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Learning How to Become a Virtual Assistant

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 21:24:32 GMT

My Personal Journey into a VA Career

Hello again!

I’ve been sharing on this blog about what a Virtual Assistant (VA) is and how they serve other businesses. Did you wonder how I arrived at this career path…and if it might be an option for you, too? Well, here’s how I became a virtual assistant….

Let’s travel to the not-so-distant past of 2020!

We can all think of several great things that happened in 2020 despite the chaos in the world at that time.

For me, opportunity knocked.

While maintaining my work-from-home status at a responsible and community-focused financial services company, I realized I liked working from home. This was a privilege my company gave me in the midst of the pandemic.

During that time, I learned and grew because of the circumstances at hand. And also because I found ways to branch out and learn new ways of doing things.

So, even while still working for Corporate America, I learned how to start my own virtual assistance business, which focuses on project management, blogging, research and marketing. I will throw in some old-fashioned administrative work for good measure if asked (or if I just can’t help myself!).

Speaking of learning,
what kind of training do VAs receive?

Personally, I arrived at my training accidentally!

I took a 15-week, intensive virtual assistant training course on becoming a virtual assistant in late 2020 from a reputable trainer familiar with virtual administrative work.

But…I took the course to learn more ways to become a better remote administrative assistant for my corporate work, and then to coach my fellow admin assistants on how to do their remote work well. (My corporate role involves training other admins.)

However, I learned so many exciting aspects of virtual assistance work

during that course that I realized I just HAD to start my own business!

I filled two notebooks covering everything from setting my work hours to understanding taxes as a solopreneur to managing client expectations to pitching my company to investors…and so much more!

I researched nearly everything related to starting a business in this niche, and I created multiple business documents—including a full business plan—as I prepared to get started!

After all of that, I filed a few documents with the government, set up my bookkeeping, started a Facebook page for my business, and started calling my list of prospective clients. (I guess I did a few more things than that, but that’s another blog post for another time.)

There you have it: The path I took to become a virtual assistant!
Well, a summary of it anyway. The full story would take a long time to tell!

After all of that, I continued my training…of course!

When I started Primer & Scout, LLC in January 2021, I knew I’d need to continue my virtual assistance skills training.

In addition to belonging to multiple Facebook groups for virtual assistants where I learn from others in the group, I follow successful virtual assistants, bloggers, and content creators to learn more about the niche I’ve chosen for my work.

And I’m always on the lookout for additional training opportunities, which often come in the form of webinars and week-long master classes!

But!!! Most of my training actually comes on the job

as I am hired to do tasks that are quite unique to the client’s needs.

For example, writing a blog post is different than writing a vlog (video blog) script…even though they are very similar in many ways!

I research, practice, and research some more, honing my skills as I go.

Like most of us, my past experience...

...is part of my current work.

Actually, I brought a more-than-adequate amount of experience with me when I started my VA business.

My “day job” is in the highly-regulated financial services field, where I served as a client service representative and administrative assistant to a busy financial representative for nearly 15 years.

I handled customer service activities like client phone calls, appointment setting, and lobby hospitality; account service work like accurately processing financial forms and applications as well as managing monetary transactions in a timely fashion; and learning how to use all the various systems, software, and apps needed in a busy financial services office.

Talk about on-the-job training!

I was often tasked with setting up efficiencies and new systems for doing our work more quickly while maintaining excellent levels of accuracy and customer service.

Along the way, I have also been a personnel supervisor, office manager, procedure developer, project manager, and corporate trainer for that same company, where I translate my past experience into training and process programs for my colleagues.

Bottom Line:
How does my past experience fit in with VA work?

For years, my time has been focused on providing first-class customer service to our clients while meeting the requirements a highly regulated industry can muster.

I wrote professional communications frequently to our clients and our teams, met deadlines while juggling multiple projects and priorities, figured out how to accomplish multiple tasks that came without a guidebook, led teams, and kept a cheerful outlook through it all.

Does this sound like what a VA might do as well?

If you said “yes,” you are correct!

Your ideal VA should come with these qualities, among others of course:
Professionalism, quality communication skills, ability to meet deadlines

and manage multiple priorities, learning potential, creativity, and a positive attitude.

Now, if you’re dreaming of the VA life and wondering whether you need the same skills as I have to be a VA, I would definitely say that you need some natural talent and background skills.

How do I train to be a virtual assistant?

Training beforehand and as you get started— and as you continue to grow your business —is almost always a must! Between the varied tasks that are outsourced to VAs and the evolving software/apps used to accomplish these tasks, there is a lot to learn!

Experience in customer service and administrative processes is very helpful in the work, too.

A quick online search reveals the many virtual assistance training programs, similar to the one I took, available today as this is becoming a booming career field! If you want to explore VA training options, my advice is to take classes from reputable sources. (Do your research or click the contact me button below to request some ideas!)

Confidence in your skills and abilities goes a long way in building rapport with your clients, vendors, and fellow VAs.

True confidence often comes from knowledge—

that is, knowing that you understand what you’re being asked to do or could figure it out

with a little research, practice, and elbow grease.

My goal as a virtual assistant is…

…To help solopreneurs and small business owners move on to more important projects by taking on the work that I can help them with: Project management, blogging, social media marketing, researching, keyword/SEO, and other administrative tasks.

I’m also delighted to share the lessons I’ve learned with other VAs (or prospective VAs) who are just getting started.

Click the Contact Me button below to connect with me!

A Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant

Sun, 08 May 2022 18:53:26 GMT

Sneak peek into the daily work of a real, live virtual assistant!

