Virtual Administrative Assistant: What Do They Do?

Posted on June 7, 2023April 15, 2024 by Roberto Anequim

What Does a Virtual Administrative Assistant Do?

A virtual administrative assistant, often called a Remote Professional, can really change things for a business. But it’s important to make sure this job is set up right. If it’s not, it could add more stress to a busy workplace.

After setting up many roles for administrative and executive assistants, there are a few helpful tips to share. These can stop you from wasting time, money, or energy on a role that doesn’t work.

Many people are looking for someone to help them get organized, manage their day, and handle tasks that aren’t worth their time.

These are all good reasons to hire an administrative assistant.

What-do-Virtual-Administrative-Assistants-Do

How do You Design a Virtual Administrative Assistant Position?

Many times when we are consulting with an overwhelmed executive about the administrative professional role, what we find is that the executive is doing operational tasks they should not be doing, such as accounting tasks or customer service tasks, and designing a position that takes care of those things in an operational way really is what will relieve the stress the most.

When that is not the case, we still try to find some operational tasks that the executive assistant can do that need to be accomplished directly by the executive.

Some tasks that should not be done in the operation but have an operational component include:

Quality Control

Creating a system where when problems happen, someone researches the issue, finds out the cause of the problem, and determines if it was the processes and procedures.

If a problem needs to be fixed, the root cause needs to be identified first. Procedures that are unclear should be redrafted so they can be followed correctly.

If it is a training issue, the person executing the procedure should review the relevant documentation and make sure it is done properly in the future. If there is a flaw in the process or workflow, this should be added to the leadership team’s agenda for further discussion on how to resolve it.

Quality control is an ideal task for executive assistants when they are not performing their normal duties.

Sales Team Auditing

Sales teams are notorious for not following protocols or taking notes.

This can oftentimes lead to operational issues because the operational side of the business gets blindsided when the sales funnel operates in the dark.

This creates tension between sales and operations. It has the potential to create crisis situations on the operations side if they cannot fulfill the business coming in.

Having your executive assistant audit the sales pipeline and enforce rules for follow-up and utilize reporting tools as outlined in your processes and procedures can be a huge help to both the operations and sales teams.

Process and Procedure Auditing

Clean processes and procedures end up always being a moving target if you are growing really fast. Sometimes the processes and procedures don’t scale with the business and have to be reworked.

Any new introduction of software means a change in the documentation and the workflow of the operation, and it seems like to be successful, they have to be constantly audited, organized, and managed.

This is often a part-time job and has to come from leadership which makes it the perfect operational task for an executive assistant while there is a lull in personal tasks or while their workload in other areas wanes.

Financial Auditing

Leaders should be asking questions such as:

Are salespeople taking unnecessary days on the road and charging the company?
Is the SEO vendor doing what they’re supposed to?
Is the Google Ad money leading to good leads?
Are sales commissions reasonable?
Are all the HR personnel necessary?

However, due to a lack of time, leaders may not have the opportunity to look into these queries themselves. This is where an executive assistant can help. They can act as the leader’s eyes and ears in the company. They can ask the important questions and get answers that could lead to greater profits than last year.

Research

As executives, it can be difficult to do the research necessary to make informed decisions.

Questions such as:

What is the competition doing?
Are there any new technologies we should consider?
What are CTOs at XYZ company like?
Is this coaching program any good?
What about XYZ vendor?
Can we reach out for additional references?
And what is being said on the Facebook user group about their experience?

All require time and effort, which some leaders may not have. An executive assistant can help with all of these questions, providing thorough research and making sure that the team makes sound decisions.

Project Management and Follow Up

Big projects make or break progress at all organizations.

Your executive assistant can follow up with the people charged with these projects, get status updates, see if there are roadblocks, set up meetings where things are not moving fast to figure out why and do something different.

They can be the one to make sure to-dos, quarterly projects and other high priority projects actually get completed on time and on budget.

High-level Reporting

If you have investors, silent partners, etc. you probably have to provide reports on a regular basis. You may want to have a company-wide meeting on the state of the industry or your company on a regular basis.

Your executive assistant can do the heavy lifting, and you can verify the information and present it.

Do it with them the first time, create a procedure for what they need to look for and how to get the data that is relevant to the audience, and then have them create the reports from there on out.

Manage speaking engagements, podcasts, award applications, and other PR functions.

Do you want to get more earned media for your business or yourself?

Have your executive assistant apply for awards. Have them reach out to podcasts and propose you as a guest. Additionally, you can have them propose speaking engagements that could help you get clients.

What Can a Virtual Administrative Assistant Do for Your Personal Life?

An executive assistant can save you a lot of time and hassle with your personal life, freeing you up to focus on other important tasks. Here are some examples of what they can help with:

Sending birthday and holiday presents
Keeping your family’s sports and school calendars up to date
Booking vacations and travel
Paying school fees and buying supplies online
Booking appointments for the whole family (orthodontist, cosmetic, doctor/dentist)
Arranging home maintenance
Booking teacher conferences
Organizing after-school activities and filling out all necessary forms
Booking summer camps

As a working mom, I know that I wouldn’t be able to do both my job and daily family activities without my executive assistant, who helps make sure all deadlines are met, that all necessary activities are signed up for, and that my kids make it to their events on time.

With such a valuable team member helping out with the form front, I can have peace of mind knowing that my family will stay on track.

Getting the Most Out of Your Virtual Executive Assistant

Managing a virtual executive assistant can be a great way to streamline your workflow and free up time for more important tasks. Here are some tips on making the most of your assistant:

Think through the role clearly before hiring an assistant, and consider if it’s necessary to create separate roles for specific operational tasks.
When designing the position, include operational and repeatable tasks that make a real impact on your business goals.
Have clear expectations about what you want from the assistant so they know exactly how to help you achieve those goals.
Make sure communication is consistent and that both parties are on the same page about their roles and responsibilities.
Successfully fulfilling the needs of a busy executive requires careful planning and design.
And finally, trust your assistant to do the work!

With good communication, clear expectations, and trust in their abilities, you’ll get the best out of your virtual executive assistant.

Final Thoughts

A virtual assistant can be a valuable asset for businesses that need help with administrative tasks, phone calls, and social media management from a remote location.

However, designing the position correctly is crucial for success. It’s important to identify tasks that are time-consuming and take up valuable office space and hire a virtual assistant to take care of them.

An executive assistant can help with tasks such as quality control, sales team auditing, process and procedure auditing, financial auditing, research, project management and follow-up, and high-level reporting.

With these pointers in mind, you can hire a virtual assistant who will be a great addition to your team, make your life easier, and reduce stress.

Don’t waste time or money on a position that won’t work for you – design the role for success and enjoy the benefits of having a virtual assistant company on board.

Download your FREE reusable form for creating an impactful strategic planning meeting HERE!

To get even more amazing tips, tricks, and techniques for scaling up your business, check out The Bootstrappers Podcast! Get the free advice you need to turn your vision into reality.

