Outsourcing to a VA: Tasks, benefits, service providers, tips

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From data entry and accounting to improving customer support and digital marketing — Virtual Assistants (VAs) can do various tasks.

While the process of outsourcing to a VA can sound intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. All you need to do is identify the tasks you want to outsource, reliable job platforms, and a few effective tips.

So, what type of task should you be outsourcing to a VA?

And more importantly, why should you be doing it?

In this article, we’ll cover the top 50 tasks for outsourcing to a VA, the benefits of outsourcing to a VA, and three efficient ways to hire a genuine VA for your business. We’ll also highlight some tips to help you get started.

Table of Contents

• Outsourcing to a VA: Top 50 tasks
• 3 amazing benefits of outsourcing to a VA
• How to find a genuine VA for your business
• 6 smart tips for hiring a VA

Let’s dive in.

Outsourcing to a VA: Top 50 tasks

A virtual assistant is an individual who offers various services to a small business owner, busy entrepreneur, or even businesses, from a remote location. They can do a host of things like performing research, content writing, and social media management. 

Outsourcing to a VA refers to hiring a VA outside of your organization to perform a specific task that is typically done in-house.

Here’s a detailed look at the top 50 virtual assistant services you can outsource:

A. Administrative tasks

Administrative work can be time-consuming yet necessary. That’s why it’s better to outsource tasks like these.

For instance, tasks like email management or handling customer queries can take up a lot of time of a small business owner or an entrepreneur that they can otherwise use to focus on essential activities. 

That’s where a general VA can help. They can perform the tasks of a receptionist, account manager, project manager, or anything you need – just like a personal assistant. 

However, these VAs work from a remote location. This can help you save on overhead costs like providing work devices, additional stationery, etc.  

Some of the most common administrative tasks include:

1. Manage and filter emails on a daily basis.
2. Set up autoresponders in Aweber or Mailchimp.
3. Perform receptionist duties like answering phone calls.
4. Calendar management.
5. Organize files using Dropbox etc.
6. Update email or contacts in an Excel spreadsheet.
7. Purchase gifts for loved ones or family members online.
8. Transcribe voicemail, video or audio, podcasts, etc.
9. Take down minutes of meetings or webinars.
10. Create basic reports like reports on weekly tasks, deliverables, or sales.
11. Prepare PowerPoint presentations or slideshows.
12. Liaison between you and other team members.

B. Research

Whether it’s launching a new product, keeping up with the latest news, or looking for articles like the one you’re reading now, you need to do a lot of research.

And while it can be time-consuming, it’s necessary for keeping your business running smoothly.

Moreover, some research tasks like watching for announcements about products or services that you use or monitoring fluctuations in prices are ongoing. 

This can take up a lot of your time. 

So what should you do?

Simple: Outsource to a VA.

Let’s find out what a VA can do for you:

13. Collect information about your potential clients before a sales presentation. 
14. Perform competitor analyses and other in-depth research tasks.
15. Research certain topics for blog posts, newsletters, or others.
16. Go through online networking sites to find potential business opportunities or new target audiences.
17. Look for any new developments or trending news in your field of business.
18. Read reviews or get quotes for anything you wish to buy online.

C. Client Relationship Management (CRM)

Client management can involve a lot of tasks, especially if you have tons of clients. And even if you have a CRM tool, you need a dedicated individual to keep track of your clients.

That’s why it can be a good idea to outsource your client relationship management and customer service tasks to a VA.

Some of the CRM tasks that you can delegate to your VA are:

19. Advertise the company in various online groups for new client acquisition.
20. Perform online market research for prospective new clients.
21. Send client invoices.
22. Follow up with clients for feedback on projects.
23. Manage online client reviews for reporting.
24. Handle customer issues and make a report.
25. Create and send thank you postcards to clients.

D. Travel planning

Instead of tracking flight ticket prices every day to see if they have dropped, you can get a VA to do it for you. They can even help you find and book hotels.

In fact, your virtual assistant can plan most of the trip for you!

Some other tasks that you can outsource are:

26. Map out business trip itineraries. 
27. Reschedule or cancel flights.
28. Perform web check-in beforehand.
29. Exchange currencies.
30. Arrange a car rental to take you to other places. 
31. Make dinner reservations.
32. Find tickets for events like an open workshop or theater shows near the travel location.
33. Send travel plan reminders.

E. Social media management

Do you spend hours every week answering social media messages, responding to comments, or posting content to build your digital presence?

Then you can easily free up your time by delegating such tasks.

Decide whether you want to outsource your company’s social media handling, your personal social media accounts, or both. Business owners can create a personal brand on social media sites – something that needs time and attention that a VA can spare. 

For instance, if you’re passionate about going green, you can build an e-commerce brand that promotes environmentally friendly products and practices. 

Here’s a quick look at some of the social media marketing and management tasks you can outsource:

34. Set up social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Youtube.
35. Manage and update social media accounts.
36. Manage your WordPress blog.
37. Filter and reply to comments on all social media accounts.
38. Participate in discussion forums or message boards to increase engagement.
39. Identify online trends.
40. Set up an automated system for scheduling posts.

F. Content writing

Content creation can be trickier than it sounds. 

A professional content writer or blogger will create content that: 

• Addresses a specific audience.
• Carries the right tone based on the type of content.
• Conveys your point across in short, crisp sentences.

So, let’s check out some things that you can outsource to a content writer VA:

41. Create a blog post, newsletter, press release, ebook, or other written content. 
42. Develop the right SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and online marketing strategy.
43. Guest posting and guest blogging.
44. Publish extensive how-to guides and industry-related book reviews.
45. Translate company marketing materials into other languages.