Hello, Friends!

Have you ever wondered what a Virtual Assistant’s (VA’s) typical day might be like? Let me give you a glimpse into my typical workday and a virtual assistance tasks list that just may inspire you to try something new!

This Virtual Assistant’s Typical Workday…

Because I also have a “day job,” my VA workday often starts around 5:30am. I’m usually up before the sun, and I take a little quiet time for my devotions, a cup of tea, and planning out my day first thing before settling at my desk around 5:30 or so.

Then, I’m on the clock for my clients working steadily away…and before I know it, it’s time to get ready for my corporate work and start my commute. I’m surprisingly creative and focused in the early morning, which was an astonishingly serendipitous turn of events for this Night Owl!

I check my VA emails on my phone at lunch time to make sure all is well, and then I pick up where I left off in the evenings after dinner. I set aside time for working IN my business as well as ON my business in the evenings.

Weekends—especially Saturdays!—are my primary time to work on bigger projects for clients, tackle writing for my blog and Facebook page, and take care of bookkeeping and other basic administrative work. I limit my work on Sundays as I try to observe Sabbath rest, though I do allow for some business work on those days.

My laptop is nearby most of the time I’m at home so I can work on projects or just clean up my email inbox in between other tasks.

‼ Pro Tip ‼

I post on my business’ social media page every day, and I use a scheduling tool (Hootsuite*)

so I don’t have to be online at the times I wish to post each day.

This tool tells me when my followers are most active so I can schedule my posts accordingly.

*Not a paid endorsement. I'm simply a happy customer. There are similar tools that do the same thing, and I started with Hootsuite so they currently have my loyalty.

Virtual Assistance Administrative Tasks:
The bread and butter for most VAs!

Let’s explore some of the administrative tasks that I and other VAs do for our clients.

For example, I recently helped a client with creating fillable PDF documents for his business. He had written his docs and formatted them attractively and professionally, and he was looking for help with making them more flexible and easier to use—both for himself and for his clients.

I imported his docs into Adobe Acrobat DC, a program that is user-friendly and fun to work with**, and then went to work reformatting them to fit the new fillable fields, adding the fields, and making the updates look neat and tidy as I finished. My goal was to hand over fully functional and beautiful documents after the changes were made.

A few months later, he rebranded his business and those documents came to me again for assistance. I transferred the information into newly branded templates, reformatted the documents with the new branding guidelines, and then converted them into fillable PDFs once again. Some would say that doing the same work twice over would be boring, but I enjoyed putting this fresh spin on these vital materials.

Administrative tasks like this are a welcome change of pace for me,

as I spend much of my VA time writing and researching for my clients.

**Again, not a paid endorsement. I’m simply a happy customer!

For a deeper dive into Virtual Assistance work, check out this post!

Much of my Virtual Assistance workday

is spent writing, and I love it!

What types of writing projects might a VA have in a day?

Well, there are requests from clients as well as assignments I give myself to help run my business and provide value-adds for my clients.

✔ I write for clients who need blog/vlog articles. This includes adding any research needed

along with contributing SEO-rich keywords and phrases to the articles.

✔ I write a series of weekly Facebook posts on my business’ page to (1) help

Facebook keep my business page on my followers’ newsfeeds, and more importantly

to (2) provide value!

✔ I write website and newsletter copy that helps prospects and clients learn more about a

company and their products and services. This copy is part of the customer journey that

(hopefully!) results in a sale.

✔ I write emails to clients to communicate project updates, answer questions, and generally

keep in good contact. I also email with their teammates, vendors, and business partners as

we work together on projects.

✔ I write proposals for prospective clients to let them know how I can help them and what my

exact plan is for doing so.

✔ I write plan implementation documents, summarizing my findings and recommendations, for

clients who contract me for business strategy and research assistance.

✔ I write branding style guides for clients who need me to follow their specific marketing

guidelines—including brand colors; font styles; company mottos, slogans, and taglines to use; and more!

✔ I write step-by-step instruction guides for tasks that are delegated to me where standard

procedures aren’t yet documented.

✔ I write notes on trainings I take, to-do lists, reminders for follow ups, personalized notes on

billing invoices, and so much more!

Let’s Talk about Researching!

As I mentioned, I’m often asked to complete projects that are unique to a particular client or to write on a theme that is directly related to a client’s industry. When I am asked to work on these projects, I may know a little, a lot, or nothing(!) about the topic at hand. This means research is in order!

I spend a lot of time asking these questions and tracking down answers, usually through reputable online resources:

✔ Who?

✔ What?

✔ When?

✔ Where?

✔ Why?

✔ How?

✔ How much?

✔ How often?

✔ What’s next?

When a client receives a completed project from me, I will have answered—in one way or another—as many of those questions as needed for the project to be finalized!

SEO and Keyword Research

If you pay much attention to Google, marketing, and social media trends, you know that keywords are quite literally, cash. The better the keywords your online writing contains, the better your ability to drive traffic to your site and your product! There’s a lot more to know about this, but in practical ways, it looks like this:

I have installed several Chrome extensions to help me track keywords for the writing work I do for myself and my clients. I can see which keywords are driving a lot of traffic, which ones are in high demand, which ones are low-hanging fruit, and so on.

I’ve learned from successful bloggers to research helpful keywords, then to write my copy for clarity and content value, and finally to plug in useful keywords and phrases that match my content and drive traffic.

I utilize this training for both my own posts and my clients’ posts as well!

What about Unique Projects for Clients?

