Here at VAssistMe, we can help you find the ideal virtual assistant in Australia. In this article, we’ll be shedding some light on micromanaging, and why it isn’t the best idea when dealing with your VA

What is Micromanaging?

Have you ever worked a job where it felt like your manager was breathing down your neck and asking to see your progress every five seconds? Micromanagement is a style of managing that involves control, surveillance, and criticism.

How Micromanaging Can Be Harmful

As a business owner, you may find it difficult to let go and allow your new virtual assistant to simply do their thing, but here are some of the ways in which micromanaging can be harmful:

Low Morale

Let’s face it…micromanaging can be exceptionally annoying. Your virtual assistant may build up a strong dislike for you and feel a sense of dread each time they see another email from you. This could eventually lead to them quitting their job.

Less Progress

How do you ever expect your virtual assistant to learn if you’re constantly telling them exactly what to do? The unnecessary Zoom meetings and email threads can actually end up wasting time and therefore a lack of progress.

You Suffer Burnout

One of the reasons for hiring a virtual assistant should be for you to enjoy some more free time. So if you’re constantly checking up on your new VA, you could end up exhausted. Take some time out for yourself to relax and spend with family and friends to achieve a healthy work/life balance.

Setting Your Virtual Assistant Up for Success

Most people who micromanage do so because they want their virtual assistant to be successful. But there are far more effective ways to do this, including:

• Provide them with the online tools they need to do their job properly
• Provide them with proper training 
• Foster an environment where your VA feels comfortable asking questions
• Create open lines of communication
• Give clear instructions

Remember that a little trust goes a long way.

Do you want to hire a virtual assistant in Australia? Here at VAssistMe, we outsource virtual assistants for a wide variety of different companies, and we’d love to help you find the perfect fit. If you want to learn more about our processes, simply browse our website or contact us today. We’d love to hear from you!

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Encourage Them to Attend Webinars

Webinars are a fantastic way to help your virtual assistant in Australia learn more about relevant topics within the industry.

Remember that you cannot force your VA to attend webinars in their free time. It should be quite clear from the beginning whether or not they are interested in improving their skill set.

Enrol Them in Relevant Online Courses

With their permission, you can enrol your virtual assistant in online courses to help them increase their skills. There are plenty of affordable online courses that will equip your VA with additional capabilities.

Find Out More About Their Interests

Does your VA have any specific interests in things like copywriting, graphic design, or video editing? These skills could open doors for them and add value to your business. If your VA has shown an interest in any specialised skills, consider helping them gain more knowledge in these areas.

Give Them Helpful Resources

If you come across any blogs or e-books that may be relevant for your virtual assistant, simply pass them along in a friendly email. You never know which information could prove helpful or spark an upskilling journey.

Provide Them with the Right Tools

Is your virtual assistant being held back by outdated tools? Ensure your VA is making use of the latest online tools to help them complete tasks efficiently. Some of the tools that may prove to be useful include Grammarly, Buffer, and Slack among others.

How Does This Benefit Your Business?

At the end of the day, the more skills your virtual assistant has, the better. Not only will you be able to give them a wider variety of tasks, but the work they produce is likely to be at a higher level than it was before.

Are you looking to hire a virtual assistant in Australia? Here at VAssistme, we have helped dozens of local businesses outsource virtual assistants and our extensive database lets us find the perfect fit. Browse our site if you’d like to learn more about what we have to offer. Feel free to contact us today should you have any questions.

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As a business owner, you may find it difficult to achieve a healthy balance between your work life and your personal life. While this is a relatively common problem, it is best you find a solution before it’s too late and you’re dealing with debilitating burnout symptoms.

So how do you take back your time? An effective option would be to outsource a virtual assistant! In this article, we’ll look at some of the many ways in which a VA can help take your business to the next level while you enjoy more free time.

What Are the Types of Tasks a VA can Handle?

Virtual assistants are typically capable of handling a wide variety of admin-related tasks, including:

• Data capturing
• Social media management
• Proofreading
• Client communication
• Making bookings

Some virtual assistants also specialise in things like copywriting, graphic design, video editing, and accounting.

How Can I Trust a Virtual Assistant to Handle These Tasks?

