The Tools I use as a Virtual Assistant
There are lots of useful tools that make my job as a Virtual Assistant a lot easier and more efficient. Some of these are free whilst others may have fees attached to them.
Toggl – FREE
I use Toggl for time tracking which is a free option. At the end of each month, I download a report for each client and attach it to their invoice. It can be as simple as the hours per month or can be itemised to show how long individual tasks take.
Trello – FREE
Trello is a great tool to keep track of clients or particular projects. It’s a management system that is very user-friendly and a great way of sticking to deadlines. It even has the ability to share within teams if needed. you can even have the app on your phone just in case you need to check stuff on the go. There is a great selection of pre-made templates or you can create your own to suit your particular needs.
WordPress Hosting – (Varies)
If you want a website, which I personally think is essential then a good option is to create a WordPress site. I have mine hosted with www.34sp.com and I pay £9.95 a month for the WordPress Hosting package. I’ve found it really simple to set up and any support I’ve needed has been amazing so I would recommend them every time. I also have my domain set up through 34SP which costs me around £25 every two years.
Canva – FREE
Canva is amazing for creating anything business related in terms of Social Media Posts, Stationery, Ebooks, PDF’s and much more. There is a very functional Free option, but I do pay for Canva Pro (£10.99 per month) which gives me the ability to save client branding, resizing options, a bigger range of elements and the ability to schedule direct from Canva. If you’re just starting out and wanting to keep costs down then I would definitely start with the free option.
Meta Business Suite – FREE
If you use Facebook to promote your business (if you don’t, you should) then don’t forget to take advantage of the Meta Business suite which can be used for scheduling posts to your Facebook and Instagram Accounts. It is also a great resource for looking at your insights to see how your posts are performing. This is accessed through your Facebook account.
Metricool Scheduler – From £13.00 a month
There is a FREE option if you want to use it just for your own Social Media accounts, but packages start from £13.00. This scheduler is probably the best one I’ve used as a Social Media Manager with multiple features and a feed view which is really useful. It’s also very user friendly and the customer service is amazing.
Tailwind – £12.48 per month
Tailwind is a great way to schedule posts to Pinterest. It analyses your account and posts and the most optimised times for you based on what you’re pinning. There is also the option to create Pins using the Tailwind Create option which is great for making multiple pins quickly. It’s not essential but does make using Pinterest a whole lot easier.
Policy Bee – £24.05 per month
Insurance! If you want to work as a professional Virtual Assistant then you need to have all the legal stuff covered. I have Professional Indemnity, Public Liability, and Cyber Insurance for those just-in-case times. Better to be safe than sorry, and a copy of insurance can be requested by potential clients.
Google Drive – FREE
As a Virtual Assistant, you can work from anywhere. You can also give access to things that you’re working on to other people which makes it a very convenient option.
Google Calendar – FREE
As with Google Drive, the calendar is a great option which you can use on all devices and can be easily shared if needed.
LastPass – FREE/£37.44 annual
Working as a Virtual Assistant will mean accessing your client’s accounts. LastPass is a great way to do this without them needing to give you passwords. Both you and your clients sign up and they give you access to the accounts you need. Just launch them through Lastpass and it auto-fills the password and gives you immediate access. There is a free option but this is only for one device (i.e your laptop). I pay the annual fee so that I can access this on whichever device or phone I’m using just to make my life easier.
ICO Registration – £40 per year
If you are based in the UK then you will need to pay an annual data protection fee to the Information Commissioner’s Office. You will be fined if you do not have this.
LinkedIn – FREE
LinkedIn is a great way to let people know that you’re in business. Connect with old colleagues and people who have employed you previously who may want to recommend you or even hire you. It’s also a great place to find potential clients (I got my first two from there).
Zoom – FREE
Video calling is the preferred method for me when conducting a Discovery Call. Seeing a person is much easier to gage whether or not they are going to be a good fit when it comes to onboarding clients. The free option enables you to have 45 minute sessions which is ample time.
Calendly – FREE
As a Virtual Assistant it’s a good idea to offer a free Discovery Call for potential clients so they can book in a slot to discuss their needs. This is also a good option as you can do a bit of research into their business before the meeting so you feel prepared. You can also ask some preliminary questions so that you know what services they are looking for help with. This can be embedded onto your website and linked to your calendar.
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