There is certainly a sense of adventure when working as a VA! In one week recently, I tackled the following projects for clients:

✔ Added and named 86 tiny, fillable checkboxes on a list-type PDF document,

which is a lot more satisfying than you might suspect!

✔ Researched marketing options for an author who wants to place her novels

in the hands of more readers.

✔ Started a cost-benefit analysis for a client who is considering selling

her products through Shopify instead of Amazon.

Last month, I created specialized email templates for a client who regularly onboards new business coaching clients. These templates are designed to share important information with the coaching clients about what to expect in their first few sessions, as well as to constructively re-sell clients on the personal and professional value they’ll derive from being coached.

I also created a webpage for a client’s leadership training site, which helps their contracted event speakers know what to expect as they prepare and present their seminars at the training events. Later in the month, I provided copy and layout edits for this same website as the event details came together.

More recently, I received this assignment: One of my clients—a big-picture visionary—is currently updating his personal Mission, Vision, and Values statements for his personal use and to share with others who are writing their MVV statements for the first time. My role is to help clarify each piece of the MVV as it is developed and refined to make the MVV as useful as possible both for the client to line his work up to each day as well as for others to learn from during their own MVV journeys.

This variety of tasks is common for a VA,

even one who works in a particular virtual assistance niche, like I do.

There is a mix of project requests within each niche,

and that keeps every day interesting!

A Favorite Project…

As we close out this subject of “A Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant,” let’s chat about one of my favorite projects, as it helps us tie together the various elements of the work I do for my clients.

Recently, I finished a specialized strategic plan for a creative solopreneur. She designs and handmakes really beautiful home décor, and she was concerned that she might get so caught up in the creative process she loves that she might forget to keep track of some strategic marketing dates.

To address this, I pulled together tons of research on what creative makers pay attention to throughout the year, when they need to start creating inventory, when they should create marketing plans for each season’s/event’s collections, and how they might launch their sales successfully.

I also researched other business-related items a creative solopreneur needs to remember —like filing quarterly taxes, creating annual sales and production goals, reviewing the annual strategic plan, researching industry trends, applying to shows and events, ordering supplies, and keeping up with a social media marketing strategy, among many other tasks.

All of these items became a personalized, quick-reference chart for that solopreneur to use during the year. I drew on my administrative knowledge of Microsoft Word to create this colorful, at-a-glance document that the client can update on her own as needed or refer back to me with her notes for revisions. (If she were a Google Docs user, I could have created and housed it there as well!)

If “A Day in th e Life of a Virtual Assistant” interests you

because you’re either an overwhelmed solopreneur or small business owner

who needs an extra set of hands…

or because you’re looking for a new adventure in your career,

let’s talk soon!

Five Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help with Marketing

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 19:36:53 GMT

Does your small business or solopreneurship have a marketing plan?
Here’s how a virtual assistant can help small business owners or solopreneurs with this vital task.

Greetings!

It’s wonderful to see you again! Today, we’re looking at five ways a virtual assistant may help you with marketing for your small business or solopreneurship!

How Can a Virtual Assistant Help

with Your Marketing Services?

Think about this: How much time are you spending online (or elsewhere!) trying to learn the trends of your market, your clients, and that crazy thing typically called only by its initials (SEO)? Could your time and energy be better spent elsewhere in your business?

Since so much of today’s FREE or low-cost marketing is done online—in a company’s blog or their social media accounts—this will be the main focus in this post!

Many VAs now specialize—to one extent or another—in social media marketing and management. Social media provides a robust platform for advertising a business of any size, along with its products and services.

Studies show that many prospective customers need to see an advertisement
NEARLY 10 TIMES
before they will even consider investigating the showcased product!

This means that businesses must be strategic with their marketing.

However, many solopreneurs and small business owners find that creating, curating, and maintaining a social media presence takes time and energy…and a certain type of creativity!

This is where your VA can leap to your aid!

Five Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help with
Your Business’ Marketing!

Again, we’re looking at low-cost, HIGH-IMPACT marketing tools in this post. So, let’s talk about communication with your clients, marketing plans, and related topics!

Likely, you have set up a website for your company, and you communicate regularly with your clients through that site, newsletters (or e-newsletters), and social media. Right?

Additionally, you’ve given some thought to…and perhaps even paid a consultant for…a marketing plan!

Here’s a question to ponder today:
How much time are you,
as a solopreneur or small business owner,
able to give to your marketing plan?

Think on that as we delve into ideas to make this part of your business work better for you!

Let’s explore five key ways a virtual assistant
can develop and execute portions
of your marketing plan!

I even threw in a few bonus ideas...and these only scratch the surface!

Your VA can…

1. Apply your strategic marketing plan across multiple communication channels —social media,

website and blog, newsletters, and other marketing campaigns. And if you don’t have a strategic

marketing plan, they can likely help you create one!

Bonus Tip: A VA can also help curate content for these channels to help you become a thought leader in your circle of influence. Additionally, you can task them with writing, researching, and curating on-brand content for your channels thereby helping to drive traffic to your business.

2. Use social media to showcase your products and services to your community by writing and

scheduling your social media posts as well as designing graphics for those posts.

Bonus Tip: Repurposing current content into fresh campaigns is another niche service a virtual assistant could provide!

3. Perform Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and keyword research to aid internet search

engines in finding your product more quickly and effectively on your website, blog, or online

store. This can even include writing optimized product descriptions for your online catalog!

4. Assist and resource your clients and prospects by moderating comments on your blog or

social media, as well as plan new communication pieces and marketing campaigns based on

customer feedback.

Bonus Tip: VAs can help ensure that your written content aligns with your brand and is posted frequently to build and maintain a customer following.

