Good morning and welcome to the Monday morning marketing podcast, I'm Esther.
And I'm Melanie.
And today we're joined by Ellie Clougher from my virtual associate. Good morning, Ellie.
Morning, guys. Thanks for having me.
Great to have you. And we're talking about how a VA can help you market your business. So, Ellie, what is a VA for people who might not know what those letters stand for?
A VA is a Virtual Assistant and essentially what a virtual assistant is, is a self-employed individual who assists you by providing services virtually from their home.
Perfect, so they don't have to go into the office, you don't have to go physically and meet other people, you don't have to leave the home office that you have created.
You can stay at home and help your clients from there. All you really need is a laptop and Wi-Fi.
A very important, very important elements.
So I finally get a chance to speak now. Thanks, ladies. So the reason why we brought you on is I've seen you regularly post and publish on channels that we're both involved in, Ellie. And I just wanted to ask you how you help create a value add for businesses with your business. What is what is the key takeaways that people can get from using a VA?
The key thing is timesaving, small business owners are juggling so many different things at any one time, and it can be really hard to find the time to actually focus on the bigger picture stuff or even to actually spend time with your family. There's just that much going on in the background. So working with a virtual assistant helps you to feel that time, and it actually helps you to get more work done in less time if your body hands make light work, as they say, you know. So it definitely is a big time, say, for small business owners.
And does the VA do everything that the business owner doesn't like to do or want to do?
Your question, because a lot of us do, because there are many different kinds of virtual assistants who specialise in different areas. So you do have some that would be more administrative focussed, helping you on all those bits and pieces, those horrible niggly jobs that take ages, those ones in the background. You have virtual assistants who help you at creative work, social media. And then there are others who would provide kind of financial services, such as invoicing and bookkeeping and helping you keep track of those things.
That would be a VA as well.
Yeah, there are VAs that do that. Yep.
Yeah. So. So what would you do? I know, as you say, they're all different, but what area do you focus in?
I would probably really be classed as a general virtual assistant. I have lots of secretarial and PA experience and office experience, so I've used that to provide services to my clients. And really what I am, it's hard to explain. But the way I explain it is I'm kind of like the right hand woman in the background that just helps them with all the stuff that's going on behind the scenes, making sure it's running smoothly and gets done on time. So that can be from admin to assisting them with their webinars and workshops that they may host and helping them with their clients and client queries, making sure that they're gotten back to on time, because sometimes you might not actually be able to do that in the timeframe you really want to be able to. It really does vary, but lots of the the background stuff.
So how does this work with the different types of personalities you've got out there? You know, you've got
Melanie is saying you think you've got multiple personalities
But there are some people out there that are going to be trying to micromanage everything and other people who just leave you to it. How do you manage that?
Well, you're you're right. Every client is different and they all have a different vision for their business and how you are going to help them in it. And, you know, in the beginning, it really is about getting to know them. But as a self-employed person, all pretty much all virtual assistants are self-employed. It is kind of part of our job to lay down that little boundary in the beginning so that they do know, look, I mean, I am going to do a great job for you because I am self-employed. They do it for their clients. And luckily, I have not had an issue with that because it does vary in communication. For example, I have a client that I would speak to twice a week over Zoom and that works perfectly. I'm very happy to do that. We work together every day, so it makes sense for us to communicate that often. I would have other clients where it might just be an email here or there because it usually is less work. So it does work for us and it really just depends on what way the client wants to do it and then how we work it into the schedule.
So you're talking about some people, you work with them every day and others are just a few hours. Is there a minimum that people would have to sort of hire you for or is there a maximum? You know, if somebody comes in and says, I need 40 hours a week.
I know that at that point I'm going that to be like you might need an employee. I want to look at that. But no, there's not usually a minimum. You can work with virtual assistants in many different ways. Like I mean, you can have that ongoing working relationship like I have with a couple of my clients where we do work together every day. And you do really get to know each other. But I do also have other clients who may need an hour, a month for a particular task that needs to be done once a month. Or I do have another client who approaches me when she's busy and there could be months in between. That's what she might have a deadline. She might have something she needs help with right now. And I would have a chance see when we can do it and looking for it. So there isn't a minimum. No, you can work even if it's an hour on one project.
Hmm. And you were saying, you know, our topic is how you can hire a virtual assistant can help you market your business. So you were talking there about helping them with running their online events or their, you know, probably in-person events when when the time comes, so what aspects would VA or could be passed down to a VA?
Yeah, well, one of things really is, is that it's an online presence for businesses is bigger than ever right now. And it's so much more important than it ever was before to have that online presence. Both takes a lot of time, like content creation, you know, even coming up with your ideas, knowing when to schedule, looking at your insights. It takes a lot of time to do that. And virtual assistants can help business owners with us. And by helping them actually post the content or even the virtual assistants who will log into your accounts and engage on your behalf instead of you needing to try and take that time, even though you might want to do it, it's just that you might have the time to do it, to log in and engage with everybody that's there.
