There are two types of virtual assistants (VAs) to help make life a little easier. I used three virtual assistant companies and This One Won. I used three virtual assistant companies and This One Won. Hiring a virtual assistant is smart time management. We tested three virtual assistant services and found the pros and cons of each. Each test reveals the tips and tricks for choosing the ideal personal assistant. Read more:digital and human.
Digital assistants are those like Siri, Cortana, Alexa, and Google Assistant. They are software programs that can interpret and perform basic requests. We're talking about things like finding restaurant and vacation recommendations, booking an Uber, setting reminders, and controlling your smart home. Pretty simple, but still quite useful.
But what about those tasks you hate to do, can't do, or simply don't have time to do, that are too complex for a digital VA? Answer:hire a human virtual assistant.
These are people (so be sure to treat them as such) that you can hire on sites like UpWork or People Per Hour. By outsourcing the right tasks to these human VAs, you can become super productive, spending more time focusing on important work. Why self-discipline is the best productivity hack you need The secret to doing deep work? Is it motivation or is it discipline? If you can't focus and get your work done, here are some habit tips to help you accomplish more. Read More
Not sure what you could outsource to these human VAs? Here are some ideas..
If there is a restaurant you have wanted to try, ask your VA to “reserve a table for 4 people at [restaurant] for around 8 pm this Friday.” They will then find the phone number, make the call, give you the precise details, and add the reservation to a shared calendar. How to share your Google calendar with anyone How to share your Google calendar with anyone We show you three options for sharing your Google calendar. Using iCal, even Apple Calendar and Outlook users can see their schedule. We also explain how to revoke access to your Google calendar. Read more.
If they have access to your contacts, they can even let others know when they need to show up. The same goes for any other reservations and appointments you wish to make.
When you find an AV you can trust, give them a small allowance or give them access to a “company” credit card (with a small limit) means they can make purchases online on your behalf. Do you see something you want? Send them a link, or a picture, and they can deal with setting up accounts and entering payment details, so you don't have to.
If you have a list of people you'd like to buy gifts for (your spouse, your parents, your best friend), create a short profile of each person, including their interests, and have your VA search the web for gifts that suit them. they will love They can then be routinely added to these ideas in a shared document on Google Drive or Evernote, so you always have a list of amazing gift ideas at your fingertips.
As vacation time approaches, ask your VA to create a concise document of amazing vacation ideas based on your budget and preferences. Done correctly, you will be able to review this in minutes Instead of spending hours doing the research yourself.
They will have to look for possible flights. 5 Traveler's Secrets to Finding the Best and Cheapest Flights 5 Traveler's Secrets to Finding the Best and Cheapest Flights The only thing better than traveling is traveling with a fantastic deal. Save money and have a great trip with the help of these travel planning apps. Read More so you can make the best decision..
Sending photos of receipts to the VA that need to be entered into a spreadsheet, or emailing a list of your expenses on a regular basis, is an incredibly easy way to keep accounts. This allows you to delegate the details of accounting, instead of letting all those expenses pile up and stress you out. 10 Ways to Get Off the To-Do List 10 Ways to Get Off the To-Do List The feeling of drowning in a never-finish to-do list is a fear common to all of us. The cure is available. Here are ten ways to get your way back. Read more.
It is very easy to discover interesting events. after the fact . To prevent this from happening, let your VA compile a list of all the top places in your neighborhood, keep an eye on Facebook events Never miss an event:Facebook lets you subscribe to local events Never miss an event:Facebook lets you subscribe to local Events Would you like Facebook to notify you when big events are happening in your area? They will do it. Read More
When you need to contact customer or technical support for whatever reason, you could lose a ton of time on hold. To ensure you don't waste time, have your VA contact customer service on your behalf.
Each of us has so many files, folders, data, contacts, and photos, that it's almost a full-time job, keeping everything organized. So find a system that works, explain it to your VA, and give them the necessary permissions to do it for you. Every two weeks, they could move their new files to the correct folders in Dropbox and Google Drive. Rename and organize your new photos. Label Your Evernote Notes The Best Way to Organize Evernote:Use Labels The Best Way to Organize Evernote:Use Labels Is your Evernote one big mess? We show you a simple tweak that will help you organize your notes like never before. Read more . Put your contact lists in order. This way, you can always be able to find what you need.