It can be nerve-wracking to entrust anyone to handle important tasks relating to your business. However, if you hire your VA through a trusted agency, like VAssistMe, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. You should also take the necessary precautions that come with sharing passwords and any other sensitive data.

Benefits of Having More Time on Your Hands

Lower Your Stress Levels

Stress is often described as the silent killer as it can give rise to all types of different health complications. Having a healthy balance between work and rest will help you lower your stress levels and reduce your chances of developing certain illnesses.

Spend More Time with Family

One of the biggest regrets older people have is not spending enough time with their families. Don’t let this regret creep up on you. Always make time for your family and do your best to attend special family events.

Enjoy Your Hobbies

When was the last time you played a round of golf or went for a swim in the ocean? Whatever your hobbies may be, it’s important that you set aside time for your personal interests if you want to live a fulfilled and happy life.

VAssistMe has helped dozens of businesses outsource virtual assistants in Australia. If you are looking for ways to enjoy more free time while still growing your business, we would love to help you find the perfect VA! Learn more by browsing our website, and feel free to contact us if you want to get the ball rolling.

The post Spend More Time Doing the Things You Love When You Hire a Virtual Assistant appeared first on VAssistme Australia.

So how can virtual assistants in Australia help? In this article, we’ll look at some of the social media tasks that virtual assistants can take off your plate.

Engage with Your Audience

Audience engagement is vital if you want to grow your following and connect with new potential clients. When you outsource a virtual assistant, they can take care of replying to messages and comments.

Organise Your Posting Schedule

Did you know that most social media experts recommend that you post at least three times a week if you want to remain relevant? While that can seem like a lot, it is much easier when you have the help of a social media virtual assistant to organise your posting schedule.

Analyse Data

Another task that VAs can help with is analysing your social media data using online tools to see which type of posts perform best for you. By identifying where you can improve and what type of content to focus on, you can really take your social media strategies to the next level.

Provide Assistance to Collaborators

Collaborations and giveaways are both great ways to generate more followers and interest in your brand. Virtual assistants can handle all the admin-related tasks associated with working with collaborators.

Integrating Different Social Media Platforms

With so many social media platforms out there, it can be difficult to know which ones are worth focusing on. A virtual assistant can help your business create social media profiles on different platforms and help integrate these platforms using specialised apps.

Social Media Monitoring

Allow your virtual assistant to take care of monitoring your social media and ensure that everything is taken care of in terms of posting, replying to messages, and interacting with relevant content.

Do you want to learn more about what we have to offer at VAssistMe? We’d love to help you find the ideal virtual assistant in Australia to help you take care of your social media and other admin-related tasks. Feel free to contact us today to begin the process.

The post What Do Social Media Virtual Assistants Do? appeared first on VAssistme Australia.

Here at VAssistMe, we are proud to be an experienced virtual assistant agency in Australia. We are very much aware of the common challenges faced by VAs and we will share some of these challenges (as well as their solutions) in this article.

Connectivity Issues

One of the most important things that virtual assistants in Australia need is a strong internet connection. Without it, they can’t get any of their tasks done. This is why it’s important to have a backup internet solution. 

Communication

Because VAs work remotely, communication can sometimes become a challenge. As they aren’t in the office with the rest of the team, certain bits of information may get lost. To avoid this becoming a problem, prioritise communication.

Finding the Right Clients

While it’s always nice for a virtual assistant to find a client they find interesting, sometimes they need to take what they can get. Just like with any other job, personal conflicts and a lack of specific industry experience are always a risk. Finding the perfect clients may take a while, but when it happens, it will be totally worth it!

Keeping Track of Time Spent Working

In most cases, virtual assistants in Australia are paid by the hour. As their services are fully scalable, the number of hours worked can change from week to week, so it’s very important that VAs remain organised and keep track of the time they spend working. Fortunately, there are many time-tracking apps and online tools that can help with this challenge.

Quiet Workspace

Virtual assistants are responsible for their own workspaces, so they need to ensure they have somewhere quiet and free from distractions. Sometimes working from home is not a good option, and they need to rent an office or a hot desk at a co-working facility.

Do you want to become a virtual assistant in Australia? Or perhaps you are looking to outsource a virtual assistant for your business. Either way, we invite you to learn more about our extensive database of virtual assistants here at VAssistMe. Browse our website or contact us should you have any questions.

