80% of what we file is never accessed again. Ask: is there a tax or legal reason for retaining it? Why would I need this in future? Is it information I could obtain online or otherwise? Put paperwork you do keep in good-quality folders and label them clearly. Avoid “miscellaneous” as a category – you’ll seldom remember what’s in there.

To find out more on how we could help to grow your business by using a virtual team, call us now on 020 3890 6990.

Think UK based Virtual Assistants are expensive? Think again.......

The story behind why UK virtual assistants are so ‘expensive’

Have you looked into using the services of a virtual assistant and seen a difference in their hourly rates and wondered why there is such a gap? You’ve probably seen the adverts of an overseas VA offering their services from as low as $2 per hour, but when you look closer to home, UK virtual assistants on average are charging £25+ per hour. Here is the story behind why UK virtual assistants are so expensive. What is the average rate for a UK virtual assistant?**

Both the Society of Virtual Assistants (SVA) and VIP VA conducted surveys in 2017 that revealed the average rate of a UK virtual assistant is between £21-25 per hour. There are VAs in the UK who are charging less, and there are those that are charging more. If you look internationally, it’s exactly the same picture; some charging more and some less. But there are things to consider when looking at rates and the set up of the VA businesses.

Business Set Up

A virtual assistant has their own business to run, with their own costs and business expenses. If they are charging low rates, they aren’t going to be able to cover their costs, let alone provide themselves with a salary to live off. It’s unlikely that they will be in business for long. If you are looking for short-term support for a low cost then this might work out for you. But if you are looking for ongoing support from someone who is serious and committed to continue growing and developing their own business, then it makes sense to pay more to the VA that is in it for the long-haul.

Data Protection

As a UK business owner, if you are processing any data that could be deemed as personal data, you are legally required to register with the Information Commissioners Office and ensure all personal data is handled in accordance with the data protection principles.

When you decide to outsource any tasks where someone will have access to that personal data, you remain responsible for ensuring the processing of the data compiles with the Data Protection Act. If you are outsourcing to an overseas organisation outside of the European Economic Area, as the data controller you are responsible for ensuring adequate security measures are in place for handling personal data.

In the survey conducted by VIP VA, they found 69% of UK virtual assistants were registered for Data Protection. By outsourcing to a company that is registered with ICO will ensure that the personal data they are receiving will be handled appropriately and in line with the Data Protection Act.

Insurance

Another thing to consider is whether the VA you are hiring has Professional Indemnity Insurance.

We are all human and unfortunately, humans do make mistakes from time to time. If your VA made a mistake on a task that could either damaged your reputation or impact you financially, how easily would you be able to rectify and receive costs for damages of their error?

Hiring a VA that holds Professional Indemnity Insurance is important to ensure if something did happen, you would be covered. Many overseas VAs don’t hold insurance, but there are also clauses within some insurance policies that will restrict what countries they can do business with and what laws they cover. Are you willing to take the risk that your overseas VA might not be insured and if they are, that it would cover your UK business? Other things to consider

Aside from supporting and building the UK economy, other things to consider when using a virtual assistant from overseas:

Language Barriers

If you are asking your overseas VA to type something up, it’s important to ensure they have a good level of English. If their English is basic or they are using a translation tool, you will be wasting your money and your time when you need to proofread and correct the returned document.

Time Difference

Do you need your VA to make contact with your customers? If so, then you want to be using someone in the same time zone as we’re pretty sure your customers won’t want to be receiving a call during the middle of the night. But if you don’t need them to contact your customers directly, what happens if you need to brief them on a project or ask them a question that would be easier to make a quick phone call? Again, we’re sure you don’t want to be making business calls in the early hours.

If budget is your main driver for choosing a virtual assistant, then this article may not have had any impact on your decision to outsource to an overseas virtual assistant. But if you someone who takes their business seriously, wants someone to help support them and grow their business, whilst ensuring that their business and their customers are in safe hands, you should definitely be looking to use a UK virtual assistant.

If you want to find out more about how a virtual assistant could help you take your business to the next level, why not arrange a free consultation. Call us now on 020 3370 4075 to arrange a free no obligation consultation.