5. Update and/or design marketing collateral such as sales funnels and landing pages, as well

as other media. This can include editing/proofreading content you’ve written for clarity,

conciseness, accuracy, grammar, and your brand’s authentic voice.

Remember when I asked you…

...If you have set up a website for your company, and if you communicate regularly

with your clients through that site, newsletters (or e-newsletters), and social media?

...How much time are you, as a solopreneur/small business owner, able to give to your

marketing plan?

What did you conclude? Are you the…

❇ writer,
❇ researcher,
❇ planner,
❇ editor,
❇ proofreader,
❇ layout specialist,
❇ designer,
❇ photographer,
❇ mailing list creator,
❇ mail merger,
❇ curator,
❇ moderator,
❇ correspondent,
❇ developer, and
❇ ad copy writer at your establishment?

How did it feel to realize that you don’t have to

carry your marketing plan by yourself?

To know that there’s someone out there

who can help?

It felt great, right?

So, let’s talk! Contact me at the button below and let me know which parts of your marketing plan and practices create the most stress for you.

I’ll be glad to work with you to manage your existing plan or help devise a new one designed to help relieve your stress while reaching your customers and prospects!

Spring Cleaning for the Solopreneur!

drake.elisabeth@gmail.com — Sun, 03 Apr 2022 19:03:04 GMT

Refresh your small business for a productive year!

Welcome in, friends!

As I mentioned in an earlier post , most virtual assistants love sharing and using organizational tools, so let’s talk about this productivity plan for solopreneurs and small business owners: Spring Cleaning!

Now, this idea of spring cleaning is not a new concept for most of us. We likely grew up watching our families clean out and tidy up as the weather got warmer and the days grew a little longer each Spring. For many of us, we follow these ideals for ourselves in our own homes and perhaps other parts of our lives. The ideas here aren’t new.

But…

…When was the last time you put them into practice in your workspace?

Quick Win Basics:
What does Spring Cleaning look like for the business owner?

At the time of this writing, it’s Springtime 2022, and the world has been through a tough couple of years. It feels like a good time to do a thorough cleaning of our businesses and our mindsets.

So, let’s explore ways to renew our workspaces. Let’s renew our focus to find greater meaning in our work!

Here are several tips to inspire us to action and get our creativity flowing. While these lists are not exhaustive, they can be ideal jumping off points.

Let’s go!

Physical Workspace Tips:

Maintain a tidy workspace: Take five minutes at the end of every day to clear off your desk, workbench, kitchen table, or whatever surfaces you use for your primary work each day.

At first, you may feel you need more than five minutes for this project, but as it becomes habit and you maintain an orderliness that works for you, the necessary time will shrink!

Try to be methodical about this. Place each project’s materials together, recycle/shred/pitch now-unneeded notes and items, file or stack papers, folders, or supplies neatly in the drawer or cubby, and so on.

The benefits are boundless! Not only does this make you feel great about seeing that vast expanse of cleared prime real estate…but…

You also know that your project details are once again all together, and you don’t have to search through unwieldy stacks to get started on tomorrow’s work,
You’ve cleared the way for new, creative thoughts to blossom where clutter once distracted and overwhelmed you, and
If your priorities shift based on your next day’s to-do list, space is already made for launching into that job immediately the next time you sit down to work!

2. Speaking of to-do lists, this tidy-up process could fit very nicely with making the next day’s

3-Item To Do list ! Read more about that here!

As you clear your space, take note of any additional open to-do’s that aren’t yet on your list or that you forgot to prioritize.

3. As you make a habit of your daily workspace tidy-up, pay attention to the new ideas you

have for decluttering or better organizing your workspace…or your work…to create greater efficiencies!

Carry through with your ideas. Experiment and learn! Create workflows and habits that work for you.

Digital Workspace Tips:

Clean up your email inbox! Schedule time to…

Archive, delete, or file unneeded messages.
Make use of OneNote or Evernote (or similar apps) to organize and maintain reference materials that arrive via email.
Set up automatic filters and rules to manage incoming messages going forward.
Create templates for your most-used email messages and replies in order to communicate quickly and uniformly with just a few clicks.
Set a habit of managing your inbox on a regular basis you don’t miss important to-do items in the midst of low-priority messages.

2. Tidy up your company’s website! These digital marketing areas collect clutter just like the

rest of our business spaces.

Take time to review and update blog posts with current links, product info, images, and supporting data. Archive posts that no longer serve your customers.
Browse your online product catalogs. Remove obsolete items and descriptions, and generally ensure that your offerings are up to date.
Pro Tip: This is the perfect time to review your overall inventory.

Optimize your best sellers and decide what to do with the underperformers.

Do you need to revamp your product line or research new vendors?

Do you feature photos on your website? Update your photos and be sure to use appropriate web tools to reduce photo file size so your site loads quickly.

3. Bonus online tips! While you’re clearing away digital clutter, look into these proactive

sales and service tools associated with your company’s website and online presence.

Are your customers reaching out to you via your website? Are you and your team proactively responding to messages, and does your website help convert those contacts to sales?
Find out: Does your website work well on a mobile device? A responsive, mobile-optimized site is crucial for building confidence and sales with today’s customers.
Perform a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) check. Are the search engines finding your site easily and quickly? If not, look into options for reviving your SEO right away!
Are your Calls to Action (CTAs) clear, current, and linked to your featured products and services?
Take a few moments to identify top-quality sales and service content from your website that can be repurposed into social media posts and newsletter eBlasts to better serve your clients and prospects.
Or vice-versa. What’s proven helpful to your customers on your business’ social media or email communications that could be useful on your company’s site?
Engage with research on current tech trends for the type of business you own. What technologies should be upgraded soon to serve your clients well and keep your competitive edge?

