I have been a big fan of outsourcing for the last couple of years in my business. I started out with editing, then had a virtual assistant, and now I have a business manager. With each hire to my business it has allowed me to focus more on marketing, photoshoots, and building a community for women entrepreneurs – all of which I love doing. I do not love creating forms, making workflows, and day-to-day tasks that hinder me from actually growing my business.

However, Jenn at Success Beyond the Lens, loves all of it and I have been so happy to delegate those types of tasks to her and her team. It allows my clients to get faster correspondence, she holds me to my boundaries and schedule as much as possible (I go rogue occasionally), and reminds me of tasks when needed. She also manages the scheduling for my photoshoots and consultations. This helps to enforce my boundaries, for example, conducting consultations on Mondays and only shooting Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays which in turn helps prevent me from burn-out and provides a better client experience.

Here are some other tasks a virtual assistant or online business manager can do for you:

• Set-up/clean-up your client management system
• Clean-up and/or organize your email
• Create your welcome packets or canned emails
• Update your calendar
• Reach out and schedule with venues for shoots
• Send galleries, invoices, proposals, questionnaires, to clients
• Follow-up on leads
• Complete consultation calls
• Strategize your marketing
• Manage your email list and newsletter
• Research

These are just a handful of tasks that Jenn helps me with. Each VA or OBM you bring into your business will have their strengths. It’s important when looking for an assistant that you choose one based on filling in the gaps in your business. If you don’t find a need for help with your client communication/experience and you’re happy managing it but loathe planning your social media, then that should be where you look at hiring first and vice versa.