Congratulations – you’ve finally admitted that you need some help with your admin/social media/email marketing/website maintenance!
You’ve found a fabulous virtual assistant (bonus points if it’s ME!).
You’ve reviewed and signed the contract, paid your retainer and received a receipt for your payment.
NOW WHAT?
Well, I can’t speak for other VAs, but if you had your consultation call with me, I already have an idea of what you need help with, as this is one of the first things I ask on a call. In fact, I even go so far as to include those tasks IN the contract itself.
So now, it’s just a matter of getting organized, prioritizing and ticking things off your to-do list (even MORE bonus points if your to-do list is on Trello or a similar application).
Make a list, check it twice
I agree, it’s far too early for Christmas references, but I digress.
Having that list is not only going to help you keep track of what needs to be done but prioritizing the tasks on that list is going to help someone like me figure out what’s most important to YOU.
If you didn’t already know, I offer a free VA Delegation Worksheet, which you can download here. Spending a few days or a week with this beside you as you go about your day is going to help you figure out what you need or want help with most.
Share your passwords
I know, I know – this goes against everything you’ve been told: Never share your password with ANYONE.
Unfortunately, there is just no other way that someone like me can perform the tasks you need doing without log-in credentials.
There are many secure ways to transfer this sensitive information, especially when it comes to apps.
I personally use LastPass with my clients and love how easy it is to share this information. You will need to create a free account in order to benefit from using it, but once you’re set up and know what email address to share the info with, you’re all set!
Another secure way to share private information is 1ty.me – this is a great method for quickly sending information securely to another person – these are one-time, self-destructing notes that are sent via a short link to the intended recipient.
Lastly, your virtual assistant should take a few minutes and make sure he or she can log into your accounts. It’s preferable for the client to be online and available during this period, in case verification codes need to be sent quickly (as most have a very short time limit).
Set up a project management system
The best way to know what’s going on at any given moment in time is to set up and maintain a project management tool that both you and your VA can access.
This is PERFECT for teams in different time zones, too!
I use and love Trello – I use it for home management, as well – I love it THAT much!
In my experience, the ideal set-up for this tool is to have lists for:
- Basic important information (contact details, release dates for newsletters or blog posts)
- To-do
- In Progress
- Waiting on Approval
- Done
It’s always wise to clean out the Done list somewhat regularly.
Communicate
This can be done any number of ways, and is totally up to the client, in my opinion.
I have clients who insist on using Zoom every week or every other week for face-to-face updates – this offers both parties an excellent opportunity to clarify and ask questions, and let’s not forget screen-sharing!
Some of my clients prefer email communication, in which case, screenshots of things come in super handy.
I also use WhatsApp with my clients, for all those short, quick bits of conversation.
And yet others prefer to use a mixture of all of the above!
I believe in making things as easy as possible for my clients, from booking a consultation call with me to taming the chaos.
How can I help you? Book a call with me right here, and let’s push your business forward.
