I’m often asked what a Virtual Assistant does. And in reality, it’s not that different to an employed Personal Assistant in terms of everyday tasks, however, as a Freelancer, I also have all the elements of running my own business to add to the list.
It’s not as simple as turning up to an office, completing all the work to be done and going home for dinner and the latest episode of Coronation Street. I still have a day of work to be completed for various clients but my day starts and ends with all the other things that come with running a business: marketing, accounts control, budgeting, strategy, IT, networking, social media, customer service, web updates, writing blog articles...
So putting aside all the business elements that come with being self-employed, what does my ‘day job’ look like? Well here goes:
Diary management: venue booking, confirming appointments, re-booking appointments, amending appointments, booking train tickets, booking flights, booking hotels, booking AirBnB venues, planning travel routes, booking event tickets,
Proofreading: marketing materials, blog articles, websites, brochures, booklets, documentation, contracts, reports
Administration: reading and responding to emails, setting up filing systems, filing paperwork, shredding paperwork, scanning, online research, data entry, copy typing, direct mail, presentations
Event Management: researching and booking venues, choosing menus, theming, despatching invitations, dealing with RSVPs, researching and booking entertainment, guest lists, seating plans, place cards, photographers, transport
Lifestyle Management: sourcing tradesmen, decluttering, closet organisation, sourcing and despatching gifts, sourcing household items, dealing with house sales, charity shop donations, setting up home offices, home staging, holiday house checks, gift concierge, gift wrapping, organising collections and deliveries, photo books, sorting collections (e.g. books, CDs, DVDs, shoes)
Obviously I don’t complete all the above tasks every day but depending on which clients I’m working with, I can guarantee that it will always be a mixed bag!
If you need assistance with any of the above, or indeed something else that isn’t listed, why not give Girl Friday a call?