Apartmentalize 2023: Schedule, Speakers, and Events

Posted on June 5, 2023April 15, 2024 by Roberto Anequim

Apartmentalize 2023: Schedule, Speakers, and Events

Apartmentalize 2023 is here, and the annual education conference for the apartment housing industry is happening June 7-9, 2023, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. For attendees, we have put together all the information about Apartmentalize 2023. This includes the Apartmentalize Schedule, Speakers, and Events.

You are invited to Anequim’s booth at the conference. Learn how their virtual assistants are transforming the multi-family housing industry. They are reducing payroll costs by 60%. Just look for the Anequim exhibit or contact them directly on their website.

Let’s dive into the details of this year’s Apartmentalize conference!

“Anequim is excited to attend this year’s Apartmentalize conference. We understand the difficulties faced by the multi-family housing industry. We are eager to provide real solutions for more businesses through our incredible virtual assistants.”
-Gwenn Aspen, CEO & Co-Founder of Anequim

Apartmentalize 2023 Schedule

Apartmentalize is the rental housing industry’s ultimate gathering. It brings together apartment housing professionals from across the country and worldwide. The event features world-class speakers, expert-led education sessions, suppliers demonstrating the latest products and services, and networking.

Here is the 2023 Apartmentalize Schedule:

Wednesday, June 7:

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration and Breakfast
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Keynote Address: The Future of Apartment Housing
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Break
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Panel Discussion: The Latest Trends in Apartment Housing
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Educational Session: How to Manage Your Property More Effectively
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Break
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Educational Session: How to Market Your Property to Attract New Tenants
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Educational Session: How to Comply with Government Regulations
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Networking Reception

Thursday, June 8:

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration and Breakfast
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Keynote Address: The Future of Technology in Apartment Housing
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Panel Discussion: The Latest Trends in Technology in Apartment Housing
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Break
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Educational Session: How to Use Technology to Improve Your Property Management
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Educational Session: How to Use Technology to Market Your Property
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Break
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Educational Session: How to Use Technology to Comply with Government Regulations
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Networking Reception

Friday, June 9:

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration and Breakfast
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Keynote Address: The Future of Sustainability in Apartment Housing
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Panel Discussion: The Latest Trends in Sustainability in Apartment Housing
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Break
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Educational Session: How to Make Your Property More Sustainable
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Educational Session: How to Market Your Property as Sustainable
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Break
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Educational Session: How to Comply with Government Regulations on Sustainability
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Closing Remarks

Please note that the schedule is subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the conference website.

Apartmentalize 2023 Speakers

This year’s list of Apartmentalize speakers is incredible! A long list of fantastic session speakers will be present at the conference. These speakers include some of the biggest names in the industry and beyond.

Keynote – Jason Sudeikis

Jason Sudeikis is an Emmy-winning actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is renowned for his work.This includes his roles in the films “Horrible Bosses” (2011), “We’re the Millers” (2013), and “Booksmart” (2019).

He is also well-known for his appearances on the television series “Saturday Night Live” (2005-2013) and “Ted Lasso” (2020-present). Sudeikis is a gifted storyteller with a knack for finding humor in everyday life.

He is also a passionate advocate for social justice and equality. At Apartmentalize, Sudeikis will speak about the entertainment industry. He will emphasize the value of diversity and inclusion. Additionally, he will discuss the power of storytelling.

Keynote – Lindsey Vonn

Lindsey Vonn is a retired Olympic gold and bronze medalist, New York Times best-selling author, and entrepreneur. She is one of the most decorated skiers in history, with 82 World Cup wins and four overall World Cup titles.

Vonn is also a vocal advocate for women’s empowerment and equality. At Apartmentalize, Vonn will give a talk. She will talk about her career journey, the value of persistence, and the strength of women.

Keynote – Derreck Kayongo

Derreck Kayongo is an entrepreneur and the founder of the Global Soap Project. He has also been recognized as a CNN Hero.

Additionally, he was the former CEO of the Center for Civil and Human Rights. He is passionate about global health and human rights. He has dedicated his life to making a positive impact on the world.

Kayongo is a powerful speaker and an inspiration to people worldwide. In his general session at Apartmentalize, Kayongo will share his story and his vision for a more just and equitable world.

Other Incredible Speakers:

David Howard is the CEO of Zillow. He has over 20 years of experience in the technology industry and has led Zillow through rapid growth. Howard strongly advocates using technology to improve consumers’ lives and is passionate about making housing more affordable and accessible.

Lisa Margonelli is the author of “The Accidental City: Improvising the Future of Austin, Texas.” She is a journalist and urban planner who has written extensively about the challenges and opportunities of urban growth. Margonelli is a thoughtful and insightful observer of the urban landscape, and she is a gifted storyteller.

Ashley Ford is the CEO of RentCafe. She has over 15 years of experience in the rental housing industry and is a leading expert on the rental market. Ford is a passionate advocate for renters and is committed to making the rental process more transparent and efficient.

Shannon Watts founded Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She is a prominent supporter of gun control. She has been vital in passing gun safety regulations in multiple states. Watts is a courageous and determined advocate for change and a powerful voice for the victims of gun violence.

A.J. Jackson is the CEO of Jackson Lewis. He is a leading employment attorney with over 30 years of experience in the field. Jackson is a trusted advisor to businesses and employees and a respected voice on employment law issues.

See a complete list of all speakers, including session speakers, here.

Apartmentalize 2023 Events Schedule

This year’s experiences at Apartmentalize are ones you do not want to miss! The Apartmentalize Expo is the largest trade show in the rental housing industry. It features over 500 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services for apartment owners and managers.

The Apartmentalize Conference features over 100 educational sessions led by industry experts. Topics include property management, marketing, technology, and sustainability. The Apartmentalize Networking Receptions are a great opportunity to meet new people and connect with other rental housing professionals.

Apartmentalize After Dark: This networking event occurs on the evening of the conference’s second day. Apartmentalize Happy Hour: It is an opportunity to meet other attendees and build relationships. It is a great opportunity to unwind and connect with other attendees.

Apartmentalize Events:

General Sessions: The General Sessions feature keynote speakers and panel discussions on the latest trends in the rental housing industry.
Breakout Sessions: Industry experts lead our Breakout Sessions. They cover many topics, such as property management, marketing, technology, and sustainability.
Apartmentalize After Dark is an evening networking event. It occurs on the first day of the conference. It is a great opportunity to relax and socialize with other attendees.

See the full list of one-of-a-kind experiences at this year’s Apartmentalize conference here.

Apartmentalize 2023 Conference Exhibitors

In 2022, exhibitors gave the expo a Net Promoter Score of 63. This means that past exhibitors highly recommend that colleagues or other suppliers of the rental housing industry exhibit at the show. See a full list and details about exhibiting at Apartmentalize here.

Apartmentalize is rich with decision-makers and experienced industry leaders. More than half of attendees perform at a manager level or higher and have more than 10 years of experience.

“Managing multi-family housing from apartments to condominiums is highly demanding, but it doesn’t have to be as stressful. We offer 24/7 Call Center and Back Office Support so you can focus on growing your business.
– Gwenn Aspen, CEO & Co-Founder of Anequim

Here are some of the benefits of attending Apartmentalize:

Learn from the best in the industry. Apartmentalize features world-class speakers and expert-led education sessions.
Network with other professionals in the rental housing industry. Apartmentalize is a great opportunity to meet new people and make connections.
See the latest products and services from suppliers. Apartmentalize features a trade show where you can see suppliers’ latest products and services.