Yeah, and oh, sorry,
no, I was just going to say, you know, when it comes down to bringing back information to the to the business owner, how do you do that? Is there some sort of weekly or monthly reporting you do?
Well, it does depend on who you're working with because many of us use project management tools. So there are lots of different kinds out there. Personally, I use Azana and I would actually be linked with them on that. So they're actually getting updates fairly regularly from me. If I finish this, I will pop in. You know, this happened today. This is what it looked like. And once they go into Asana, the updates are there for them.
So they have to have an account or do you help set up an account?
What happens is, as I have an account and if my client is interested in using it in our working relationship together, I will get a separate workspace for us in my account, so they don't need to do anything. But I will then send them a little training video to show how to use it, because they are they are actually really effective at keeping everything in the one place instead of having e-mails flying everywhere.
What would you say to someone who is maybe a little reluctant about handing over the reins? Let's let's go back to talking social media here, handing over the reins on the details to their accounts and their, you know, information, their logins. I know you can add people in the back end, but some people don't know how to do that. And, you know, to get like it's happened to us and I'm sure it's happened to Melanie as well and her business, that when people come to us and say, oh, I need you to run my social media, here's my login, I'm going, no, I need you to invite me to give me your password here. What way do you get them through their fears and phobias? Oh,
yeah.
You know, you being or, you know, you or Melania and I or anybody out there who would be a virtual assistant or a social media manager, how do you get them over their fears of handing over that? And as Melanie was saying earlier, not be micromanaging?
Yeah, it is. Look, it is a fear that a lot of people have, and it's really understandable, both as virtual assistants. You know, we are professional and it is part of our job to be OK with the latest technologies. And to be honest with you, most of us don't want the passwords because if anything was to go awry or anything like that, you know, you just you don't want to have it. So that's why we use password management software such as Last Pass and where the client can actually enter in the login details for, for example, Facebook. And they can then share that login with you without you actually knowing what it is. You don't know what it is, but you're able to log into the account through last pass and they can revoke your access at any time. So it's just a bit of security for everybody that way.
Yeah, yeah, I use last pass as well. Yeah, and you know, you're saying that. You can log in, you can do their social media for them as a company ourselves who run other people's social media. I always find it easier to run theirs than run our own. So there are times that even as a social media agency and Melanie, I'm sure, finds the same, you just don't it's it's harder being right there in your business trying to find the words to use to promote your business and to tell other people about it. So it would be a good idea for any business to get a VA or a social media monitor.
Another pair of eyes, isn't it? It is. It is better for fresh view. And it's so difficult, especially as all of us here, well apart from you, Esther. Keep showing off, we are sole traders here and
it's still classed as a sole trader
and not
I have freelancers
anyway.
And one staff, I'm still a sole trader. You know,
it's you know, it's so difficult to speak about your own self, your own business subjectively.
You can do it, can feel I don't know, I mean, even for myself, if I'm posting for myself, sometimes I flinch at the things I post because you're too close to it, you know, and then you're just like, OK, pollsters, Ellie, put the phone away and don't look at it until later because you only delete it. Whereas like with some clients I'm working with and I was doing a bit of a revamp on social media for one client recently on their cans, and I created some new cover photos and I found a fantastic photo of them that they should really be using, but they weren't using. And it's just one of those things where you looking at it yourself, you're going to think, oh, I really don't know if I should, but once I put it together for her, she was like, that actually looks great. Like let's you know what? It's coming from somebody else. It does feel a bit different, you know.
Definitely. I would fully agree with that. And I would just, you know, putting in my two cents here, if anyone is thinking about hiring a VA or, you know, unsure about that, you know, there's like I said, they're not all VA's are created equal. Some VA's are are more equal than others. If anybody gets that. No, it's coming from it's coming from Animal Farm. But I read the book, read the book. And so I would just really like to encourage everybody, all the listeners, to reach out to Ellie or to ourselves and find that click, you know, you need somebody to click with that can do the work for you because not everybody will know about the business that you're running. Not everybody will be able to help you with the business that you're running. I'm sure there are times that you would like to stay away from certain industries or, you know, everybody has their their pros and cons for each industry out there.
Oh, for sure. Like, that's completely true. And actually, one of the best things about Ireland is obviously we're so small. Pretty much all those VA's know each other. So when it comes to say, for example, I got an enquiry, but it wasn't services that I provided by Michael. I know who because of that, you know, and you might pass on a name. But recently Ireland's first and dedicated virtual assistant directory was launched. It was a collaboration between myself and Catherine Tobin of Click on It. At the moment we have over 40 virtual assistants, all Irish based, and that business owners comprise and actually find the kind of virtual assistant they're looking for.