Before we move to the final workspace list, here are two additional items

to consider now that we’ve made room in our spaces:

1. Review your business plan! After all, you spent a lot of time creating it, and it is the

touchstone of your company’s mission and operations.

Set aside ample time to read and update it now.

Review it on a quarterly basis, with a deep-dive audit of it annually.

2. Be in touch with your clients! This seems like an obvious daily task, yet—because of our

busy schedules—the need to be intentional on this point is imperative!

We have wonderful clients, and we’ve cultivated relationships with them over the years that we would like to continue for years to come.

Who haven’t you heard from in some time? Pick up the phone, mail a handwritten note, or send an email to those customers. Reconnect and offer to help them. Make your company top-of-mind for them once again. You never know where it will lead!

Mental Workspace Tips:

Spring is the perfect time to renew our focus to find greater meaning in our work.

This often means stepping away from our work…

...even if just for a few moments at a time…

...to make space for all the good things!

A handful of inspiring ideas to get us started–

1. Maintain a sense of humor and take time for some self care!

We care well for others when we are filled up and charged up...and not taking ourselves too seriously.

Finding ways to genuinely enjoy life—in both the mundane and the miraculous—is a gift worth giving to ourselves and then overflowing to others.

2. Embrace an attitude of gratitude.

I know it’s a cliché…but set that knowledge aside for the moment.

Let’s focus instead on finding time each day to reflect on our blessings and discover ways that we might extend blessing to others.

3. Be intentional with our time, focus, and energy. Here are a couple of Holly Mann quotes

that resonated with me recently—

❇ Time is a nonrenewable resource that you can’t get back once it’s gone.

❇ I have more than enough time to enjoy the life I intentionally create.

4. Continue in a growth mindset! Spring’s new life is the perfect time to reset our thinking!

Carol Dweck, the researcher behind the idea of a growth mindset said this:

Individuals who believe their talents can be developed

(through hard work, good strategies, and input from others)

have a growth mindset.

They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset

(those who believe their talents are innate gifts).

This is because they worry less about looking smart

and they put more energy into learning.

5. Appreciate the moments! We each have just one life, and we spend a lot of time racing from

one task or responsibility to the next.

Set aside time each day or each week to reflect on your blessings—small or large.

Use a gratitude journal or a quiet moment of pr ayer and thankfulness to mark those moments as valuable and significant.

And What Else?

Thanks for stopping by today! It’s delightful to have you here!

Now, if you are a small business owner or solopreneur who loves creating ways to boost productivity but is having trouble finding time to power through all of these cleaning lists…let alone cross anything off of them, then you and I just may be meant to be business partners!

But first, simply pick one thing off one of these lists and start there!

Finish that task, and then work your way through a handful more.

Then, consider this:

My strategic-planning and administrative skills lend themselves well to sorting through the “stuff” to create organized, efficient spaces for productivity! This is part of the value virtual assistance can bring to your business.

Click on the contact me button below to connect with me on this topic!

Quick Win: The 3-Item To Do List!

Sun, 20 Feb 2022 21:03:03 GMT

Check out this tried-and-true productivity method!

Greetings!

In honor of my third post here at the Primer & Scout, LLC blog, I thought we could tackle a topic that includes three of something! Most virtual assistants love sharing and using organizational tools, so let’s talk about the THREE-Item To Do List, a Quick Win project for us this week!

This Quick Win is useful, no matter what you do or where you work.

Quick Win Basics: What is a Three-Item To Do List?

There are many variations on this theme of the “Three-Item To Do List,” with multiple time- and task-management gurus having their corner on the Three Items Variations Market, so let’s keep it simple for clarity’s sake.

The basic idea is to start each day with a list of the main three tasks we each must accomplish that day based on our priorities—work, personal, or both.

Studies show that we humans do well
with a small—yet carefully crafted—list of tasks to achieve daily.

So, at the end of each day (or the start of the day, depending on preference), it’s recommended that we thoughtfully review our outstanding items and choose the THREE MOST IMPORTANT TASKS to put at the top of the list and to tackle first and foremost.

Checking those Very Important Tasks off the list indicates a successful day and keeps our motivation flowing for the more mundane work ahead.

I started using this method four years ago when I discovered a daily planner with a section for “Today’s Top Three” at the tippy-top of the To-Do List column and my life was changed forever!

Speaking of life-changing, you’ll have to bear with me and the hyphens in this topic title! I purposely dropped one hyphen out for ease of reading…but don’t tell my high school English teacher, who also happens to be my mom!

How to get started with the Three-Item To Do List!

So, you’re ready to write down your Top 3 Priority Items, and you’re wondering HOW???

How to narrow down to just three.
How to prioritize the three tasks you just wrote down.
How to get three actual things done in the midst of your busy days.

Am I right?

No worries!

Simply start here:

Before you dive into reacting to your day, review your goals and your calendar. What are your urgent priorities? What do you need to accomplish today to feel…well, accomplished?

These are the items that go in your Three-Item To Do List.
(For simplicity, we’ll refer to this hereafter as the 3ITDL.)

These should be substantive tasks—large or small—that will make a difference to pushing you and your priorities forward.

Then, move into thinking about this:

Depending on your set of priorities, your 3ITDL may be the exact same items every day for a week, a month, a year. Or you may need/prefer to define a new 3ITDL for each day.