Anequim Attends Apartmentalize 2023 Conference

Anequim is excited to attend the Apartmentalize conference this year. It will help multi-family property owners reduce their overhead and payroll expenses by 60%. They will do this with the help of highly skilled virtual assistants. Anequim evolved straight out of the property management industry, dramatically increasing profits in an industry with notoriously slim margins.

“Just as the housing market has completely changed, so has how we view remote workers. Remote professionals are the future of work, especially in the multi-family housing industry”
– Gwenn Aspen, CEO & Co-Founder of Anequim

The 2023 Apartmentalize conference will feature over 100 educational sessions, networking opportunities, and a trade show.

Open To Everyone In The Apartment Housing Industry

The conference is open to all members of the apartment housing industry, including owners, operators, managers, and suppliers. Apartmentalize 2023 will feature various speakers, including industry experts, thought leaders, and innovators. The speakers will share their insights on a variety of topics, including:

The latest trends in the apartment housing industry
How to improve your apartment operations
How to attract and retain tenants
How to increase your apartment revenue

The conference offers a great chance to find out about the most recent trends in the apartment housing industry. It is also a great opportunity to network with other industry professionals. Lastly, it can help you find solutions to your business challenges.

Stop by Anequim’s booth if you’re attending! Discover how Anequim’s virtual assistants can help multi-family property owners and management companies save up to 60% on their payroll. Experience the cost-saving advantages of using remote professionals firsthand.

Employee Appreciation Gifts: Reward Your Virtual Assistant

Posted on May 31, 2023April 15, 2024 by Roberto Anequim

Employee Appreciation Gifts: Show your Virtual Assistants You Care

Employee appreciation gifts are the the best way to show your remote employees you care. As business owners who manage virtual assistants and remote teams, we understand the importance of recognizing even in the distance.

So, let’s dive into some tips and tricks for offering bonuses and gifts to your virtual assistants. Effective reimbursement methods can ensure that they are properly compensated for their hard work.

Bonuses-and-Gifts-and-Reimbursements-For-Virtual-Assistants-Employee Appreciation Gifts

Our Story with Employee Appreciation Gifts

We have had the privilege of working with a variety of virtual assistants over the years. Offering bonuses and gifts is a great way to motivate your team.

In fact, one of our company’s most successful virtual assistants was people who went above and beyond their job duties. They often took on additional tasks and stayed late to ensure that projects were completed on time.

To show our appreciation, we surprised them with a gift basket. It was filled with their favorite snacks and a handwritten note. The note thanked them for their hard work.

We showed our virtual assistant appreciation and recognition, which in turn encouraged them to strive for excellence in their work.

As a small business owner or team leader, it can be hard to show your remote employees appreciation.

However, with careful consideration, ingenuity can be used to create a productive atmosphere in the workplace. This atmosphere can also be cooperative and encouraging throughout the organization.

The Importance of Employee Incentives

Offering employee incentives such as bonuses, gifts, and reimbursements is an excellent way to show appreciation. This demonstrates that you value the hard work and contributions of your virtual assistants.

These incentives can also help to improve employee morale and job satisfaction. This can lead to increased productivity, better business outcomes, and an improved company culture.

Virtual assistants play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth running of your business by handling administrative tasks. Tasks include but are not limited to: email management, calendar scheduling, social media, and data entry.

They also help you to focus on more critical tasks, such as business strategy and client management. Therefore, it’s essential to show your appreciation for their hard work and dedication.

Types of Employee Appreciation Gifts

When it comes to offering incentives to virtual assistants, there are several options to choose from. The most common types of incentives include monetary bonuses, gifts, and reimbursements.

Monetary Bonuses

Monetary bonuses are a popular choice for rewarding virtual assistants for their hard work. You can choose to offer bonuses based on specific goals. Goals such as completing a project within a set time frame or meeting specific performance metrics.

Alternatively, you can offer performance-based bonuses. Such bonuses can include a percentage of the revenue generated by the project or a flat rate for exceptional performance.

The amount of the bonus will depend on your budget and the virtual assistant’s hourly rate. It’s essential to communicate clearly with your virtual assistants. This communication should include criteria for earning bonuses. It should also include the amount they can expect to receive.

This ensures that everyone is on the same page. This also ensures that the virtual assistant feels valued and appreciated for their hard work.

Classic Employee Appreciation Gifts

Another way to motivate your virtual assistants is by offering gifts. Gifts are a great way to show your appreciation and can be tailored to each person’s interests and preferences.

Consider offering personalized gifts. For example, a gift card to their favorite store or a subscription to a magazine you think they might enjoy. These can be both cost effective and a great reward.

By tailoring your gifts to each individual team member, you can demonstrate that you value their unique contributions. This can help to create a positive work environment and foster a sense of camaraderie among team members.

Reimbursements

Virtual assistants often work from home, which means that they may incur expenses related to their work environment. Offering reimbursements for these expenses is an excellent way to show your virtual assistants that you value their hard work. It also shows that you want to support them in achieving a healthy work-life balance.

Some common expenses that virtual assistants may incur include home office equipment, internet and phone bills, and professional development courses. By offering to reimburse these expenses, you can help your virtual assistants to create a comfortable and productive work environment.

Effective Reimbursement Methods

Here are some effective reimbursement methods to consider:

Consider setting up direct deposit for your virtual assistant’s payments if they work for you full-time. This will make payments more convenient and efficient for both you and your assistant. This eliminates the need for physical checks to be mailed or delivered.
Prepaid Cards: Another option to consider is providing your virtual assistants with prepaid cards. This allows you to set a spending limit and control the types of purchases they can make. Prepaid cards are also a great option for reimbursing virtual assistants who work on an hourly basis. You can easily load the card with the amount owed.
PayPal: PayPal is a widely accepted payment platform that can be used to reimburse your virtual assistants. This method is especially useful when you have a virtual assistant living in a different country. You may need to pay them in a different currency.
Expense Reporting: If you have a team of virtual assistants, you may want to implement an expense reporting system. This allows your virtual assistants to submit receipts and documentation for any expenses they have incurred while working for you. By keeping track of expenses in this way, you can ensure that your virtual assistants are only reimbursed for legitimate expenses.
Mileage Reimbursement: If your virtual assistant is required to travel for work, you may want to consider offering mileage reimbursement. This can be calculated based on the number of miles driven or a flat rate per trip.

By using one or more of these reimbursement methods, you can ensure that your virtual assistants are properly compensated for their hard work and any expenses they incur while working for you.

Final Thoughts on Virtual Assistant Employee Appreciation Gifts

As we come to the end of this blog post, We hope you have gained some valuable insights into how to recognize and reward employees, remote employees, or remote teams for their hard work.

Remember, bonuses and gifts don’t have to be expensive or extravagant – they simply need to show your appreciation and demonstrate that you value your team members.

