Automate Processes in Your Virtual Assistant Business

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There will come a time in your virtual assistant business when you realize you simply cannot do it all yourself. It is the point when you should be stepping away from trying to be “chief, cook, and bottle washer.” This is especially true if your virtual assistant business is on a growth path. 

To effectively handle business growth, start thinking of ways to do more by doing less. In other words, it's time to think about scaling by automating your business processes.

Business process automation can help you avoid the frustration and burnout that can occur when you are trying to accomplish every detail manually and on your own. It is also an important approach to consider when scaling a business.

Why Automate Your Business Processes

Are important tasks not getting done and are deadlines being missed? Are you working another 12-hour day? Do you feel overwhelmed because your to-do list is longer at the end of the day?

Well, business process automation allows you to take a completely hands-off approach. While you’re traveling the world or snoring at noon, that automated system could be working for you. 

Better yet, doing less manually gives you more time to focus on the things that matter most in your virtual assistant business. Also, it saves time, effort, and money, and can even increase efficiency. 

How to Automate Your Business Processes

So what can you automate in your virtual assistant business to enable or support growth? Here is a list:

1. Email Automation

Are you manually sending tons of emails per day from scratch? For some emails, this might be required, but definitely not for all.

Autoresponders

Maybe it is someone booking a meeting with you. Is it someone who bought your eBook? Is it someone who signed up to get updates on your blog? 

Chances are some of those emails you want to send can easily be addressed with an autoresponder such as MailerLite:

• Set up a friendly autoresponder email for people who book meetings with you on your website telling them what to expect.
• Nurture buyers with a ‘thank you’ autoresponder email. 
• Welcome someone who has decided to sign up for something you are offering on your website. You can use an autoresponder to guide them and introduce them to your services.

You can even use autoresponders to upsell your virtual assistant services. Make additional offers based on what your clients have shown an interest in. 

For instance, did they give a five-star rating for a particular service? Maybe you could send an autoresponder letting them know what else you can do.

The best part? Even when you can’t, your autoresponders will continue to work. 

Templates

Are you sending pitches to potential clients? Are you addressing a common issue? Certain types of emails can easily be addressed with templates. 

Most, if not all, email providers allow you to create and save email templates. These are pre-written email responses that you can use to populate the body of your email. It prevents you from having to write common emails from scratch. 

So identify the types of emails that are common for your business, create standard responses, and save those as templates. The next time an email like that comes in, rather than building a response from scratch, simply add your template and tailor it where necessary. Easy, right?

2. Social Media Management

Scheduled posts allow you to create posts in advance and set them to be published at a set time later. You can use a scheduler to post on several social media platforms in a short time. 

Pick a time when you are most inspired and plan social media content for a week or even a month if you can. Create and schedule these posts. This will save you from having to log in every day to post to keep your social media alive. 

You might find yourself saving hours every month. Furthermore, planning and scheduling in advance saves you from missing an important update.

3. Calendar Management

Imagine endless emails going back and forth with a client trying to figure out the best time to meet for a call. That can easily be avoided with an automated calendar that you can add to your website. 

Keep that calendar updated with your availability. Then send your calendar link to the client so they can, in their own time, choose a time that works for them. The time they book will automatically appear on your calendar. 

There are great tools available to help you automate your calendar. Some popular ones:

• TidyCal
• Calendly
• Acuity Scheduling

Final Thoughts

These are only some ways you can enable business process automation in your daily virtual assistant tasks. 

Automation is important for scaling a business. Plus, it saves you from having to do it all yourself. As you grow, it is important to find ways to do more by doing less. You can start by implementing these four ideas. Need help to automate your business? Then contact me and let’s help you get started.