Whether you need to find the best app for a certain task, the lowest-cost utility provider, or the best-rated product for a certain use, have your VA do the heavy lifting for you. The same goes if you need to do some basic research to solve a problem at work. A good VA will have excellent online research skills, so you can be sure they're gathering the right information for you.
In the past, we've covered many ways to cure your inbox anxiety. How to Tame Gmail Inbox Anxiety How to Tame Gmail Inbox Anxiety So many emails, so little time. Do you feel this way when it comes to managing your Gmail inbox? We show you simple settings and useful tools to organize and stress your Gmail inbox. Read more and spend less time on email. But if you're still struggling, consider outsourcing your email to a VA. How to train your VA to filter emails will be personal to you. They could archive messages you don't need. Move those that need a response to a "Response" folder. Unsubscribe from spam email lists. They might even reply to some messages on your behalf.
Preparing a presentation for work? How about we just share with your VA all the information that needs to be included, and let them put it all together and send you the finished document?
Data entry can be one of the slowest, but least productive, ways to spend your time. If part of your week is spent on data entry, transfer it to a VA as soon as possible so you can put that time to good use.
About a day before an appointment or reservation, let your VA check that everything is booked correctly. This is useful for medical appointments, and especially for hotel and restaurant reservations, where having an attendant call on your behalf can get you an update.
Whether you're writing emails, blog posts, reports, articles, or anything else, mistakes are bound to slip through the cracks. For anything important, send your words to your VA for verification (if your language skills are up to scratch). They'll check the grammar and structure of your writing, and may even add formatting to your documents to make them look neat.
Of course, with a shared calendar, a VA can help you manage your schedule so you always know where you need to be at each point of the day. But you can also make them your own personal reminder, send you messages or even call you to refresh your memory about appointments, birthdays, meetings, conferences, workouts. Whatever you want.
If you have a bunch of handwritten notes or pages full of highlights, take photos of them and email them to your VA for writing. Having a digital copy of these notes not only makes them more secure but also makes them fully searchable.
If you want to try a new type of diet (i.e. low protein, vegetarian, low carb, nutrient rich, Atkins-friendly, etc.), let your VA know the requirements and have them put together a meal plan . How to Create Perfect Meals with IIFYM Calculator and Excel How to Create Perfect Meals with IIFYM Calculator and Excel You can easily design meals that meet your nutritional intake goals. Achieve your fitness goals using the free IIFYM calculator and Excel spreadsheet for healthy meals every day. Read More
As long as your VA has a good idea of what interests you, ask them to keep an eye on industry news. These new Feedly features make it easier to digest your RSS feeds These new Feedly features make it easier to digest your RSS feeds RSS came with three new features:tables, notes and highlights. Here's how they can help you be more productive and organized with your RSS feeds. Read more and be alerted to anything important you need To learn about staying ahead of the game.
They might send you a link to an original article or, to save even more time, have them summarize the news and associated data, so you can understand the story in a fraction of the time.
Each month, your VA may send you a small list of job opportunities that may be of interest to you. If you're already employed but hoping for a change, this is a task that's all too easy to pass up. Delegate it to a VA to make sure it happens!
If You're Applying To A Lot Of Jobs, Let Your VA Modify Your Resume 10 Things NOT to Put on Your Resume 10 Things NOT to Put on Your Resume Your resume is the first time a potential employer sees it. Make your first impression perfect. Here's what you shouldn't put on your resume and why. Read More
This will require researching the company you hope to work for and including specific words that are mentioned in the job description.
There are tons of ways you can squeeze more time out of each day Squeeze an extra hour out of each day with these 10 quick tips Squeeze an extra hour out of each day with these 10 quick tips Some simple habits can help us get rid of some inefficient ways and increase our time pool doing the things that matter. These ideas can give you an extra productive hour each day. Read More
Of course, it will cost money, and when it comes to assistants, you tend to get what you pay for. In essence, then, this really boils down to, How much is your time worth?
Tempted to hire your own virtual assistant? Check out our article on how (and why) to outsource your everyday tasks How to become super productive by outsourcing your everyday tasks How to become super productive by outsourcing your everyday tasks Get more done in a day. By learning what you can outsource, plus some "best practice" tips for delegating your daily tasks, you too can become super productive. Read More
Given this list, would you be tempted to hire a human virtual assistant to help you get more done every day?