At Anequim, we have found that offering bonuses and gifts, as well as effective reimbursement methods, not only motivates virtual assistants to work harder but also improves their work-life balance and overall job satisfaction.

When team members feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to stay engaged and motivated long-term, which benefits your business.

Does your remote team feel motivated? How effective is your leadership? Find your strengths and areas of improvement with our scoring leadership test for FREE today.

To get even more amazing tips, tricks, and techniques for scaling up your business, check out The Bootstrappers Podcast! Get the free advice you need to turn your vision into reality.

Social Media Virtual Assistant: What do They do

Posted on May 17, 2023April 15, 2024 by Roberto Anequim

Why Virtual Assistants Are the Secret to Social Media Marketing

A social media virtual assistant will change the way you view digital marketing. Business owners like us don’t have the luxury of extra time, which is why virtual assistants have been a game-changer for how we manage social media marketing!

It’s important to have a strong online marketing presence to reach and engage with customers. However, managing multiple social media accounts can be time-consuming and overwhelming.

You’re likely trying to do everything for your business yourself, including creating and scheduling social media posts, responding to comments and messages, and analyzing performance metrics. It becomes too much and we struggle to keep up with the demands of running the business.

Hire a Social Media Virtual Assistant to Manage Your Channels

Hiring a virtual assistant, or remote professional as we refer to them, is a true game-changer for small business owners. You can find an experienced social media manager or digital marketing virtual assistant who is just as capable as any ‘in-person’ employee but at a fraction of the cost.

Remote professionals will fully understand your business’s needs and help you create a social media marketing strategy tailored to your target audience. With their help, you can free up time to focus on other important aspects of your business.

What is Social Media Management?

Social media management involves creating, scheduling, and posting content on social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. It’s essential to have a consistent social media presence to engage with your audience and stay top-of-mind.

Social media tasks can also include responding to comments and messages, analyzing performance metrics, creating social media profiles, blog posts and developing a social media strategy.

Why Hire a Social Media Virtual Assistant?

Let’s face it; social media management is a full-time job. We think that we can do it ourselves because we spend enough of our personal time on social channels, but effectively managing a social media marketing strategy is completely different. Managing just one social channel is challenging enough, but most businesses are on an average of 6 different social platforms. That means it takes 6X the amount of time to manage (time that you already didn’t have to spare).

Hiring a social media virtual assistant can help save time and improve your social media strategy. They are trained in social media marketing and can help you manage your platforms and create engaging content. A virtual assistant can also help you keep up with the latest social media trends and best practices, which can be hard to maintain and track on your own.

Social Media Virtual Assistant Can Manage Multiple Accounts

Managing multiple social media accounts can be overwhelming, but there are tools that can help. Social media management tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social can help streamline the process by allowing you to manage all your social media accounts in one place. These tools also allow you to schedule posts in advance, which can save you time and ensure consistent posting.

Scheduling out your posts and video content is one half of the equation, while the other half is responding and engaging with your tribe. Think of each social platform as a digital storefront for your business. Each represents your company, which means that each must have full-time attention dedicated to it.

Creating Engaging Posts with a Social Media Virtual Assistant

Creating engaging social media posts is key to attracting and retaining your audience. Social media virtual assistants can help you create relevant content that is tailored to your audience’s interests. They can also help you incorporate multimedia elements like images and videos into your posts, which can increase engagement.

The algorithms are always changing, but today they are based on one simple metric: engagement. If your posts are not getting likes, comments, and shares, social channels like Facebook and Instagram will not put you in front of more people. This means that you must dedicate the time and resources to creating truly engaging content that your target audience wants to see.

For most businesses, hiring a virtual assistant is the best option for quality content that fits their budgets.

Developing a Social Media Strategy

Developing a social media strategy is crucial for the success of your social media efforts. Your strategy should target your audience and be aligned with your overall marketing goals. It should also track the success of your efforts, so you can make adjustments as needed. Social media virtual assistants can help you develop a social media strategy tailored to your business’s needs.

Tracking metrics is the only way to know what types of content is working for your digital marketing. Consider the first 6 months as merely data collection. Trial and error, testing different lengths of videos, styles of videos, graphic content vs video content, etc. is the only way to discover what your specific audience wants more of – so that you can deliver that to them for ultimate social media success.

Hiring a Social Media Virtual Assistant

Hiring a social media virtual assistant is the most cost-effective way to improve your social media marketing efforts. Virtual assistants are experienced in social media management and can help you with a variety of tasks like creating content, scheduling posts, and responding to comments. They can also help you stay up-to-date on the latest social media trends and best practices.

What About A.I.?

Artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT, Google’s ‘Bard,’ and a long list of other options look like a perfect solution for small business owners at first but they often don’t deliver the results your business needs. A.I. platforms are merely tools; they are not humans.

Google, along with every other social media platform, weights quality content as the highest value with the biggest rewards for your marketing. People engage with quality content. A.I. platforms aren’t yet able to connect with, resonate deeply with, or relate to human beings because they aren’t people.

Should you use A.I. platforms to streamline certain aspects of your business? Absolutely! However, marketing is not one of those areas for one big reason: Marketing is all about feelings. People decide to hire your business based on the emotional connection they have. Do they trust you? Do they like you? Will they remember you?

Robots (Artificial Intelligence) are incapable of feeling, so how can we expect them to know how to connect with people on an emotional level? This is just one more reason why virtual assistants are the true game-changer. Remote professionals are actually affordable for small businesses and their budgets. However, remote professionals are still people. They are highly skilled, highly trained, and know how to connect your marketing with your target audience.

Virtual Assistants Are The Answer For Your Business

Hiring a social media virtual assistant can be a game-changer for your business. With their help, you can create a social media strategy tailored to your target audience and save time on managing your social media accounts. They can also help you stay on top of the latest social media trends and best practices, so you can focus on other important aspects of your business.

I can personally attest to the benefits of hiring a social media virtual assistant. Since I hired a virtual assistant for my own business, I’ve been able to free up time to focus on other areas of my business.

With the help of my virtual assistant, I’ve been able to create a consistent social media presence, engage with my audience, and grow my online following. They’ve also helped me to track and analyze my social media metrics, which has helped me to make data-driven decisions about my social media strategy.

Anequim Remote Professionals For Your Business

If you’re looking to hire a social media virtual assistant, it is important to do your research to find a remote professional with experience in social media management and a proven track record of success. Fortunately, Anequim does all of that research for you, and they make the entire process seamless, from searching for top talent to making the final hire.

Anequim also has proven processes and procedures to help you clearly communicate your goals and expectations and work together to develop a social media strategy tailored to your business needs. With the right virtual assistant on your team, you can take your social media presence to the next level and grow your online presence.

Give your remote assistants the best tools. Create an excellent customer service experience quickly with our FREE Service Guide. Start Providing the best experience for your customers now.

To get even more amazing tips, tricks, and techniques for your social media virtual assistant and business-related topics, check out The Bootstrappers Podcast! Get the free advice you need to turn your vision into reality.

Freelancer and Virtual Assistant: What’s The Difference?

Posted on May 3, 2023April 15, 2024 by Fabi Sanchez

Virtual Assistant or Freelancer: Which One is Better?