Either way is fine. It’s your list! You get to choose how it works best for you!

What if there are more than three items on the list?!

This 3ITDL is a powerful tool! But what if you have more than three items to accomplish in a day? Are you still allowed to do those jobs if you adopt the amazing 3ITDL?

THE ANSWER IS YES!

Everyone has many more than three tasks that must be done each day. You likely have at least 300 for every day.

Your 3ITDL is meant to move you forward on your most-important work, but it is not the only to-do list you can make.

After you have identified your top three priorities that you will tackle first and/or foremost, you may fill in below that list (or create a separate list) with your other to-do items like sending out that meeting-recap email, dropping off the dry cleaning, writing a thank you note, signing the kids up for soccer camp, tackling yet another small chunk of that long-term project, and so on.

For example, my planner has a long To-Do column, with that section headed by “Today’s Top 3.” Below that sits the regular, old “To-Do List” waiting for no fewer than 20 potential non-Top 3 tasks!

To be honest, I often cram multiple tasks onto the non-Top 3 lines.

But, as long as my Top 3 items are checked off at day’s end

(barring any unforeseen issues with accomplishing those tasks),

it was a good day’s work, and I can close my planner for the day

knowing that most important work was completed!

If you’re interested in how that style of planner might work for you, check out the free printables offered by the publisher ( https://daydesigner.com/pages/try-our-pages ).

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Day Designer and do not earn any commission for this referral.

Need help getting started?

As we wind down this Quick Win discussion of the powerful 3ITDL, let’s explore how to get started with the list! I know this seems like backtracking, but stick with me!

What is the best way to arrive at your Top 3 Items?

Well, there are two typical methods, and you might choose the one that works best for you.

Method #1: Brain dump every task you can think of for the day (or week), and then choose your Top 3 from that mega-list of large and small items.

Method #2: Review your day/week, decide on your Top 3, and then everything else goes into the common to-do list.

Of course, there’s always an exception…and that’s where I live! (You, too, you say?) I tend toward Method #2 but often find myself adding my less-important tasks to the common list while working to define my Top 3, so I jump between my 3ITDL and my common list. It works out in the end!

What’s next?

First of all, thanks for stopping by today! It’s always wonderful to see you!

Second, I would love to learn from you about your typical to-do list! Do you use a variation of the 3ITDL? What does your list tend to look like? Is it a daily list? Weekly? (Or broader than that?) And how do you a rrive at what you add to your list?

If you have a powerhouse method, click on the contact me button to let me know your best practices. I would love to update this post someday soon with your idea!

Now, if you are a small business owner or solopreneur who is having tr ouble finding time to make your list…let alone cross anything off of it, then you and I are probably meant to be business partners (and pals!).

My strategic-planning and administrative skills lend themselves well to sorting through the “stuff” to create an organized space for productivity! This is part of the value virtual assistance can bring to your business.

Click on the contact me button below to connect with me on this topic!

What is a Virtual Assistant…and Why Would I Need One?

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 11:51:10 GMT

What small business owners and solopreneurs need to know about hiring a virtual assistant.

Hello!

Welcome in again to Primer & Scout, LLC’s blog! Let’s chat about an introduction to what we do here: Virtual Assistance! First of all, what is a virtual assistant and what do they do? And why would a small business owner or solopreneur benefit from hiring a virtual assistant?

I’m so glad you asked!

What is a virtual assistant?

The quick answer is that a virtual assistant is hired by a business to work on certain tasks or types of tasks, generally from a remote location rather than on the company’s premises.

For ease, let’s use the acronym “VA” to represent the term virtual assistant throughout this article.

Some VAs work from home, from coffee shops, or from shared workspaces. Some work from RV parks or rental homes (or the beach!) as they travel the world. It can be glamorous, though most of the VAs I know work primarily from their home office or a collaborative space. Probably not quite as glamorous!

Most VAs are independent contractors. They typically own their VA business, and they contract with other business owners to provide assistance services. Generally, they do not become employees of the company they serve. They file taxes as a business owner, and not as an employee.

Some VAs are employed through a VA agency that becomes the liaison with clients and helps to match a VA with a business owner who needs their assistance. We are seeing more of these types of firms as the VA industry grows.

Why would a small business owner or solopreneur benefit from having virtual assistance?

Businesses of any size can use a VA’s services, and they do! Even large corporations utilize this part of the workforce for certain types of tasks, like microtasking, that are easier to outsource than to manage in house. Another topic for another day!

However, we find that the businesses getting the most bang for their buck are small businesses and solopreneurs.

I’ll explain why in a minute.

Now what does a virtual assistant do?

What types of tasks might a VA handle on a daily basis?

Some VAs handle a range of garden-variety administrative responsibilities typical to running a business.

Others specialize in “niche” roles such as supporting business owners through their social media marketing or copywriting skills.

Some—like yours truly—do both!

Here are some ideas of typical, general tasks a VA might undertake—

Performing data entry (inventory, client database, recordkeeping, etc.) from a business' records.
Creating templates for common business communications (letters, emails, etc.) based on a company's specific needs.
Making travel arrangements and managing scheduling and calendars.
Corresponding via phone or email with clients, business partners, and vendors.
Transcribing business documentation.
Researching key items for a firm's production.
Ordering supplies and inventory.
And more, depending on a business' unique requirements!

Many VAs intersperse the general tasks among more specialized work that they provide to their business partners.

These specializations are considered the VA’s “niche,” and this is where a VA can really shine! Often, a VA’s niche is the work they enjoy the most, where they have the most training and experience, and where they are their most creative.

