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How to work with a virtual personal assistant

Unburden yourself with AVirtual

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Wondering what the fuss is all about? This guide lays it all on the table.

Learn what a virtual PA is and how they can shave hours from your work

week. Getting started can be daunting, but this guide should help you

understand why more people are taking the virtual plunge, and reaping

big rewards in business and in their personal lives.

Thinking about

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getting a virtual PA?

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Live virtual assistants are equipped to do anything an in-house assistant can do, except

bring your coffee. Communicate with your virtual PA by whichever communication tool

strikes your fancy, including email, text, phone and Skype.

Unburden yourself by handing over administrative tasks that weigh you down,

and re-focus on the big picture strategy that grows your business. Your virtual

assistant is prepared to take on all administration work, manage your calendar,

maintain social media, travel bookings, bookkeeping, family administration

and more. Even better, you can get a dedicated virtual assistant for a fraction

of the cost of an in-house PA.

AVirtual assistants are a cut above. Educated, talented, and graduates of our exclusive

Seven Point Training Program. Our clients are assigned one dedicated and fully

qualified assistant. This translates into your own peace of mind, since you

can rest assured that your AVirtual PA has e翿 �ciency, productivity,

and confidentiality down to an art form.

What is a virtual PA?

Busy people from amazing companies are using AVirtual personal assistants every day.

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The secret weapon of successful people

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Individuals and teams are streamlining their success in work and in life

with a dedicated virtual PA. Focus on what drives your business and what

you love, and let your dedicated PA take care of the rest.

Hand over your timing sinking tasks, like scheduling meetings, tracing

packages, looking into weekend getaways, and dealing with the phone

company.

Get the qualified help you need without the long

term commitment, overhead and hassle.

Delegate a task and your virtual PA is on it.

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The secret weapon of successful people

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So you’re ready to go virtual? Smart move. Save yourself time, money, and undue headaches.

But where do you begin?

Have a chatThe most important first step is to start off with a conversation. Book a time to get to know your PA.

Share some of your needs and learn more about your PA’s experience and special skills.

Some AVirtual clients come to us knowing exactly what they want, when and how they want it. However,

the vast majority of our clients get in touch because while they’ve heard positive feedback about how we

do things, they are still rather wary about what we can do for them. Have no fear. Our job is to make your

transition into the world of virtual delegation as smooth as possible. You’ll soon get the hang of things. Here

are some of the steps, procedures and technologies that have been successful with current AVirtual clients.

Task lists and deadlinesPop task lists, priorities, and deadlines into a spreadsheet. Our love Google Docs. View an example

from our Founder, Richard Walton here

Share your calendar and contacts Your PA should have access to any collaboration tools you currently use. Your AVirtual PA can also

suggest and implement new tried and tested tools that might streamline systems and procedures.

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Embarking on your virtual relationship

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Introduce the teamWill your PA assist colleagues or family members with tasks? Put them in touch

and make sure your PA understands these relationships and levels of priority.

Request updatesDepending on the hours you require, timely updates are the best way to stay

on top of goals and manage deadlines.

Determine a regular meeting timeWe encourage weekly meetings to include video. Weekly Skype meetings

or a Google Hangout tend to work well, when clients and PAs can discuss

work updates, set new task lists, re-arrange priorities and deadlines.

Be patientA learning curve is involved. But it won’t be long until you

find yourself re-focusing on the work that matters

for your business to thrive, whilst still managing

to leave time for friends and family.

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Tony Byrne, CEO,

Shortstay MK

“I am very happy with the service provided by AVirtual.

My PA, Veretta, has been great to work with. She has been

very e翿�cient and freed up lots of my time”.

Embarking on your virtual relationship

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Best practises

“I cannot recommend AVirtual enough. My PA has helped me to prioritize my workload. Without so much administration, I feel that my mind is clearer and

more open to the creative processes upon which our business is based”. Nefeli Sidiropoulou Co-Founder, Cutline Collective

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Virtual PAs find basic administration a breeze. Most clients are so impressed with how a PA

impacts their calendar that they decide to hand over more and more responsibility. Many

clients even take on several PAs who each focus on different realms of their business.

As your PA’s responsibility expands, you will probably have to spend more time on training

and developing your PA’s knowledge base so they can provide you with the optimum return

on your investment. Moreover, if your PA is committed and interested in your business, and

you develop a solid relationship with them, you will have a greater opportunity to make

progress towards your goals.

How do you, foster this commitment and relationship

growth with someone who you don’t bump into

at the water cooler? It is certainly possible,

and here are some tips.

Fostering a mutually beneficial relationship

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CongenialityYou started off your working relationship with a good chat, but it’s important to keep the good vibes flowing. Continue

with the small chat. Your PA has another life that may involve family, hobbies or interests. At AVirtual, we think our PAs

are the most interesting and fun group of people around. Ask about their family, hobbies or interest. Just like an o翿ce

employee, your PA will respond well if you take an interest in them as a person, rather than just as a worker bee.

Keep the communication channels openCheck in regularly. Use Skype video or Facetime to read facial expressions and really gauge how your PA is feeling

about things. Elicit feedback. Your PA’s have experience and may have valuable suggestions.