The difference between freelancer and virtual assistant can be confusing. As someone who has been in the business of managing virtual assistants and freelancers for several years, I know firsthand how daunting it can be to find the right person for the job.

It wasn’t until I had my own experience with a virtual assistant that I truly appreciated the value they can bring to a business.

I struggled to keep up with the administrative tasks bogging me down and taking me away from the more important aspects of running my business. That’s when I decided to take the plunge and hire a virtual assistant.

Between a Virtual assistant vs freelancer article what's the difference?

Entrepreneurs Are Now True Believers in Virtual Assistants

So many entrepreneurs have become firm believers in the power of virtual assistants to help businesses run more efficiently and effectively. And that’s why I’m here to share my expertise and help you understand the key differences between the two.

Whether you’re a small business owner looking for extra help or curious about the world of virtual assistants and freelancers, read on – I’m confident you’ll find this blog post helpful.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant (VA) is a remote worker who can fulfill the tasks of any role that can be done behind a computer, making them a valuable asset for small businesses. Virtual assistants are a perfect fit for nearly any type of business, as they can do the same quality work as any in-person employee can, just remotely.

Virtual Assistant companies will find the perfect person for any role you need to be filled, from data entry and customer service to accounting, bookkeeping, administrative and executive assistant positions, marketing, graphic design, and everything in between.

Virtual Assistants have run entire companies and organized major conferences and events remotely, so anything is possible for your small business needs!

The Advantages of Hiring a Full-Time Virtual Assistant:

They are invested in your company’s success
They can be held accountable just like any other member of your team
They can be trained, mentored, and elevated to essential roles within your company
They are loyal to your business because they have a stake in its success
They become an integral part of your team-building for future growth

What is a Freelancer?

A freelancer is also an independent contractor who offers specialized skills to businesses, but they work differently than a virtual assistant.

Freelancers work on their own and offer their services directly to clients. They can work on a variety of projects but they are not full-time members of your team like a remote professional is, and they provide specialized skills like web design, content writing, or graphic design.

When hiring a freelancer, business owners can expect to work with someone with specific expertise in a particular area. Freelancers tend to compete against each other for the lowest price, but cheaper isn’t always better (in fact, it rarely is).

The Risks of Hiring a Freelancer:

They are not invested in your company’s mission, vision, and growth
It is harder to hold freelancers accountable since they can exit at any time
Freelancers have many other clients, which means your business is not their main priority
With multiple clients, freelances are dividing up their talents, and quality can suffer
Freelancers can leave you high and dry at any time, which is a risky investment for any business

Difference Between Freelancer and Virtual Assistant

The main difference between virtual assistants and freelancers is the type of services they offer and the way they work.

Virtual assistants are typically full or part-time employees who work for, and report directly to, you and your business. They are not tied to any other clients or companies like freelancers are. Remote professionals are just like any in-person employee, the only difference being they work remotely.

Freelancers often work independently and usually offer only one kind of service, like web design or writing. They can work on many different projects at once and work for many different clients, which means they are dividing up their time, talents, and quality of work.

When deciding whether to hire a virtual assistant or a freelancer, it’s essential to think about the type of work that needs to be done.

The best way to sum it up is this: Virtual Assistants are invested in your company’s long-term growth and success just like any other member of your team. Freelancers are invested in their own success since they are their own companies separate from yours.

Freelancer and Virtual Assistant

Both virtual assistants and freelancers have different roles and responsibilities that can help your business grow; however, a full-time virtual assistant will offer far more consistent benefits for your company.

With a virtual assistant, you have someone full-time who you can train, mentor, and integrate into your current team. Accountability is another major benefit for Virtual Assistants because you can hold a full-time remote worker responsible for your company’s standards and requirements. A freelancer cannot be held as accountable as a full-time virtual assistant.

Freelancers will also not be as invested in your company’s mission, vision, and long-term success. Virtual Assistants are just like anyone else on your in-person team, except they work remotely. As a part of your team, they will have a stake in your company just like the rest of your team.

Business owners should carefully consider their needs before deciding whether to hire a virtual assistant or a freelancer. It’s important to research options and pick the right one for the business.

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Unlimited PTO Policy: Does it Work for Virtual Assistants?

Posted on April 27, 2023April 15, 2024 by Gwenn Aspen

How To Manage Your Remote Worker PTO And Holidays

Does an unlimited PTO policy work for virtual assistants? With more and more businesses offering remote worker options, it’s becoming increasingly common for employees to work from home or anywhere remotely.

While there are many benefits to this arrangement, there are also some new challenges with managing a remote team—one of the biggest challenges is managing your remote worker’s PTO and holidays.

In this blog post, I’ll give you some tips on managing your remote worker’s PTO and holiday in a way that is fair to your employees and compliant with the law.

How to manage your remote worker PTO and Holidays

What is Paid Time Off (PTO) For a Remote Worker?

PTO allows employees to take time off from work without loss of pay.

There are two types of PTO: accrued PTO and unlimited PTO.

Accrued PTO

With an accrued PTO policy, employees gradually accrue paid time off based on the number of hours they work. For example, if an employer offers 2 weeks (10 days) of vacation per year, an employee who works 40 hours per week will accrue 5 days of vacation per year (2 weeks / 40 hours = 0.05). This type of policy is common in the United States.

Unlimited PTO Policy

Unlimited PTO policies are less common in the United States, but they are becoming more popular as companies seek to attract and retain top talent. With an unlimited PTO policy, employees do not accrue vacation days; instead, they can take time off as needed, subject to approval from their supervisor. This type of policy is more common in Europe and other parts of the world.

Time Off Requests For a Remote Worker

If you have a remote team, you’ll need to have a process in place for employees to request time off.

The process should be simple and straightforward, and it should be clearly communicated to all employees.

One way to do this is to use an online tool like Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar. These tools allow employees to submit time off requests online, and they also allow you to keep track of who is out of the office and when.

Another option is to use a paper-based system. This can be as simple as creating a form that employees can fill out and submit to their supervisor for approval.

Parental Leave as Part of a Remote Worker’s Benefits Package

Parental leave is another important consideration when managing your remote team’s PTO and holidays.

In the US, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) grants up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for parental leave (maternity, paternity, or adoption), caring for a sick family member, or dealing with one’s own serious health condition.

Parents working in Europe are entitled to paid parental leave ranging from 4-8 weeks, depending on the country. Ensure you are aware of and compliant with the parental leave laws of your employees’ countries if they work remotely.

How Employees Accrue Time Off with a Remote Team

As I mentioned earlier, there are two types of paid time off: accrued PTO and unlimited PTO policy. With an accrued PTO policy, employees gradually accrue paid time off based on their work hours. With an unlimited PTO policy, employees do not accrue vacation days but can take time off as needed, subject to approval from their supervisor.

If you have a remote team, you may want to consider implementing an unlimited PTO policy. This type of policy gives employees more flexibility, which can be especially beneficial if your team members are in different time zones. It can also help reduce distractions caused by frequent requests for time off.

Before implementing an unlimited PTO policy, consult an HR expert or attorney to understand all the legal implications.