G. Graphic designing

While anyone can learn to do basic photo editing, not everyone has the time. Even simple edits can take hours. It takes even longer if you’re not experienced.

Your virtual assistant can help you with some of these creative and complex tasks:

46. Recruit another virtual team member like a graphic artist.
47. Design advertisements like banners, side panel graphics, etc.
48. Design logos, ebook covers, headers, icons, and other social media graphics.
49. Create and edit basic graphic design tasks on Photoshop and other image editing software.
50. Design brochures for product launches or investment pitches.

Certainly, there are tons of virtual assistant tasks that you can outsource. 

However, that’s not all!

Some other tasks that you can hire a VA for:

• Web development.
• Customer support.
• Video editing.
• Human resources.

With that, let’s move on to the benefits of outsourcing a virtual assistant service.

3 amazing benefits of outsourcing to a VA

Here are three key benefits of outsourcing to a virtual assistant:

1. Boosts efficiency

Since it’s impossible to be good at everything, you can get help by hiring an individual with years of experience.

Usually, virtual assistants provide services they excel in or have some prior experience with. 

For example, if you hire a graphic designer, they’re more likely to know precisely which tools to use, which subscription plans to choose, and how they integrate with each other. This streamlines your processes and gets things done quicker.

It also takes the burden off your shoulders and allows you to focus on tasks that you’re good at. 

2. More cost-efficient

A VA is self-employed and covers all of their own costs. 

Additionally, you don’t have to invest in them as you would for a full-time employee. 

You’ll be able to cut down on expenses like: 

• Office rent. 
• Computers and internet usage.
• Food and other refreshments.
• Healthcare allowances.

Moreover, hiring from a country with a lower cost of living, like the Philippines or India, reduces the hiring cost for an employer.

3. Helps expand your network

Let’s say you’re looking to expand your business in Australia. The first thing on your list should be to connect with the right people. 

And a virtual assistant native to that country can help you do just that.

You can easily build a local network by delegating tasks to a virtual assistant. They can then find local clients for your business and help market your products or services in that country. 

Moreover, as a native virtual assistant already understands the cultural nuances, they can help you make the perfect first impression on a potential client. 

Additionally, a small business can hire a virtual assistant to handle lead generation in the outsourced location.

Now that you’re aware of all the benefits of outsourcing to a VA, how do you find a genuine one for your business?

Let’s find out!

How to find a genuine VA for your business

Here are three ways you can find the best VA for your business:

1. VA service providers

VA service providers are dedicated agencies that help you hire a freelancer, virtual assistants, or even entire virtual staff.

OutsourcedVA is one such service provider. Here’s all you need to know about it:

OutsourcedVA is a VA service provider that provides highly skilled virtual assistants to US and Canada-based companies.

Key features

• Offers VAs to perform any time-consuming or repetitive task.
• Helps manage existing clients as well as potential new clients.
• Offers support for real estate companies with lead generation, appointment setting, and more.
• Provides certified public accountants for accounting and bookkeeping needs.

Pricing

Talk to support to get a quote.

Check out other virtual assistant websites in this detailed guide.

2. Freelance websites

Freelance websites provide a perfect option if you’re planning on hiring an individual for a particular project or for a short period of time.

freelancer.com is one of the popular freelance websites. Let’s take a look quick look at it:

freelancer.com is a freelance jobs website that allows business professionals to post their job requirements. A virtual assistant freelancer can then bid to compete for the job.

Key features

• Post jobs for free.
• Provides assistance in finding the right virtual assistant freelancer.
• Filters to see the work that matches your required skill set.
• Offers mobile and desktop apps to collaborate seamlessly.

Pricing

For fixed-price projects, employers need to pay 3% or USD 3.00 (whichever is higher) and 3% for hourly projects.

Explore 10 amazing freelance websites here.

3. Job Boards

Job boards are websites used by employers to advertise their job vacancies. Virtual assistants can use them to search for new job opportunities.

Craigslist is an excellent platform for posting and finding local ads.

Craigslist is an advertisement platform that offers a separate section for job ads. 

You can post your job requirements for a specific location. Candidates can save time by searching for classifieds based on their preferred location.

Key features

• You can post free ads without creating an account.
• Use the abuse help page to report pranks or any other harassment.
• Send and receive messages on your own email address with a 2-way email relay option.
• Job seekers can flag suspicious or prohibited postings.

Pricing

The job posting fee varies based on your region. 

Ready to hire a VA?

Let’s check out some tips.

6 smart tips for hiring a VA

Here’s a quick look at some effective tips to help you hire a VA for your business:

• Check out each candidate’s portfolio, read their reviews and testimonials, and cross-check their reference for similar jobs. 
• Go for a trial run before entering into anything significant or long-term to ensure both of you are on the same page.
• Always have a contract in place, no matter how small or short-term the project is.
• Set a baseline and top-line figure for your budget for hour-based projects.
• Give them information about yourself and your business, such as who your ideal client is, your branding, goals, and vision.
• Expectations are key to seamless communication and healthy work relationships, so be clear about what you view as a success of your investment. 

Wrapping up

Outsourcing to a VA is easier than you think!

Whether you’re a tech startup manager, CEO of a marketing agency, or a business owner looking to delegate daily tasks, you can easily hire a virtual assistant.

VAs can help you with tasks like research, travel planning, appointment setting, and more to free up your time and optimize your business processes. You can check out the different ways mentioned in this ultimate guide and hire a genuine VA for your business needs.

Once you have the right VA, you’ll be able to increase productivity in no time!