Should you hire an employee or outsource to a Virtual Assistant?

You’ve reached a point in your business where you need additional support but now face the dilemma whether to hire an employee or outsource the work. Hiring an employee may seem like the obvious choice, but before you decide whether this is the right option for you, check out our list of key benefits to outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant.

Remove an HR headache

Hiring an employee results in a significant amount of time being spent creating a job description, advertising, reviewing CVs, interviewing, creating a contract, setting up systems, purchasing equipment, dealing with payroll, national insurance, pension, absence management, annual leave requests, training etc. Everything that comes with being an employer! But also think about what you could have achieved during the time you have spent recruiting for the position.

Virtual Assistants are self-employed and other than an initial meeting, signing a contract and delivering training/overview of your business and processes, there are no ongoing tasks to deal with.

Flexible support when you need it

Running a business isn’t a 9-5 job. Virtual Assistants work flexibly and can often provide support outside of ‘normal’ office hours. Support when you need it!

Only pay for the hours you need

When using a Virtual Assistant everything is timed to ensure you are only paying for the time they are physically sat working. If you hire an employee, they will need to have a break and comfort stops throughout the day. A Virtual Assistant will still take these breaks, but you are paying for the time they are working!

Save money

Virtual Assistants are self-employed. Other than paying for their time, there are no other associated costs involved. Hiring an employee means you must think about payroll, tax, NI, pension, benefits, equipment, licenses, training, desk space etc. Why not check out our cost comparison and see for yourself how much it really costs to hire an employee versus outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant.

Commitment to quality

Virtual Assistants are business owners and can appreciate the obligations that come with wanting to provide a high level of service. Their own reputation is on the line, so you can expect to receive a high standard in the work carried out.

Skills and Experience

As a business owner, you wear many hats. When you decide you need some support, the chances are you will recruit someone to take on the administrative burden. However, you may find that their skill set, and experience is limited in what they can help you with. There are different types of Virtual Assistants who specialise in different areas, but you are likely to find there will be a lot more you can delegate to a Virtual Assistant. Don’t forget they are also a business owner and will have experience in customer service, finance, marketing, sales, strategic planning, as well as the general day to day tasks that come with running a business.

Ongoing training

Here at VASS, our team of Virtual Assistants are committed to continuing their professional development and keeping up to date with the changing demands and trends. However, this is organised and funded by our team, with the benefits of their training being passed down to our clients.

If you would like to discuss the many benefits of outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant, email us now on hello@wearevass.com to arrange a free consultation.

How to improve your workplace wellbeing – working smarter, not harder

Stress in the workplace is a common issue amongst businesses and can have serious implications on both your mental and physical health. Not only can it affect both employees and employers, but can also have an overall effect on company efficiency.

There are many techniques you can consider when it comes to taking away office stresses and workplace pressures. Our MD, Zelica, gives you an insight into her top tips for improving workplace wellbeing.

Manage your to-do list in small sections

It’s not uncommon for us to create endless lists, whether that be on your notepad, online, or even in your head. The key mistake we make, however, is creating an unrealistic list of seemingly never-ending tasks. What we should actually be doing is breaking these tasks down into manageable chunks. This way we can focus on a small section at a time, making our goals much more obtainable.

Prioritise... what is really important?

Too often we put pressure on ourselves trying to manage everything at once. Take a step back and stay realistic. Ask yourself which three things are paramount each day and focus on these first. If you don’t manage to complete all three, then simply move them to high importance the next day. You’ll soon realise that you don’t have to rush to do everything at once.

Change your surroundings

Where possible, take some time out away from the office and consider flexible working hours. We are all productive at different times so find out what works best for you. Sometimes we even just need to change our working environment every now and then to increase our productivity.

Sometimes the biggest stress in the workplace can be not feeling in control. Learn to outsource and don’t try to do everything yourself. This is why here at VASS, we can take away those simple tasks like organising your next event or managing your accounts, leaving you more time to work on your business and stay focused.

If you’d like to find out more about our services, give us a call on 020 3370 4075.