Ways To Help Remote Professionals Achieve A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Encouraging your remote team members to achieve a healthy work-life balance is important. There are several ways you can do this:

Set clear expectations about working hours. Avoid scheduling conference calls or meetings outside of regular working hours if possible.
Encourage breaks! Just because someone works remotely doesn’t mean they shouldn’t take regular daily intervals. Encourage your team members to step away from their desks for a few minutes throughout the day to recharge and refocus.
Hold virtual lunch dates with co-workers. This allows remote workers to build relationships with other team members, even if they are not in the exact physical location.
Prioritize communication and collaboration tools. Investing in quality tools can help make it easier for remote teams to collaborate and stay connected, even when they are miles apart.
Allow employees to work flexible hours. This allows employees to manage their own schedules to fit in time off as needed without disrupting their productivity.

Unlimited PTO Policy: Legal Compliance and Training for Remote Workers

It’s essential to be aware of the legal requirements of managing a remote team, especially concerning PTO and holiday policies. You should consult with a lawyer or HR expert and ensure you understand applicable laws in your jurisdiction before implementing any policies or procedures related to managing remote workers’ time off.

You should also provide training and education about these policies so that all team members know how things work and what is expected of them. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding taking time off.

Remote Worker Unlimited PTO Policy & Holidays

Managing a remote workforce requires some unique considerations due to its distributed nature; one is how best to handle paid time off (PTO) and holidays for your team members.

By understanding the different types of PTO policies available, putting processes in place for requesting time off, providing training on parental leave policies, investing in communication tools, allowing flexible working hours, and understanding applicable legal requirements, you can create an environment where your remote workers can take time off while still meeting expectations.

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Virtual Assistants: What Do They Do for Your Business?

Posted on April 20, 2023April 15, 2024 by Roberto Anequim

What Do Virtual Assistants Do?

Virtual assistants, otherwise referred to as Remote Professionals, can be game changers for any business.

However, it’s important to design the role for success because it is also a job that if not done well can stress out already stressed-out professionals.

After years of designing Administrative assistant and executive assistant roles, I have some pointers so you don’t waste time, money, or stress on a position that won’t work and design the positions so it gives you exactly what you need to make your life easier, happier and less stressful.

Virtual Assistants Are The Answer For Business Owners

Most people who call us asking for an administrative or executive assistant do so because they are overwhelmed with their email, their life and their business.

They want someone to help them organize their life, their day and take the tasks that are below their paygrade off of their to do list. These are all great reasons to get an administrative assistant.

Virtual Assistants: How To Design The Right Position

Many times when we are consulting with an overwhelmed executive about the administrative professional role what we find is that the executive is doing operational tasks they should not be doing such as accounting tasks or customer service tasks and designing a position that takes care of those things in an operational way really is what will relieve the stress the most.

When that is not the case we still try to find some operational tasks that the executive assistant can do that need to be accomplished directly by the executive.

Some tasks that should not be done in the operation but have an operational component include:

Virtual Assistants Help With Quality Control

Creating a system where when problems happen someone researches the issue, finds out the cause of the problem and determines if it was the processes and procedures.

If a problem needs to be fixed, the root cause needs to be identified first. Unclear procedures should be redrafted so they can be followed correctly.

If it is a training issue, the person executing the procedure should review the relevant documentation and make sure it is done properly in future. If there is a flaw in the process or workflow, this should be added to the leadership team’s agenda for further discussion on how to resolve it.

Quality control is ideal for executive assistants when they are not performing their normal duties.

Remote Professionals Can Do Sales Team Auditing

Sales teams are notorious for not following protocols or taking notes.

This can oftentimes lead to operational issues because the operational side of the business gets blindsided when the sales funnel operates in the dark.

This creates tension between sales and operations. It has the potential to create crisis situations on the operations side if they cannot fulfill the business coming in.

Having your executive assistant audit the sales pipeline and enforce rules for follow up and utilizing reporting tools as outlined in your processes and procedures can be a huge help to both the operations and sales team.

Virtual Assistants Help With Process and Procedure Auditing

Clean processes and procedures end up always being a moving target if you are growing really fast sometimes the processes and procedures don’t scale with the business and have to be reworked.

Any new introduction of software means a change in the documentation and the workflow of the operation and it seems like to be successful they have to be constantly audited, organized and managed.

This is often a part time job and has to come from leadership which makes it the perfect operational task for an executive assistant while there is a lull in personal tasks or while their work load in other areas wanes.

Remote Professionals For Financial Auditing

Leaders should be asking questions such as:

Are salespeople taking unnecessary days on the road and charging the company?
Is the SEO vendor doing what they’re supposed to?
Is the Google Ad money leading to good leads?
Are sales commissions reasonable?
Are all the HR personnel necessary?

Remote Professionals Assist With Research

As executives, it can be difficult to do the research necessary to make informed decisions.

Questions such as:

What is the competition doing?
Are there any new technologies we should consider?
What are CTOs at XYZ company like?
Is this coaching program any good?
What about XYZ vendor?
Can we reach out for additional references?
And what is being said on the Facebook user group about their experience?

All require time and effort which some leaders may not have. An executive assistant can help with all of these questions, providing thorough research and ensuring the team makes sound decisions.

Project management and follow up

Big projects make or break progress at all organizations.

They can be the one to make sure to-dos, quarterly projects and other high priority projects actually get completed on time and on budget.

Remote Professionals Can Do High-level reporting

If you have investors, silent partners etc. you probably have to provide reports on a regular basis. You may want to have a company wide meeting on the state of the industry or your company on a regular basis.

Your executive assistant can do the heavy lifting and you can verify the information and present.

Do it with them the first time, create a procedure for what they need to look for and how to get the data that is relevant to the audience and then have them create the reports from there on out.

Manage speaking engagements, podcasts, award applications and other PR functions

Do you want to get more earned media for your business or yourself?

Have your executive assistant apply for awards. Have them reach out to podcasts and propose you as a guest. Additionally you can have them propose you for speaking engagements that could help you get clients.

How Can an Executive Administrative Virtual Assistant Help With Personal Tasks?

An executive assistant can save you a lot of time and hassle with your personal life, freeing you up to focus on other important tasks. Here are some examples of what they can help with:

Sending birthday and holiday presents
Keeping your family’s sports and school calendars up to date
Booking vacations and travel
Paying school fees and buying supplies online
Booking appointments for the whole family (orthodontist, cosmetic, doctor/dentist)
Arranging home maintenance
Booking teacher conferences
Organizing after-school activities and filling out all necessary forms
Booking summer camps

With such a valuable team member helping out with the form front, I can have peace of mind knowing that my family will stay on track.

Getting the most out of your Virtual Executive Assistant

Managing a virtual executive assistant can be a great way to streamline your workflow and free up time for more important tasks. Here are some tips on making the most of your assistant:

Think through the role clearly before hiring an assistant, and consider if it’s necessary to create separate roles for specific operational tasks.
When designing the position, include operational and repeatable tasks that impact your business goals.
Have clear expectations about what you want from the assistant so they know exactly how to help you achieve those goals.
Ensure communication is consistent and that both parties are on the same page about their roles and responsibilities.
Successfully fulfilling the needs of a busy executive requires careful planning and design.
And finally, trust your assistant to do the work!

