What a Virtual Personal Assistant (VPA) Can Do for You

At first many people find it difficult to imagine the range of tasks of an eAssistentin. The tasks of a Virtual Personal Assistant (VPA) are particularly diverse and no assignment is the same as another. That is why we would like to show you today which types of tasks you can delegate to an eAssistentin.

Research: Finding and sorting data & information

VPAs have excellent research skills. They scour the Internet and other sources according to your brief for specific data and compile it for you. Some examples show how varied this area is:

• Price and quality comparison for a specific product you want to purchase
• Researching addresses for a mailshot
• Searching for suppliers at home and abroad for specific goods
• Researching contacts for marketing in the B2B sector
• Compiling information for a web portal (e.g. indoor play parks for children for an information page)

It does not matter whether you are looking for only ten suppliers or want to create a database with thousands of entries.

Office tasks: personal relief in the office

Many everyday routine tasks accumulate in the back office that you as a business owner really do not have to do yourself. A VPA can relieve you, for example, in these areas:

• Creating documents
• Formatting files
• Transcription of audio files
• Proofreading and translation of texts
• Scheduling appointments

An important area is also preliminary bookkeeping. The assistant issues invoices for you, monitors incoming payments and takes care of dunning.

Websites: Keeping them up to date

Whether website or online shop – in everyday life it is difficult to ensure constant up-to-dateness. In the online area our VPAs can take over numerous routine tasks. The following services are possible, for example:

• Adding products and product photos to the online shop
• Editing images
• Content management and editorial work (e.g. with WordPress or Joomla)
• Compiling key performance indicators
• Managing online marketing activities
• Monitoring payments from shop customers

Networking: Connecting the company

In many industries networking is an important pillar of marketing activities. Unfortunately, building your own network is also a very time-consuming undertaking. That is why the eAssistants support you in maintaining your contacts on XING, posting Tweets regularly or interacting with your Facebook fans. This way you can delegate large parts of your social media marketing.

Customer support: Handling daily communication

Since customer support in the online environment is mostly handled via email and phone, an eAssistentin can provide ongoing support here. The following services are possible, for example:

• Answering questions about products, services and order status
• Telephone support
• Correspondence in different languages if required
• Translation of enquiries from international customers

You can turn your attention to other tasks with a clear conscience, because your customers are comprehensively looked after.

Data processing: Updating and analysing data

Our eAssistants are proficient in various common software products to prepare, process, visualize and present your data. Do data need to be transferred into a system or a database built? Should an existing dataset be checked and updated? These are typical standard tasks for a VPA. In addition, they analyse data and present it clearly in the form of charts, graphs and presentations.

Organisation: Taking over planning

Depending on the task in your company, taking over planning work can also provide great relief. This can be in both private and professional contexts. Some examples:

• Booking flights, train connections and accommodation for business trips
• Preparing and planning events and conferences
• Selecting and booking private holidays according to specified criteria
• Choosing suitable leisure activities for family time during the holidays

Rethinking gives you freedom

On closer inspection you will find that many tasks in your everyday life can also be delegated. With the first delegated tasks a process of rethinking often begins for many: the more tasks they hand over, the more time remains for their core processes or for private life and health. What was just a matter for the boss is now practically taken care of by itself – and the boss only has to deal with the results instead of the way to get there.

Which tasks would you like to delegate? Please get in touch with us!