What makes a top VA? An insight by Zelica, our Virtual Business Support Manager…

When thinking of what a ‘Virtual Assistant’ involves, it can seem like a very broad term. However, here at VASS, we employ only the most dedicated and enthusiastic VA’s with skilled specialities. It takes the mind set of a Business Manager and an expert brain to become a truly experienced Virtual Assistant, and that’s exactly what VASS look for.

So, what makes our team special?

We want to make our clients feel like they can earn back some extra time for themselves. We look after those all-important tasks that are time consuming, enabling you to concentrate on your core function. We help you to grow your business by taking care of jobs from invoicing to organising your diary, and managing events.

Why is VASS different to other agencies?

When VASS was set up, I didn’t want to be known as an ‘agency’, but more of a ‘one-stop shop’. We are a highly personable company and act as your department whilst offering you support along your journey. We are the bridge between having to ‘do it yourself’ and employing a full-time team. Our united ambition is to offer you flexibility through helping you with your growth strategy.

How we get the right team members…

I like to look for the ‘wow factor’ when adding new members to our team. It’s great to see candidates who have worked for a wide variety of people. We’re certainly impressed by those who work at the top of their game – the top events planners, the top marketers. It’s also an added bonus to see those who have had a great deal of experience in lots of areas.

How do you know if VASS is right for you?

If you don’t have the time or the interest to do aspects of your business that are important, then we can certainly help. It could be credit controlling, invoicing, or even managing the marketing and PR. If it’s something you don’t have an interest, skill or time for, then you need VASS! If you could find 2, 3 or even more hours in the day that could be spent better doing something else, then it makes sense to outsource it to our expert team at VASS!

Join our team!

If you’re an experienced Virtual Assistant, and are interested in joining our team, then please get in touch.

Blog by Devenia Besant, The Visability Queen

Because of the school holidays, I've been working from home so that I can spend time with my children as well as work on client tasks. But I'd soon stopped dressing up and started working in an old t-shirt and shorts as I did when I first started my business. I read Devenia's blog a few weeks and reinforced something which I had been thinking myself. Why do I dress up for others but not myself?!? Please read her blog as it is just brilliant and may make you think twice about putting on those old clothes just because you are working from home.

My boots mean business to me!

A few weeks back I’d been ill for a few days and had quite enough, I wanted to get back to work, so I decided enough was enough and got dressed. “I thought you were ill, where are you going?” my husband said to me. I think he thought I had gone completely mad (probably not far from the truth!!!) as I had come downstairs and put my boots with killer heels on and off I went back upstairs to my office, my reply to him was “I’m off to do business”.

1-2 days of being out of action was driving me mad, yes I still felt poorly but it was time to get back to work, doing what I love, who else was going to do it for me. Yes, it’s important to rest when you are not well but sometimes you just need to show up no matter how you feel.

Now as I work from my home office I could have easily gone into my office dressed in my PJ’s but just how productive would I be?

When you are working on your business I think it’s really important to get in the right mindset and part of that for me is looking the part.

Being visible working in your business isn’t just about knowing your stuff it’s equally important about how you feel, putting on my makeup and my fabulous boots made me feel 100 times better than I did.

In my opinion, you can only put maximum effort in when you feel good about yourself –confidence is key and you can’t do that when you look like you’ve just fallen out of bed. If you worked in an office you certainly wouldn’t rock up like you’ve been dragged through a bush backwards so treat your own business with that same respect.

There’s a great quote:

No matter how you feel…

Get up.

Dress up.

Show up.

and Never give up!

CoCo Chanel said “If you’re are sad add more lipstick and attack” and I say “On those rough days put on the most fabulous boot’s that you can find in your wardrobe and get to work”.

Remember how you make yourself feel MATTERS and will help you remain VISIBLE!

Dee has 20 years experience-starting out in the corporate world of business support and for the past 7 years she has successfully run her own business, whilst juggling family life as a wife and mummy to 3. She's here to support you every step of the way to grow your business, motivating and inspiring you to be Seen, be Heard and be Remembered just by being you!

Website: http://deveniabesant.com/about-me

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