With good communication, clear expectations, and trust in their abilities, you’ll get the best out of your virtual executive assistant.

Remote Professionals Are Your MVPs

A virtual assistant can be a valuable asset for businesses that need help with administrative tasks, phone calls, and social media management from a remote location.

With these pointers in mind, you can hire a virtual assistant who will be a great addition to your team, make your life easier, and reduce stress.

Don’t waste time or money on a position that won’t work for you – design the role for success and enjoy the benefits of having a virtual assistant company on board.

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Remote Web Design Jobs: Can a Virtual Assistant Do it?

Posted on April 19, 2023April 15, 2024 by Roberto Anequim

Virtual Assistants for Web Design

Are Remote web design Jobs worth it? As someone who has managed virtual assistants, whom I often call Remote Professionals, I have seen firsthand the benefits of working with remote workers for web design projects.

After experiencing the cost-effectiveness and quality of their work, I became a true advocate for virtual assistants for web design.

One of my first experiences with hiring a virtual assistant web designer was for a startup business that was on a tight budget. The business owner wanted a high-quality and responsive website but couldn’t afford to hire a full-time web designer.

Virtual Assistants for web design blog article

VAs for Remote Web Design Jobs

After some research, we hired a virtual assistant web designer specializing in responsive web design. The virtual assistant created a stunning website that met all our requirements, and the business owner was thrilled with the result. This experience taught me that virtual assistants can provide the same quality of work as in-person employees at a fraction of the cost.

Through these experiences and many others, I have seen how virtual assistant web designers can be a game-changer for businesses of all sizes. I hope this blog post will provide helpful insights and advice to business owners considering hiring a virtual assistant web designer for their website development needs.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant Web Designer is Essential for Your Business

Your online presence is crucial for the success of your business. A website is the face of your business and the first point of contact for potential customers. Therefore, it’s vital to have a well-designed and responsive website that is optimized for search engines.

A professional website designer can help you achieve this goal by creating a visually appealing and user-friendly website that ranks high in search engines and drives traffic to your business.

Affordable Remote Web Design Jobs

However, hiring a full-time website designer can be expensive, especially for small businesses or startups. This is where virtual assistant web designers come in. They are remote workers who offer web design services on a project-by-project basis or on an ongoing basis as needed.

Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant Web Designer

Maintain High Quality with Remote Professionals

Virtual assistant website designers are skilled and experienced professionals who offer high-quality web design services. They have the expertise to create a responsive website that looks great on all devices and is optimized for search engines.

Virtual Assistants Save Time

Hiring a virtual assistant website designer saves time for business owners. Instead of spending time on website development, they can focus on other important tasks such as marketing, customer service, and social media management.

Remote Web Design Jobs Are Cost-Effective

Hiring a virtual assistant website designer is more cost-effective than hiring a full-time web designer. Business owners can pay for web design services on a project-by-project basis or hire a virtual assistant on an ongoing basis as needed.

Virtual Assistants Are The Future of Work

Virtual assistant web designers are remote workers who work from their own offices. This means that business owners don’t have to provide office space, equipment, or other benefits that come with hiring full-time employees.

How to Hire a Virtual Assistant Web Designer

When hiring a virtual assistant web designer, finding a reliable and trustworthy professional is important. Here are some tips to help you find the right virtual assistant for your web design project:

Look for a website designer with a work portfolio showcasing their skills and experience. Ask for references and check them before hiring.

Define your project requirements clearly and ensure the virtual assistant understands your needs. This includes the scope of the project, timelines, and budget.

Communication For Web Design is Key

Consider the communication skills of the virtual assistant. You want to work with someone easy to communicate with and who can provide regular updates on the project’s progress.

Finally, consider working with a virtual assistant specializing in web design and development. They will have the expertise and knowledge to create a website that meets your business needs.

Hiring a virtual assistant website designer can be an excellent solution for business owners who want to create a high-quality, responsive website without breaking the bank. With the right virtual assistant, you can save time and money while achieving your online goals.

Follow the tips above to find a reliable and trustworthy virtual assistant web designer who can help you create the perfect website for your business.

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The First 30 Days of Your Virtual Assistant: What to Expect

Posted on March 16, 2023April 15, 2024 by Gwenn Aspen

Virtual Assistants: What To Expect In Your First 30 Days

The first 30 days of your Virtual assistant are crucial. Now that you have chosen your virtual assistant, who we often refer to as a remote professional, and completed Anequim’s onboarding training, you are ready to go! In this article, we will go over step by step how to ensure your virtual assistant is successful in their first 30 days.

Virtual Assistant from Anequim talking on her customer service headset.

Introduce Your Virtual Assistant to Your Company Culture

Your virtual assistant should be able to perform at a high level like any domestic employee in your office. This means don’t skimp on your history, mission, values, culture or anything important about your company. This might be even more important because they need to have a feeling for the company by the way you talk about it since they are remote working.

This is really important because after they are trained you want them to be able to make good decisions while thinking on their feet. When employees truly understand the culture of the business they are working for and have an idea for what is acceptable and what is not.

Introduce Virtual Assistants To Your Team

It’s important to introduce your virtual assistant to your team and help them get to know everyone. One way to do this is to take your computer around the office while on webcam or have all employees get on a virtual meeting. This way, the virtual assistant can see faces and names, and get a sense of who everyone is.

The goal of this introduction is to make the virtual assistant feel as comfortable and productive as possible as soon as possible. By having a little bit of camaraderie built up with everyone, the virtual assistant will feel more comfortable asking for help and getting started on their work.

The 30 minutes spent on this can make a big difference in the virtual assistant’s ability to be productive and get up to speed quickly.

Remote Professional team having a meeting on a zoom call.

Go Over All the Software You Use and What It Is Used For

This sounds super basic but I swear giving a general lay of the technology landscape of your company helps new employees acclimate sooner.

Many people forget to show new employees all the software and tools that the company uses. This can be a big mistake because different companies may use the same software in different ways. This step is crucial to ensure that the virtual assistant can understand how everything works and be productive as soon as possible.

Create a Training Calendar and Set Realistic Expectations

After you’ve defined key items like the number of hours expected, working hours, list of tasks, types of tasks, and detailed instructions many business owners or managers immediately want new employees to spend all their time learning software or project management tools step by step before getting into the actual work.

We have found that integrating the software training with the hands on training is actually better for a few reasons.

Virtual Assistant from Anequim setting up a Training Calendar

Time Constraints For Training a Virtual Assistant

First, you are not going to have time to drop everything and train someone all day for two weeks. The software tutorials give the person time to work independently while the people training them get their work done.

Incorporate Your Entire Team In The Training

Secondly, you can design each day where the new member is learning from different people and has time to just do software training. Ideally, no one person is responsible for all the training.

Is there an easy task that they could start doing an hour a day starting tomorrow? Making the virtual assistant feel productive as quickly as possible makes them proficient in the easiest tasks first and then level up to the harder tasks.

