A plumber has his spanner, pipes and wrenches, an electrician has his pliers, tape and ladders, a surgeon has his scalpel, needle and gloves, it’s no secret these trades all have well known tools that allow them the ability to complete their jobs, and they do a damn good job at it no doubt.
But what does a Virtual Assistant (VA) need to ensure success?
So glad you asked!
- Laptop or desktop. Much like the iPhone v Samsung debate the choice is entirely yours, Mac, or Windows as long as the connection is secure, battery life is consistent you are in business.
- It can’t be 2020 and you still have a Nokia, or worse a flip phone. Do yourself a favour and invest in a smartphone, it doesn’t have to be the latest model, but a multi-function (i.e. calls, apps, emails and photos!) is a must!
- No one needs an excuse to go to Officeworks or Kikki.k but here is yours. Go and equip yourself with some pens, planners, notepads, desk organisation and perhaps a nice desk plant, because #aesthetics
- Project Management – Time Management – Client Management software programs. Think, Trello, Asana, Monday.com. Whatever you feel easiest, most accessible for clients, collaborations and managing your to-do lists.
- Storage. Working remotely comes with its challenges, but an easy one to overcome is storage. Google Drive, One Drive, Dropbox or a trusty (fairly large) Hard Drive are a must. Need a hand setting up any of those? Join my waitlist for my VA Course here to learn how!
- Gmail. Free and easy to set up (thank you tutorials) and entirely separate to your personal emails. This will be how your business receives correspondence. Gmail syncs with programs like Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides (like PowerPoint) and Google Drive for easy collaboration with your clients.
- A trusty printer, whilst not entirely essential, if you are a pen-to-paper girl like me you will appreciate the ease to be able to print templates, and client work (if needed).
- Time Block
Now that you have yourself a smartphone, go ahead and allocate 2-3 hours each week you will dedicate to your business. Instead of working IN your business work ON your business. That might be setting up, professional development, or community engagement. - Lastly, but most importantly. The most valuable tool in the VA toolkit is: Passion. Ambition. Community and the want to genuinely help others.
If you are looking to create a life, filled with flexibility and freedom, have the joy of working in your pjs or local coffee shop than check out my VA Course – click here.
