If you’re looking to work with a VA, retainer hours are a good option. You can have regular support at an often discounted price. And as you’re paying in advance, you know exactly where you are with your budget.
Once you have those dedicated hours set aside, you’ll want to make the best use of that support. So here’s how you can get the most out of those VA retainer hours you’ve paid for!
Establish a longer-term strategy for outsourcing tasks
It’s a lot easier to get the most out of that available support if you forward plan. When you plan further in advance, you know your main projects and priorities. You can then work out what your VA can help you with, to achieve your goals.
Decide if you’re opting for weekly or monthly handovers
Forward planning also helps with delegating work to your VA. If you have a bigger project, you may want to hand over tasks for the month ahead. If you need help with a lot of smaller jobs or one-off, ad-hoc duties, you may prefer to hand tasks over on a weekly basis.
Have weekly check-ins or progress reports no matter what your retainer hours are
No matter whether you opt for weekly or monthly handovers, you need to have a regular weekly check-in with your VA. This will help you track where you are and how much time you have left out of your retainer period. It’s up to you how that check-in looks – some clients prefer a team brief or video call; others prefer a simple roundup email. Just go with what suits you and your VA best.
Hand over those regular mundane monthly tasks
If you want to make the most out of your VA retainer hours, make sure you’re handing over the right tasks! Only keep tasks that need your input – everything else can be outsourced to your VA. It’s about ensuring you’re being consciously productive with your own time. So those regular mundane monthly tasks, such as social media or blogging-related activities, need to be outsourced!
Give your VA some advance notice, even when they’re on retainer hours
Your retainer hours may cover the month ahead, but that doesn’t mean you can leave all your tasks until the last minute! This shouldn’t be an issue if you’re following the earlier tip and forward planning your projects and tasks. I’d also check out How not to p*ss of your Virtual Assistant! if you want some more tips on keeping the working relationship with your VA a happy one.
If you’re looking to work with a VA, retainer hours are a good option. The tips above will help you get the most out of those VA retainer hours you’ve paid for. But one final tip would be to trust your VA to do what you expect of them. You’re outsourcing them to ultimately help you to free up your time and focus and create a better work-life balance for yourself – and that can only happen if you trust them to do what you’re paying them to do.
If you’re not yet working with a Virtual Assistant and feel a little nervous about the process, check out this blog post. Wondering what type of services we offer? You’ll find an overview of them here. And finally, if you’re ready to explore working with us and would like to discuss your individual needs, you can get in touch here.