Have proficiency benchmarks identified in your calendar. This way the calendar invite creates the conversation about how fast they are learning and becoming productive. Everyone knows if they are measuring up or not based on set expectations. If the virtual assistant is falling short they are fully aware that they need to step it up.

Make Sure Your Virtual Assistant Knows What Winning Looks Like

As your team member gets better at their job, they will want to know what kind of productivity you expect with their task management.

You should be able to define these key questions:

What are the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) for success?
What reports do they need to pull from to see what their productivity is?
What is acceptable productivity?
What is unacceptable productivity?
How is quality of the work checked?

Give Constructive Feedback

Giving feedback is important for making sure that virtual assistants are doing their best work. Managers who don’t like giving feedback may need to make a special effort to give it, because it’s not as easy as giving feedback to someone who works in the same office as you.

I recommend writing the nuanced feedback in a Google document then having scheduled meetings where you give feedback so none of the feedback is forgotten.

If someone is just starting to do a task you demonstrated on their own. Work with them on webcam for a little bit so they can ask you questions live just like they would if they were in your office.

Get to Know Your Virtual Assistant

We want our virtual assistants to be just as good as any of our in-office employees. To make that happen, we need to genuinely treat them as they are part of our team.

This includes getting to know them, showing that we care about them, and making sure they feel like they are valued members of the team. When they feel like they are part of the team, they will be more likely to go above and beyond to help out when things get tough.

Virtual Assistant from Anequim contacting on a scheduled meeting

Conduct Regularly Scheduled Meetings

Meet with your new hire regularly and go over the job description you have for them. Go over the tasks they were supposed to master and cross off the ones they have down and what they still have yet to learn to have the job down. Tell them your evaluation of the performance so far. Speak directly, but give them encouragement.

As you know, feedback is a great way to improve your task management and delegate work to a skilled professional.

However, it’s important to set clear expectations and provide detailed instructions and training in the first 30 days to ensure a smooth transition. Introduce your virtual assistant to your team, explain the software and tools used, and set expectations for task proficiency.

Follow These Steps To Success!

By following these steps and providing regular feedback, you can build a strong work relationship with your virtual assistant and maximize their productivity for your business.

Write feedback in a Google doc and schedule meetings to ensure it is not forgotten. Managers who dislike giving feedback must try harder, as it is harder than providing feedback to colleagues in the same office.

Make your internal meetings effective and concise these first 30 days using our FREE one-on-one reusable meeting form to save you much time and effort.

Listen to The Bootstrappers Podcast For Entrepreneurs is a fantastic resource to learn how to scale your business and streamline operations, sales, marketing, and everything in between!

Onboarding Remote Employees and VAs Successfully

Posted on March 16, 2023April 15, 2024 by Gwenn Aspen

Onboarding Remote Employees the Right Way

Onboarding remote employees can be a unique challenge, but with the right approach, it can be a smooth and efficient process.

I asked Andrea Kelley, client manager of Anequim’s Rent Manager Call Center, to share her remote team onboarding process.

Andrea boils it down to three absolute must-dos: set expectations, discuss your communication methods and styles, and establish goal-based training.

Table displaying Onboarding, getting ready for onboard remote employee

Onboarding Remote Employees: Set Expectations

Setting clear expectations in a virtual onboarding program is important for remote workers to understand company policies, procedures, role, and responsibilities.

Give new employees the resources they need to get started in their role, such as start dates and an employee handbook. Doing so will help them hit the ground running, setting a professional and productive tone from the start.

Make sure to be clear and upfront with expectations from the start:

Explain company purpose: Let the new hire know what the company does and what its goals are.
Define job responsibilities: Tell the new hire what they will be doing and what is expected of them.
Review work schedule: Let the new hire know when they will be working and how much time off they can take.
Evaluate job performance: Explain how the new hire will be evaluated and what they need to do to be successful.
Talk about growth opportunities: Let the new hire know about chances for advancement within the company.
Encourage questions: Give the new hire a chance to ask questions and clarify anything they’re unsure about.

By setting clear expectations, you can help foster a positive and inclusive work environment where everyone is clear on their role and responsibilities. Where long term growth and development are encouraged.

This in turn can lead to a more motivated, engaged and productive remote workforce.

Remote Employee working on set expectations

Discuss Your Communication Methods and Styles

When onboarding new hires remotely, it’s important to communicate your preferred methods of communication. Whether it be through email, phone calls, video calls or text messages. Include when it is best to use each method.

Make sure to lay out the expectations of when and how employees will be expected to check-in. This can include set times such as before or after shifts, once a day, or only in cases of problems. Doing so ensures everyone is on the same page and knows what is expected of them.

Emphasize the importance of maintaining a professional tone and demeanor, regardless of the communication platform being used.

Share your personal communication style with your new hires, so they have a better understanding of your approach. For example, you might be maternal, funny, or straightforward in your communication.

Finally, it’s crucial to treat your new hires with respect and dignity, recognizing them as both individuals and colleagues. This sets a positive tone for the work environment and helps foster a productive and harmonious work environment and builds relationships.

Remote employee taking notes on communication method and styles while being onboarded

Onboarding Remote Employees: Goal-Based Training

A goal-based training program is essential for the success of new hires in any organization. It starts with a clear understanding of the company’s structure and goals.

Providing an overview of the company’s structure and using an organizational chart to illustrate the roles and responsibilities of each team member can help the new hire understand the bigger picture and their place in it. Communication of the company’s overall direction and how the new hire’s performance will impact the company’s trajectory is also important. This helps the new hire understand their role and the impact they can make on the organization.

The goal-based training program should be designed to help the new hire achieve their objectives and become a productive member of the team. It should be based on real-life scenarios and problem-solving exercises that encourage the new hire to take ownership of their responsibilities.

For example, sharing specific examples of both successful and unsuccessful experiences can help new hires learn from real-life scenarios. When discussing a problem, it is important to avoid emotional language and instead provide a clear and factual description of the situation. Encouraging the new hire to come up with solutions and offering support when needed will help them integrate into the company culture more smoothly.

The goal-based training approach will set the new hires up for success and help them integrate into the company culture more smoothly. By establishing clear goals and expectations, the new hire will have a clear understanding of what they need to do to be successful in their role. This type of training helps to reduce frustration and confusion, and it encourages the new hire to take an active role in their own development.

By adopting a goal-based approach, companies can increase the chances of success for their new hires and help them become valuable contributors to the team.

Bullseye and lightbulb referencing goal- based training

Gwenn’s Short Take

Starting a new job can be a confusing and unsettling experience, especially on the first day. It’s essential for employers to create a positive and supportive atmosphere for new hires from the moment they start. This helps employees feel valued and confident in their decision to join the company.

Provide new hires with access to the necessary tools and resources they need to get started in their role. Doing so will help them hit the ground running, setting a professional and productive tone from the start. This includes setting up their email addresses and making sure they are operational on the first day.

By taking the time to set high expectations and lead by example, you demonstrate your commitment to creating a positive and productive work environment. This sets the tone for a successful onboarding experience and helps new hires feel confident and empowered in their new role.

By taking these steps, you can help ensure that new hires feel comfortable and supported as they begin their journey with your company.

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