VA tools help make virtual assistants better manage their
tasks. Online file sharing tools greatly help to store and share files with
clients, while time tracking tools help make tracking progress and submitting
invoices a lot easier.
Working as a Virtual Assistant (VA) can be compared to
being someone’s personal assistant or secretary in terms of tasks and
responsibilities. You basically function
as a secretary or personal assistant to your client and do tasks that the
client assigned for you to do. Bu what makes it different is that you get to
work on your own and will only be facing the computer and work in a virtual
office. This is where online VA tools are greatly useful, because unlike in a
real office, you will need to work efficiently without the physical tools and
equipment. Here are some of the most important tools that you should get to
know to make life as a VA a lot easier for you.
Your job might be done in a virtual office, but the files and tasks aren’t.
Most of the time, you will be asked to store and work on a number of files that
need to be accessible for both you and the specific clients that you’re working
for as a VA. Unlike in an office where you can just upload and download the
files in an office server or just store them in a flash disk and leave the
device on your client’s desk when he or she asks for it, you can’t do that in a
virtual office. This means that, to make your work easier, you will need a file
storage and sharing tool that is easy to use, has a big enough space for the
files, and can be accessed easily by both you and your client anytime for as
long as either of you has an internet connection. Most of what's available
online are free of charge. All you need to do is register and get an account. You can get a free account that gives you up
to 2GB of storage, or get an affordable paid account for a larger storage space
and then just set it up so you can directly upload and save your files to it
and set the options to share the files with your client.
Another very useful VA tool is a time
tracking device. Other than tracking
time spent on tasks, it also serves as an invoicing and online project
management tool. It allows you to accurately track the amount of time you spend
on the tasks you do for each of your clients. It also has a customizable
reporting function that can serve as the invoice that you can submit to your
clients as it shows a record of the exact amount of time you have spent on the
tasks your client has specified with the corresponding compensation amount
depending on the rate you have agreed on.