Some niche roles include—

Social Media Management which can include setting up social media profiles; developing content calendars; creating and scheduling posts; curating content; monitoring and responding to activity; providing engagement on your chosen social media platforms; and more
Blogging which can include strategizing a marketing plan; developing content calendars; creating and formatting content to post; integrating Search Engine Optimization (SEO) research; monitoring and responding to activity on the blog; and more
Graphic Design which can include designing logos and branding; updating brochures and marketing materials; crafting presentations and infographics; creating landing pages and digital ads; and more
Website Design which can include building and customizing websites; strategizing web-based marketing plans; creating a cohesive online brand; creating landing pages and digital ads; making sure your site is compliant with disclosures/disclaimers; and more
Bookkeeping which can include handling A/P and A/R; reconciling bank statements; mailing invoices and payment reminders to clients; maintaining financial recordkeeping software; preparing sales tax submissions; and more
Marketing which can include creating ads and posts that drive traffic to your business; organizing newsletters and email marketing campaigns; strategizing web-based marketing plans; creating a cohesive online brand; creating sales funnels and landing pages; and more
Some of these niches actually overlap each other, and you’ll find that certain VAs include more in their niche work than what is listed here.

Or, a VA may specialize in a certain retail sector, such as—

Real Estate
Finance
Healthcare
Law
Engineering
Marketing
Insurance
IT
Accounting and Bookkeeping
And others!

In these cases, the VA knows a great deal about the industry they serve, and they know how to do most of the specialized administrative tasks required by that sector. They will likely have additional licensing or certifications that require them to stay updated on industry changes and that allow them to do extremely specialized work within that field.

Remember when I mentioned that small businesses may reap an amazing benefit from hiring a virtual assistant?

Here’s why:

A small business owner or solopreneur has limited capacity within themselves to get everything done that their business needs. There’s nothing wrong with this! Their strategic and creative juices are needed elsewhere in their company.

They may also have limited resources available to recruit and hire top talent for a full-time or even a part-time position at their company.

These businesses often run with lean teams who need to be freed up to handle the most vital tasks of the company.

Enter the VA, who can be hired to work remotely on either mundane or specialized projects, to assist on either a case-by-case or full-time basis, and/or to pinch hit or manage large parts of the business.

Notice the flexibility this partner—or team of partners, depending on the business need—brings to the business!

Meantime, the business owner wouldn’t necessarily offer standard, HR-type accommodations to a VA, such as training, benefits, office space, equipment, and so on, resulting in a probable cost savings over hiring and onboarding an employee the typical way.

How do I hire a virtual assistant?

Great question!

There are options to find a VA who is available for work: Many VAs have their own websites, so an online search will certainly bring up a few hits. Some VAs can be found on freelancing sites such as Upwork and Fiverr. Others belong to VA agencies, which handle the day-to-day details of connecting business owners and VAs.

My favorite method of finding a new VA is word-of-mouth advertising!

Happy customers’ referrals are my preferred way of growing my VA business.

Once you find a VA (or agency) you’re interested in hiring, the VA should be able to guide you through the process of the opening interview (often known as a Discovery Call), the fact-finding phase of matching your business’ needs with their skill set, the proposal, and the contract.

Remember that the business owner hiring on the extra assistance is not the VA’s employer. The VA is her own boss, unless there’s a VA agency as the mediator, and your new VA will have a plan to move from the initial contact to the start of work!

While the solopreneur or small business owner should have a well-developed idea of what they want their VA to accomplish, as well as the standards and deadlines for that work, this process does not follow the usual hiring criteria.

What now?

Are you intrigued by the idea of bringing a VA onto your bench? If so, let’s talk!
Are you thinking of all the tasks you, as a small business owner, get bogged down in constantly? If so, let’s talk!
Are you dreaming of ways to restore your work-life balance to a sustainable level? If so, let’s talk!

I’d love to explain more about how VA services can be tailored to your business need so you and your team can get back to doing more of the creative, strategic work that only you can do.

Click on the Contact Me button below to get the conversation started!

Thanks for stopping by!

Now, let’s go get a refill on our coffee, tea, or Coke, and plan to come back soon for additional articles on virtual assistance, productivity and organization hacks, business best practices, and other ideas that can help make our work-life balance easier!

Welcome to the Primer & Scout Blog!

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 11:46:31 GMT

So glad you're here! Read on for a guide to the Primer & Scout blog.

Hello!

Welcome to Primer & Scout, LLC and to our blog! About a year ago, I decided to take the plunge and start my own virtual assistance firm serving small business owners and solopreneurs. Now, I’m excited to unveil our website and this blog!

It’s a joy and honor to have you visit here, and I look forward to learning how I may serve you!

What Primer & Scout, LLC is all about . . .

In case we haven’t yet met, I’m Elisabeth, a creatively concrete, extroverted introvert who loves weaving words together into that perfect turn of phrase. I also love espresso.

You’ll find me working in jeans or in a business suit, because I believe in being adaptable and resourceful to best serve your company’s needs.

Authenticity and details matter, as does strategically putting everything in its rightful, settled place.

I come to you with over 15 years of administrative experience, and the way I describe my current work is like this—

I help build communities and livelihoods by returning business owners
to the people and work that mean the most to them.

This freedom allows solopreneurs and small business owners to gather back their precious time and energy in order to focus on the work
that only they can do.

My calling is to help you achieve that balance!

What this blog is all about . . .

So, what types of posts will you see on this blog? How about a range of topics including. . .