Make them part of the teamAdding your PA to your inter-company networks. Facebook, Slack Groups, etc. will make him or her feel part of the

action. Scribing meetings is a sure way to increase industry knowledge. Invite your PA to join off-sites and company

meetings remotely.

RecognitionJob well done? Let them know. Even better, share it with your team. Everyone likes a pat on the back when they’ve

worked hard.

Be patientEntrepreneurs and business leaders tend to work at lightning speed, but PAs are not mind readers. That job you sent

through may require a bit more information. Especially in the beginning stages, it’s important to include too much

information rather than too little. Moreover, ask for questions and make sure they are aware that you are expecting

more questions along the way.

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Use the right tools

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort”.

Paul J. Meyer

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The right tools can make all the difference. Here at AVirtual, we are passionate about new

technology. AVirtual’s PAs are trained in the latest productivity and collaboration tools

available, and supported by a centralised technical support centre.

There are a number of tools out there to facilitate delegation to your PA as well as throughout

your organisation. Here are a few of our top tools, recommended based on their simplicity

and cost. Note that this is the tip of the iceberg. Looking for something different? We have

just the virtual PA to help you choose exactly what suits you best.

Use the right tools

Google Spreadsheets

for easy collaboration with your PA

Dropboxfor easy file sharing

Jing

Sunrise

Trello

“

Gabrielle Hase, CEO,

Soleberry Advisory

“I have always been a bit sceptical about the true worth of a virtual assistant, but I’ve been

won over by the team at AVirtual. Nicola has been a godsend in helping me manage

my calendar, obligations and deadlines in a way I couldn’t have imagined. She’s been

extremely professional and incredibly supportive, and I only wish I had done this sooner”.

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Delegation

“If you really want to grow as an entrepreneur, you’ve got to learn to delegate ”. Richard Branson

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Often we don’t consider delegating until we’re desperate. Neglecting responsibilities, feeling

lost and disorganised, and approaching exhaustion are often the impetus for change. Don’t ignore

your work-life balance. Friends, family, exercise and hobbies are all necessary components to

our personal well being, and your business’s success requires that you are operating in top form.

Delegating productively takes some effort and thought. In an urgent situation, it’s often necessary

to buckle down and get the job done. When the smoke clears, it’s time to delegate some work to

your PA so that deadlines don’t beat you down again.

Delegation is the key to making time for the work that mattersAs business leaders, we must recognise where our contribution will make the most impact. Executing strategy.

Building important relationships. New business opportunities. Profitability. We are in charge of the big picture, and

taking on too many projects simply clouds our focus.

Focus on driving your business

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Saradhi Rajan, Managing Director,

Legacy Hill Resources

“AVirtual is one of the biggest assets I possess. In the space of one month my productivity has

increased significantly. I work across multiple time zones and travel extensively placing significant

demands on my time. My PA, Chelsey, has transformed the way I work with colleagues, suppliers,

and investors. She keeps the wheels turning smoothly and e翿ciently and makes sure everything

happens on time and in the right manner”.

The task list testA tried and tested technique to trim the fat off your task list: try writing down everything you work on

throughout the course of a week. Then, write your name next to the key tasks, only accomplishable

by you, that drive real business growth. In our experience, leaders and experience spend 30 – 50%

of their time on jobs that could be delegated.

Avoid getting caught up in tasksIt’s true that you have a lot of untapped skills that would be appreciated in many corners of your

organisation. Entrepreneurs and small business leaders in particular struggle to take a step back

for a clearer vision. Or else you run the risk that while proofreading the new website for typos page

by page, you may miss out on a truly big opportunity for your company.

Read The Delegation Conundrum by Founder Richard Walton on Linkedin.

Focus on driving your business

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“ It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less.” “ It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less.

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AVirtual for teams

“It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less”. Nathan W. Morris

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Streamline projects and get swift results with an AVirtual PA for teams. Sometimes teams just have too

much on their plates. Virtual PAs offer extra support to small teams with big workloads, maximising your

team’s efficiency without the hassle and overhead. Use an AVirtual PA to tackle the challenges that

sidetrack team members from their goals. Let team members focus on their bread and butter, while

your team’s PA sorts out necessary administration such as:

Calendar coordination

Meeting notes and agenda distribution

Travel booking and itineraries

Expense reporting

Administrative burdens

General research

Your team’s coordination, productivity and sense

of achievement soars thanks to the AVirtual PA.

Team members can do what they do best, and can

leave the time consuming admin to the team’s PA.

No longer just for individuals, the AVirtual

team PA will keep your team connected

and on course, so that goals are achieved

as quickly and effectively as possible.

AVirtual for supporting teams

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Neil Finnie, CEO & Co-founder,

Corkscrew

“AVirtual changed my life. My PA, Natasha, is a total rock star.

Delegating to her was swift and easy. She is brilliant and I don’t know

who is happier — me or my wife”.

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Avirtual Ltd

The Generator

11 - 15 Dix’s Field

Exeter, Devon, EX1 1QA

United Kingdom

Phone: 0800 0868998

Email hello@avirtual.co.uk:

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