They say the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. If you’re an entrepreneur trying to build a successful business, you know that’s not true. The holiday season can leave you and your employees overcommitted, under-resourced, and distracted as you face a host of things that you typically don’t need to think about.
Before the stress becomes overwhelming, consider hiring a virtual assistant to take some easily delegated tasks off of your plate. Virtual assistants offer a wide variety of skills that can help you to survive the holiday season and maybe even find some time to enjoy yourself.
Providing temporary margin
Margin is the space between the things that you need to do and the time that you need in which to do them. Most people in business, especially entrepreneurs, don’t have any margin. So when something needs to be added to the schedule, it presents a problem.
During the holidays, we all face unique opportunities that beg for space in our schedules. Examples include shopping for gifts, cooking meals, attending parties and performances, and reaching out to family and friends. Accomplishing these seasonal tasks would be a lot easier if we could work a few less hours each week. That’s where a virtual assistant comes in.
Virtual assistants can handle a wide variety of ongoing tasks that are normally handled by your regular staff. These include:
- Filtering email,
- Responding to email,
- Responding to phone calls,
- Updating websites,
- Updating social media,
- Moderating social media,
- Updating calendars,
- Bookkeeping,
- Data entry,
- Preparing presentations,
- Online research,
- Invoicing,
- Proofreading, and
- Editing.
If important tasks are slipping as a result of holiday distractions, bringing in a virtual assistant to handle regular responsibilities like the ones listed above can free up resources and reduce stress levels.
Managing seasonal tasks
For some companies, the holidays mean more business activity. Whether it’s an increase in sales brought on by the holidays or traditional seasonal tasks meant to build goodwill with clients and customers, there is more to do. Virtual assistants provide an alternative to overtime. They can plan your company Christmas party, prepare your holiday newsletter, mail the company Christmas cards, and even oversee seasonal marketing campaigns.
If your company is not the type that sees a holiday boost, virtual assistants can help you to maintain the business if you have employees who take vacations over the holidays. Virtual assistants also can manage tasks that are of a personal nature, such as planning your holiday travel or shopping for gifts.
Finding the right assistant
The right virtual assistant can allow you to experience your dream holiday. The wrong virtual assistant can be a nightmare. When hiring, it’s best to work with a company that can guide you to proven professionals with the specific skills that you need.
Cyberbacker is one of those companies. It is a global organization that has helped more than 1,000 organizations to connect with virtual assistants. Unlike some companies that will simply allow businesses to connect with freelancers, Cyberbacker provides companies with help in identifying, securing, and managing virtual assistants who have proven success.
Cyberbacker CEO Craig Goodliffe has seen countless entrepreneurs benefit on many levels from enlisting the help of virtual assistants. “Reducing your workload with a virtual assistant improves your overall mental health and increases productivity during stressful times,” Goodliffe says.
If you are tired of being tired during the holidays, this is the time to explore supplementing your staff with virtual assistants. Let a virtual assistant be the gift that you give to yourself this year.