Tech Virtual Assistant

Tech stacking is a very common business practice nowadays. With new software cropping up daily that promises easier payroll processing, better email marketing, more effective lead management, and so on, most business owners find themselves using a boatload of tools and applications. Of course, a massive tech stack can cause “tech overwhelm” even for the most tech-savvy business owners. That’s where a tech virtual assistant comes in.

If you’re looking for someone to help you stay ahead of the curve, a tech virtual assistant is a perfect solution. A tech virtual assistant, or tech VA, is someone who works remotely to help you manage all the technology your company uses, stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and trends, and recommend which ones are best for your business. They can also help you implement new technologies to increase your productivity and help your business run smoother.

Online business owners know how much tech stuff is needed to keep their online business running smoothly. To thrive in the online space, online entrepreneurs need to have multiple systems, tools, and platforms in place.

But aside from having a business website, you also have to have a project management system, a calendar and scheduling tool, a customer relationship management (CRM) software, online billing and invoicing platforms, and so on to ensure that your business can run smoothly. There are simply too many tech tools out there and not enough time to learn how to use them all.

Tech VAs can be a great asset to an online business. Besides freeing you from some of the tech-related stress that comes with owning a company, they can help you implement new technologies, oversee your existing tech stack, recommend ways to improve it, and more.

A tech VA can help alleviate all the problems of onboarding each team member to learn every single function of a particular tool. With a tech VA, you can have someone to maintain all your systems so that you and the rest of your team can focus only on the features that you actually need to use.

For example, suppose your company uses a CRM, a scheduling tool, and a review generation platform. You want to have all bookings and reviews matched to the client or customer entry on your CRM. With a tech VA, you don’t have to worry about connecting these separate tools and ensuring that your CRM is updated; your tech VA can do this for you.

For a business owner, a tech VA doesn’t just handle all the tech stuff they don’t have time for. They also help reduce the stress caused by learning the nitty-gritty of their tech tools.

With the help of a tech virtual assistant, you can save time and get more done online. They can handle all tasks related to your business’ technology like:

Providing tech support

Your VA can provide tech support for you and any other member of your team by helping them understand how to use your existing tools and troubleshooting any problems they might encounter while using them.

Learning about technology trends

Tech VAs also help you learn about new technologies as they emerge. They stay up-to-date with the latest trends and recommend which ones are best for your business needs.

Testing and maintaining all the software you use

The systems you’re using may have been running properly during the initial setup, but don’t be surprised if something fails along the way. Your tech VA can help prevent systems failure by regularly testing your platforms.

Managing your CRM

CRMs are essential for any small business to help managers keep track of their client base. But even the most effective CRM is useless if it isn’t maintained properly. Your tech VA can manage your CRM to ensure that all the tools you need are readily available and updated when necessary.

Managing company and staff calendars

Do you have a hard time keeping track of your staff’s schedules and making sure that you’re all free for a meeting at the same time? Your tech VA can help manage your company calendar to ensure everyone is available when needed.

Managing daily tasks

If many small but important tasks need attention, a tech VA can help you keep track of them all. They can help arrange your schedule and ensure that you’re able to get done everything on your list, no matter how small it may seem.

Managing review generation platforms

If you use a review platform like TrustSpot to generate online reviews for your business, one of the most important functions is collecting and storing them in a format that you can use. A tech VA can help manage this for you so that it’s done properly and without any hassle on your end.

Creating reports and presentations

Tech VAs can also help create reports and other presentations for your business. They can arm you with information that will help drive important decisions. They can also help create process flowcharts and diagrams for your teams.

Doing basic website updates using a CMS

Although developing or designing websites isn’t generally in the job description of tech virtual assistants, they can still assist with some of your website needs. If you have an easy-to-use CMS, your virtual assistant can build landing pages, upload new content, schedule a blog post, and do other simple website updating tasks.

Doing simple social media management tasks

If you don’t have the time to dedicate to managing your social media accounts but still want to manage them effectively, you can give your tech VA access and let them post, share, like, pin, etc., on your behalf.

Managing email lists

Tech VAs can also help grow your company’s mailing list by sending emails to your customers. They can also help manage your contacts in a mailing list manager like MailChimp.

Database cleaning and maintenance

Sometimes, databases can get cluttered with old or bad information over time. Your tech VA can help make sure that your data is clean and organized for easy access.

Managing online marketing campaigns

If you’re doing your own inbound marketing, your VA can make sure that everything is set up and running properly and that it’s getting the results that you need. Your virtual assistant can also monitor engagement when you have an active campaign.

Building out or finding new tools for your business

If you’ve been using the same tools and systems for a long time, your tech VA can help find new ones that will make your life easier. They can be on the lookout for new tools as they come out to stay ahead of the curve.

A tech virtual assistant needs the following skills in order to be able to do all of these tasks:

Self-starter

Tech VAs, like any other remote worker, don’t have anyone standing over their shoulder telling them what to do. You need the self-discipline and motivation to get everything done on time without someone checking in with you every step of the way.

Internet savvy

Your VA has to be familiar with the internet and web-based tools. If your VA doesn’t know how they work, it will take them a lot longer to do things, or they might not be able to do them at all.

Communication skills

Tech VAs are often working remotely for their clients over email or chat. They need excellent communication skills to explain themselves thoroughly and clearly and ask the right questions when they don’t understand something.

Organizational skills

Good organizational skills are key for a virtual assistant. Your VA needs to be able to stay organized, or they’ll lose track of what needs to get done and won’t meet their deadlines.

Familiarity with tools and systems

It’s a huge plus if your tech VA is familiar with the tools and systems you already use in your company or similar tools, at least. Being familiar with a wide range of tools will give them the edge over someone who isn’t.

If you’re hiring a tech virtual assistant to do any, if not all, of these tasks for your business, here are some tips on working with one:

Give them plenty of details

As the owner or manager of the business, it’s your job to give your VA as much information about what they need to do and when. Give them as many details as possible to make sure they don’t have to keep pestering you with questions.

Let them know if anything is urgent

If certain tasks need to be done ASAP, make sure your VA knows which ones. If it’s not an emergency, let them know when the task should be completed by.

Stay in the loop

You should let your VA know if any changes need to be made or if there are tasks that you can’t afford to wait on. You don’t want your virtual assistant to just steamroll on ahead with what they’re working on without letting you know about it. If they do, make sure you speak up.

Be specific

If you want your virtual assistant to do something, make sure you tell them exactly how to do it. If they ask for clarification, give them the details they need so that they don’t have to come back to you later on asking about it.

There are many ways to find virtual assistants for your online business. You can scour through profiles on freelancer websites, look for applicants on social media, or work with a virtual assistant business or agency.

However, if you want an option that gives you the least amount of stress, work with a virtual assistant business or agency. Many VA businesses and agencies provide tech virtual assistance as well as other kinds of virtual assistance like financial and graphic design. This way, you can get all your needs met in one go instead of having to hire multiple people independently.

Ready to hire a VA to handle your company’s tech tools and software? Book a consultation call with us and get a free quote!