Productivity and organization hacks,
Business best practices,
Featured solopreneurs and small businesses,
Goal setting and strategic planning,
Hints for working with a virtual assistant,
Inspirational ideas,
Mini how-to guides, and
So much more!

My goal is for readers to find new ideas, helpful tips, and professional content to help their businesses grow! We keep the tone friendly and practical around here, so you know you can settle in and stay for a while…or grab and go with some useful, quick tips!

Thank you for being here!

Thank you for stopping by and reading this first blog post. I appreciate you and invite you to visit regularly.

No matter where you are on your business journey, we have resources and content to support you in taking the steps to become more successful in your work!

drake-1

Learning How to Become a Virtual Assistant

My Personal Journey into a VA Career

Hello again!

I’ve been sharing on this blog about what a Virtual Assistant (VA) is and how they serve other businesses. Did you wonder how I arrived at this career path…and if it might be an option for you, too? Well, here’s how I became a virtual assistant….

Let’s travel to the not-so-distant past of 2020!

Speaking of learning, what kind of training do VAs receive?

After all of that, I continued my training…of course!

Like most of us, my past experience...

...is part of my current work.

Bottom Line: How does my past experience fit in with VA work?

Does this sound like what a VA might do as well?

If you said “yes,” you are correct!

﻿ How do I train to be a virtual assistant?

My goal as a virtual assistant is…

A Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant

Sneak peek into the daily work of a real, live virtual assistant!

Hello, Friends!

Have you ever wondered what a Virtual Assistant’s (VA’s) typical day might be like? Let me give you a glimpse into my typical workday and a virtual assistance tasks list that just may inspire you to try something new!

This Virtual Assistant’s Typical Workday…

Virtual Assistance Administrative Tasks: The bread and butter for most VAs!

For a deeper dive into Virtual Assistance work, check out this post!

Much of my Virtual Assistance workday

is spent writing, and I love it!

Let’s Talk about Researching!

SEO and Keyword Research

﻿

What about Unique Projects for Clients?

A Favorite Project…

Five Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help with Marketing

Does your small business or solopreneurship have a marketing plan? Here’s how a virtual assistant can help small business owners or solopreneurs with this vital task.

Greetings!

It’s wonderful to see you again! Today, we’re looking at five ways a virtual assistant may help you with marketing for your small business or solopreneurship!

How Can a Virtual Assistant Help

with Your Marketing Services?

Think about this: How much time are you spending online (or elsewhere!) trying to learn the trends of your market, your clients, and that crazy thing typically called only by its initials (SEO)? Could your time and energy be better spent elsewhere in your business?

Since so much of today’s FREE or low-cost marketing is done online—in a company’s blog or their social media accounts—this will be the main focus in this post!

Five Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help with Your Business’ Marketing!

Let’s explore five key ways a virtual assistant can develop and execute portions of your marketing plan!

How did it feel to realize that you don’t have to

carry your marketing plan by yourself? To know that there’s someone out there

who can help?

Spring Cleaning for the Solopreneur!

Refresh your small business for a productive year!

Welcome in, friends!

As I mentioned in an earlier post , most virtual assistants love sharing and using organizational tools, so let’s talk about this productivity plan for solopreneurs and small business owners: Spring Cleaning!

But…

…When was the last time you put them into practice in your workspace?

﻿

Quick Win Basics: What does Spring Cleaning look like for the business owner?

And What Else?

Quick Win: The 3-Item To Do List!

Check out this tried-and-true productivity method!

Greetings!

This Quick Win is useful, no matter what you do or where you work. Quick Win Basics: What is a Three-Item To Do List?

How to get started with the Three-Item To Do List!

Simply start here:

What if there are more than three items on the list?!

What is a Virtual Assistant…and Why Would I Need One?

What small business owners and solopreneurs need to know about hiring a virtual assistant.

Hello!

What is a virtual assistant?

Why would a small business owner or solopreneur benefit from having virtual assistance?

Now what does a virtual assistant do?

Here are some ideas of typical, general tasks a VA might undertake—

Remember when I mentioned that small businesses may reap an amazing benefit from hiring a virtual assistant?

Here’s why:

How do I hire a virtual assistant?

Great question!

What now?

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome to the Primer & Scout Blog!

Hello!

Welcome to Primer & Scout, LLC and to our blog! About a year ago, I decided to take the plunge and start my own virtual assistance firm serving small business owners and solopreneurs. Now, I’m excited to unveil our website and this blog!

What Primer & Scout, LLC is all about . . .

What this blog is all about . . .

So, what types of posts will you see on this blog? How about a range of topics including. . .

Thank you for being here!

Thank you for stopping by and reading this first blog post. I appreciate you and invite you to visit regularly.

And someday soon, I hope we’ll be working together. I’m already excited about that!

Speaking of learning,
what kind of training do VAs receive?

Bottom Line:
How does my past experience fit in with VA work?

How do I train to be a virtual assistant?

Virtual Assistance Administrative Tasks:
The bread and butter for most VAs!

Does your small business or solopreneurship have a marketing plan?
Here’s how a virtual assistant can help small business owners or solopreneurs with this vital task.

Five Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help with
Your Business’ Marketing!

Let’s explore five key ways a virtual assistant
can develop and execute portions
of your marketing plan!

carry your marketing plan by yourself?

To know that there’s someone out there

Quick Win Basics:
What does Spring Cleaning look like for the business owner?

This Quick Win is useful, no matter what you do or where you work.

Quick Win Basics: What is a Three-Item To Do List?

If you wish to connect with me,
just click on the Contact button below and fill in the form.
I'll be in touch with you soon!