Brilliant, brilliant. And I would say, you know, go for interviews with people. And it works both ways because it's not a hiring system. You know, it's not about being an employee. You are a sole trader. You are self-employed. You have your other clients. And that's something that you have to you know, the business that's hiring you has to understand to
I was say that I can actually see using a virtual assistant as a way of reaching yourself to getting ready to employ someone.
Definitely.
Yeah. Because, you know, you may not have enough work initially, but as you building up, it's you know, it's very difficult to employ somebody with a full time pay if you haven't got the full time work coming in. So this might be a really good way to help grow your business as well. So that when you I mean, it's hard luck to the poor VA isn't going to be. But then they've got another person. They will come along and set and engage them X amount of hours each time. That's about being freelance.
Exactly. And actually what a lot of people are doing as well is instead of like, of course, it's a great way to transition into hiring an employee, figuring out what you can actually give an employee to do in your business. What a lot of business owners are doing now is actually they have freelance teams instead of employees. And I'm actually part of one. One of my clients has just a team of freelancers. And even though we're all freelance, it doesn't feel that way. We do feel like a team.
So it is like an email address of your own for that company.
Yes. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, exactly. So you do still feel like you're part of the team of working together, even though we are all freelancers.
Yeah. And you still can have your your other projects and your other clients. You know that that's that's the way we work it here at IPA Group as well. I had another question, but it's gone out of my head. So we're going to I've got
I've got one anyway. And you say you use Asana for project management and tell us a little bit more about Asana. Like I know it's project management, but is it time management as well as our calendaring that prompts you to do stuff?
It it does. It prompts you with tasks. So Inners, for example, if I was working with a particular client, we could have our different projects and say one of those is social media, another could be admin, and then within those projects you add tasks and when you add those tasks, you get to assign them to a person. It's assigned to me that client wants me to do X and then they can put a due date on it as well.
So then they will need to email you know, or call you or just go straight Asana. Oh, my God. OK.
And then you get a notification.
I get a notification. And within that they can actually put a description to say, oh, this is what this is about and you can actually comment and talk to each other on a thread in the task so that emails aren't going back and forth. It is really great for keeping everything in one place instead of where does that email go from two weeks ago that they asked me, you know, it keeps everything organised.
Yeah. And they can add in there like any documents or any uploads and stuff as well. Right. So, yeah. Yeah, there are. I just have to say, because we are not being sponsored by Asana, there are other platforms available and we have used Trello, we have used Infinity , there are Monday there are Lud. So yeah. So find one that works for you. I think that's the main thing today to take away is find a VA to help with the small things so that you can continue growing your business. And whether that's for one hour a month, an hour a day, you know, up to whatever the VA is and yourself are comfortable with, set your boundaries on both sides and. Have your platforms in place for doing all this work.
Just one last question. Actually, two last questions, and I say long enough that we are said. But now in the last two questions for me anyway, is how, I know you can be organised for maybe an hour or so, but is there a formal contract that you have to organise with a VA contract?
Yeah, OK, yeah, it will be a client agreement now. I mean, I don't know if every VA uses them. I would recommend that they do. And that's kind of the common advice out there. And but yes, most of us would have a client agreement that we would both sign with the client before the work actually starts
so managing each other's expectations of each other.
Well, yeah, that really is what it's what it sets out within them. It's really, you know, what times you're available, for example, that you may not work on your holiday weekend. So, you know, like certain things like that or Christmas. And then
You don't work on Christmas, Ellie what's wrong with you?
Oh God I take the week off
Weeks? Goodness, Melanie, do you get time off at Christmas?
OK, so my second question, and I'm working towards my third, but my second question is where can we learn more about you, Ellie? Where can we get information about who you are, what you do?
You can visit my website, which is my virtualassociate.ie Or Connect on Social. I'm Ellie Clougher everywhere on all the social and I love connecting with new people. And it's honestly it's that's another huge part of working virtually. It's actually really important to connect with other people that work virtually because you do work by yourself. And you know, it's nice to form those relationships with other people online.
And can anybody get in touch with you? I know you said, you know, it's important not to work Irish holidays. So can anyone contact you from America, from the UK, Australia? You know, anybody in the world?
Yeah. Anyone can get in touch. And even if they're looking for something that I might not usually provide, I can probably point them in the right direction
because of this directory.
Exactly.
OK, well, thank you so much, Ali. We really appreciate you coming on. And we wanted you to explain how it could work for an everyday business and gives him an insight from from your perspective on how it can work for them, because it is kind of scary handing over the reins to anybody.
So thank you very much, Ellie, and we will be back next week with more Monday morning marketing. I'll see you later, guys,
Bye for now.