The post The Biggest Challenges Faced by Virtual Assistants appeared first on VAssistme Australia.

1. Green Flags

Experience in the Industry

Experience in the industry means that a virtual assistant knows what to expect when going into a VA position. While each company they have worked for may be a little different, they will know what they need to work efficiently and get the job done.

A Positive Attitude

Many of the responsibilities given to virtual assistants, such as emails, customer support, and social media, involve dealing with clients and potential clients. This means that a positive attitude is paramount. After all, you want your customers to feel welcomed and appreciated.

Specialised Skills

While specialised skills are not always necessary, they are nice to have. Some of the most common specialised skills offered by virtual assistants include:

• Video editing
• Accounting
• Copywriting
• Marketing
• Web design

2. Red Flags

It’s Their First Ever Job

While everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves, it can be risky to hire someone who has never had a job before. Even if your new VA doesn’t have much virtual assistance experience, it would be good if they have at least one or two references on their CV to help determine their work ethic.

They Have Multiple Side Hustles

While most VAs have more than one client, it can be a red flag if they seem to be involved with several different side hustles, as they probably won’t have enough time to give your projects the time and attention that they deserve.

Travel is Their Priority

Many travel enthusiasts want to become virtual assistants so they can travel while working. The problem with this is that they may not always have a stable internet connection and a quiet working space. It’s better to work with a VA that has their own dedicated office space.

Do you want to learn more about what virtual assistants in Australia can offer your business? Here at VAssistMe, we offer an extensive database of talented and experienced VAs. We’ve helped hundreds of companies outsource virtual assistants, so feel free to contact us today to get the ball rolling!

The post Virtual Assistant Green Flags & Red Flags: What to Look for When Hiring appeared first on VAssistme Australia.

By hiring a virtual assistant in Australia, you’ll no longer have to take care of those tedious, time-consuming tasks. You’ll get to focus on the most important aspects of your business while your VA handles the rest.

Let’s have a look at some of the ways in which a VA can help grow your business.

Grow Your Business: Fast or Slow

One of the biggest advantages offered by virtual assistants in Australia is their scalability. Whether you just need a couple of hours per week or full-time assistance, you can find a VA who can grow with your business. As your business grows, you can increase their hours and give them more responsibilities.

Have a VA Take Care of Your Personal Errands While You Focus on Your Business

Do you find that it’s your personal life that is taking up too much of your time and not your business? Well, when you outsource a virtual assistant in Australia, you can get them to handle travel arrangements, take care of your online shopping, manage your personal appointments, and so much more. When your personal life is streamlined, you’ll be able to give more time and attention to your business.

Enjoy Specialist Expertise

While specialised virtual assistants in Australia usually cost more than standard ones, their specialised skills can really help take your business to the next level and offer immense value. Some of the skills they may possess include video editing, accounting, digital marketing, copywriting, and more.

Use a Virtual Assistant for Busier Periods

Not sure how to handle the busier periods? Whether it’s the festive season or tax season, by employing a VA for a couple of months, you can help ensure that everything runs smoothly and as it should. The great thing about VAs is that you can employ them for just the amount of time that you need them for.

Have you been thinking of ways to grow your business? One of the best solutions is to outsource a virtual assistant in Australia. Here at VAssistMe, we can help you find the perfect virtual assistant for your business. Learn more about what we have to offer or contact us should you have any questions.

The post The Business Growth Hack You Didn’t Know You Needed appeared first on VAssistme Australia.

At the end of the day, the common denominator is that a virtual assistant can save you time by handling admin-related tasks and clearing your to-do list. But now, let’s have a look at some of the most common services provided by VAs!

Content Planning

These days, social media and digital marketing play a vital role in the overall success of your business. A virtual assistant can help you with planning your content and deciding when social media and blog posts should be published by creating a detailed content calendar.

Proofreading

A tiny typo or grammatical error can make your business look unprofessional and lazy. VAs can help with proofreading by taking the time to double-check your content before it gets published.

Publishing

Publishing content can be tedious and time-consuming, especially when you have more important tasks on your to-do list. This is why many business owners hand over all the content publishing tasks to their virtual assistants.

Travel Arrangements

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, a virtual assistant can help with handling travel arrangements. From doing research into hotels to booking your flights, they can completely streamline your trip and ensure there aren’t any hiccups along the way.

