Written by: Teekwa Scarborough, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Virtual assistants need to use the right tools to succeed in their job. The most important tool for a VA is a good computer and internet connection. Other helpful tools are email clients, word processors, and scheduling software. However, many tools are available for virtual assistants to run their businesses effectively and efficiently. Some of them are free, and some of them require payment.
Virtual assistants need to know which tools they should use for their work to succeed at their job.
How to Choose Between the Wide Range of Tools Available
As a virtual assistant, when you are working on a task, you will want to know what you are doing and how you are doing it. Therefore, choosing the best tools for your virtual assistant business is important. The most popular ones are Trello, Asana, Honeybook, ClickUp, PayPal, Zoom, and social media tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, Later, or Planoly.
The first step in choosing the best tool for your VA business is identifying what you need them for. The best way to find the right tools for your virtual assistant business is to determine what skills you have and need. For example, if you need them to help with marketing, then Hootsuite or Buffer would be a good choice. Because we are a service-based business, we need to choose the best tool that works for you and your clients for the best customer service or any other task that requires you to get the work done, then Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Slack, Honeybook or Google Workspace would be a better choice.
Virtual assistants are in high demand these days, and there are a lot of tools that can be used to help them do their jobs. When it comes to finding the right one for you, before jumping in to pay for the tools, use the FREE version first. You do not want to pay for software, and you find out later that it does not work for you in your business. If you do not choose to pay for software or a cloud-based subscription, sign up for the FREE trial usually, they offer 7-30 days for you to test it. Block out your calendar and dedicate 30 mins to an hour to learn the tool. This is how you will know if it is right for your business needs.
I encourage you to list all the tools you need to operate your business, take one of each specialty area you need, and try the tool out. For example, if you are offering social media services, research the top popular tools and try them out to see if it meets your needs. However, you should be familiar with most of them because your clients may be using them already in their business.
Why You Need to Be Using the Right Tools in Your Business
When your clients hire you, they depend on you to have the right tools so you can help them save time and energy, which would otherwise be spent on tasks that are not their forte. Having the right tools to work within your business to assist so they can focus on what they are best at - creativity and emotions, and you are providing the best service using the right tools to get your job done. Some of the most popular ones include Evernote, Google Drive, Trello, Slack, and Dropbox. These tools are all cloud-based and can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection.
Top 5 Tools I Use in My Virtual Assistant Business
Virtual assistants are becoming more and more popular nowadays. They are used in industries, from small businesses to large corporations. I have been in business for over five years working on my virtual assistant agency, and it took me a few terror errors to find out what was best for my business, client needs, and me. Choosing the best tool for your business is very important because it will help you grow your business and get more done. Trust me; it is needed if you are, like me, still working my full-time job and running my business.
Below, I list the top 5 tools that I use in my VA business and explain how they can help you with your work.
1. ClickUp - This is a tool where you can manage your tasks, set up workflows, and assign tasks to team members. It's a great project management software that makes it easy to collaborate with your team members and keep track of what needs to be done. ClickUp has exceeded my expectation because they continue to upgrade and add new functions and features.
2. Dubsado is a CRM for virtual assistants which helps you keep track of your leads and appointments with clients, as well as manage their contact information, calendar events, etc., so you don't have to email back and forth with them every time there's an update about their project or schedule changes. Systems are your friend; this helped me because where I was once doing proposals, contracts, and welcome letters & sending welcome guides manually via email to clients was a lot. Now I have a system set up for all the necessary documentation and canned emails to send to my potential and current client on autopilot.
3. Google workspace is a free service that allows you to access all your Google apps from any device, including your PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. You can also connect with other people in your organization and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
4. Slack is a messaging app that helps teams stay connected through instant messaging, group chats, and direct messages. It has a wide range of features that make it easy to work with others on file sharing and video conferencing projects.
5. Builderall is an all-in-one online marketing platform that can help VAs with everything from web design to marketing automation. It can help you create newsletters with drag-and-drop functionality, so you don't have to do any coding or design work for your newsletter. They also have templates for landing pages and other marketing materials that you can select from.
6. Canva is a simple yet powerful graphic design tool that lets you create designs for any and every occasion. It's easy to use, and the templates are well-designed. It allows you to create graphics for social media, presentations, blog posts, and more.
7. Zoom is a video conferencing software that lets you chat with people or share your screen in real-time. Zoom has built-in features like screen sharing, text chat, video chat, etc.
8. 1Password is an app that stores all your passwords, so you don't have to remember them all – it's a password manager that keeps all your passwords safe and secure. It's perfect for those who have multiple accounts across different devices and services for you and your clients. Trusted app to keep your client's credentials safe for you to access your clients' accounts.
9. QuickBooks is financial accounting software that enables small-business owners to manage their finances. It is a popular choice among small business owners for its ease of use and affordability.
QuickBooks is cloud-based accounting software that has been around since the late 1990s. It was originally developed by the company of the same name but was later acquired by Intuit in 2002 and became one of their flagship products. The software is designed to help small business owners and accountants efficiently manage their finances. It can handle payroll, invoicing, payments, and even taxes. It's also possible for QuickBooks users to connect with other applications like PayPal or Stripe, making it easier to accept payments from clients online.
Virtual assistants are the ones who do all the work that is needed to keep a business running. It can be hard to keep track of everything with many tasks and responsibilities. That's where VA tools come in. These tools allow virtual assistants to have everything they need at their fingertips and ensure they're always on top of things. Join our community of virtual assistants to learn more.
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Teekwa Scarborough, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Teekwa Scarborough is a leader in the virtual assistant industry and empowers single women through her singles ministry embracing your season of singles. Having a baby at 19 was not her plan, but through the struggle, trials, and tribulation, she did not let it stop her from pursuing Bachelor's degree. She has maintained that drive and hunger, which has enabled her to launch PowerPro Assistants, a virtual assistant agency, and coaching women under this umbrella. She has empowered 100s of women from different countries to start, grow and launch their businesses. Teekwa said, “starting the business is the easy part, but growing and establishing yourself in the industry is challenging.” Therefore, her organization's main objective is to have a memorable, life-changing experience that will be talked about for years.
