How to Create Extra Time by Delegating to a Virtual Assistant

Posted by admin on Oct 7th, 2010 | no comments

Whether time is a friend or foe to you, I am sure you will agree that there is never enough time in the day to accomplish all that needs to be done.  How is your “To Do List” doing?  Does it seem that you often move the same unfinished work from your list today to your “To Do List” for tomorrow?  More than likely, these items are tasks that require more time to accomplish than you have available in your schedule. 

Would extra hours in your workweek be of use to you?  Of course they would.  Perhaps you could visit that potential client or write that business proposal.  Maybe you could schedule time for exercise, go to lunch with a friend, or spend some quality time with your family.  The possibilities are endless and the number of extra hours you can create for yourself is up to you and your determination of the tasks you are willing to delegate to a Virtual Assistant (VA).

Here is how you can create extra time for yourself:

1. Identify the administrative tasks that are quick and easy for you to accomplish.  Usually these are the tasks you enjoy doing the most, e.g. updating your schedule or answering your personal
   e-mail.  Making a list of the tasks you enjoy will help you with the next step.
2. Determine which administrative tasks you do not enjoy or challenge you, e.g. typing projects are tedious to some.  If one isn’t an expert in word processing, a typing project can require extra time to accomplish.  Another task along the same lines would be data entry, such as the update and maintenance of your contact database. 
3. Of the administrative tasks you do not enjoy, determine the amount of time required each day, week or month to complete each one.  Add up the time and convert it to hours.  These hours represent the time you spend completing tedious office work.  Work that could be effectively accomplished by a skilled professional.
4. To help you determine which tasks can be accomplished offsite, contact a VA for an initial consultation.  A good VA will ask the right questions about your business and will have the expertise to create a plan of action in order to relieve you of the office jobs you avoid. 
5. Make the transition.  Hire an VA, set that plan into action, and put to good use the extra time you have created for yourself. 

It’s that simple.

About the author: Debbie Plummer, the Owner and Virtual Assistant, Administrative Support specialist at Plum ExecuServices, has over 25 years of experience in the corporate administrative assistant field. To learn how you can benefit through a partnership with a VA, see www.plumexecuservices.com/about.