Data Entry

Virtual assistants are known for their attention to detail and admin-related skills. This is why data entry work is such a common task given to virtual assistants. It can also easily be done remotely and doesn’t require much management or guidance.

Understanding Specialised Virtual Assistants

What are specialised virtual assistants, you ask? They are VAs that have a more diverse and in-depth skillset. They often offer services like copywriting, video editing, accounting, and more. While their services may cost more than ‘standard’ VAs, they can add more value to your business operations.

Have you been thinking about hiring a virtual assistant in Australia? Here at VAssitMe, we help businesses from across various industries outsource virtual assistants. Whatever your preferences may be, we can help you find a virtual assistant who aligns with your needs. Learn more about what we have to offer by browsing our website or contacting us if you have any further questions.

The post The Most Common Tasks Handled by Virtual Assistants appeared first on VAssistme Australia.

In this article, we will provide some reasons behind the rise of VA popularity in Australia and beyond.

Remote Work Has Become More Accessible

Over the past decade, remote work has become far more accessible. This is mostly due to advances in technology and increased internet speeds. More and more people can effectively perform their jobs from home.

There is also a better understanding of what virtual assistants can do and the many benefits they have to offer businesses.

The More Affordable Option

Hiring a full-time employee comes with all sorts of risks, not to mention a significant financial expense. When you opt for a virtual assistant in Australia, you can easily find a suitable candidate within your budget and only pay them for the hours you need them for…their work is also fully scalable!

Gives Business Owners More Time Freedom

Business owners often fall into the trap of devoting too much of their time to their business. But it’s important to maintain a good work/life balance if you want to enjoy a good quality of life.

Virtual assistants provide the perfect opportunity to clear your to-do list of all those menial, time-consuming tasks so that you can focus on the more important things. Some of the tasks that VAs can assist with include social media, proofreading, email management, data entry, and so much more.

No Need to Supply a Physical Office Space

When you have in-house employees, you need to provide them with a desk, equipment, and everything else they need to do their job properly. These facilities can end up costing a significant amount and may affect your overall profits. 

One of the best things about virtual assistants is that they are responsible for their own equipment and working environment. 

Do you want to hire a virtual assistant in Australia? At VAssistMe, we specialise in helping local businesses outsource virtual assistants in Australia. We can help pair you with a VA that meets all your needs and gives you back the time and freedom that you deserve. Browse our site to learn more and don’t hesitate to contact us today if you have any questions.

The post The Rise of the Virtual Assistant: What Makes Them So Popular? appeared first on VAssistme Australia.

Reliable Technology and Internet Connection

Virtual assistants are responsible for their own laptop/PC and internet connection. If they want to be successful, they will need to invest in quality equipment and have backup solutions so that they never go ’M.I.A.’. VAs that are constantly encountering issues with their equipment will not reach the success they’re hoping for. This is why it is well worth it for virtual assistants to invest in quality technology that is properly insured.

Friendly Demeanour

In most cases, virtual assistants will carry out some form of communication tasks. These tasks could include sending out emails, replying to comments on social media, and so much more. For this reason, virtual assistants need to maintain a friendly yet professional demeanour so that they are an excellent representation of your brand.

Detail-Orientated

Some of the work carried out by virtual assistants includes things like data entry, replying to emails, and posting on social media. While these tasks may seem relatively simple, virtual assistants need to pay attention to the small details. Things like spelling errors and other ‘small’ mistakes can make the business look unprofessional.

Tech Savvy

Because virtual assistants work from a remote location, they rely on technology to communicate with their employers and to execute the tasks they’re given. Technology is forever changing, so VAs need to stay on top of the latest trends and be confident using a wide range of different applications to help them get their work done efficiently.

A Diverse Range of Skills

While most companies hire virtual assistants to take care of data entry work, many businesses are looking for more specialised skills, such as graphic design, social media marketing, and more. The more skills a virtual assistant has to offer, the more likely they are to be successful.

Are you ready to hire an excellent virtual assistant in Australia or outsource work to virtual assistants? We can help you find the perfect VA for your particular needs. Want to learn more? Browse our site or contact us today to get the ball rolling.

The post The Attributes Associated with Excellent Virtual Assistants appeared first on VAssistme Australia.