You've hired a Virtual Assistant, now what? Have you determined how a VA fits into your business plan? The #1 tip for effectively using a VA is to determine your expectations. Do you want someone immediately when you need them? Do you want them to work on a whim? Do you want someone who is an expert in everything? Expectations determine what type of VA you need. VA's work best when you have systems in place where they can work on their own with little input from you. 

Set the right expectations. What do you want accomplished? When do you want it done? What is the turnaround time? How best do you want to communicate with your VA -- email, texts, etc.? Consider "set it and forget it" systems -- systems that you have in place that do not require a lot of input. Establish triggers that let your VA know when it's time for action. Tools such as templates, logins, etc., should be shared with your VA so as to allow them to initiate tasks without your assistance. Actions, or work that needs to be done, should be clearly laid out as well.

Before hiring a VA, determine your expectations to ensure you find the right person. The right fit will allow you to focus on the important pieces of your business while having peace of mind that your VA will take care of the tasks that do not require your immediate attention. The #1 Tip to Effectively Using a Virtual Assistant

To-do lists are important in running a successful business. They allow you to be more productive and are also good indicators of how useful a Virtual Assistant (VA) can be. Once you've made your list, you can determine what you need to handle personally and what can be outsourced. Identify one or two things on your list that you can outsource. To-do lists are fluid documents; review them periodically and update as needed. You may find more items on your list that can be outsourced. Think of your list as an inverted pyramid. At the top (the widest part) are tasks that need to get done, but aren't as urgent, such as preparing for your children's activities. At the bottom of the pyramid (the tip) are the tasks most important. The problem that arises is things at the bottom of the pyramid are not completed because too much time is spent on the least important to-dos and, thus, taking up more space in your brain as well as more energy. When the pyramid inverts, you become less productive. 

So, how should your to-do list be handled and, therefore, make you more productive? Here are 5 ways to help you tackle your list. First, eat the frog. Yes, you read that correctly. "Eat the frog" is a term that means to do the least interesting task first. Just go ahead and get it over with and out of the way. Time blocking is another method. With time blocking, specific blocks of time are set aside for each task. Once the allotted time is over, move on to the next task. The Pomodoro Technique is similar to time blocking, but instead of assigning specific amounts of time to a given task, work is broken down into intervals   separated by short breaks. Traditionally, the intervals are 25 minutes in length with breaks of 10-15 minutes. Why not start out with the smallest (in regards to time) tasks first? Take those easy victories up front! And, finally, put technology to work. With the large selection of tools available today to help you manage your to-do list, there's bound to be one to fit your needs and personality. 

With all these great tips on how to make your to-do list more manageable, what are you waiting for? Get to work!

Have you been searching for the elusive Rockstar Virtual Assistant, someone who can handle everything for you? Sorry to burst your bubble, but he/she doesn't exist. Think about when you are in your Zone of Genius, focused on a specific task, and working diligently to complete it in a timely manner. Now, immediately shift gears and start working on a different task. Shift again. It becomes confusing and unproductive, doesn't it? The same thing would happen to the mythological Rockstar Virtual Assistant as well. It would be easier for you to hire 2 people instead of just one -- for example, hire a VA to handle administrative tasks and another VA to handle marketing. Each VA would work in their specific Zone of Genius and make life easier for all. Outsourcing -- allows you to stay focused on your Zone of Genius. For more about outsourcing and Zone of Genius, watch Laura Renner's video "The Myth of a Rockstar Virtual Assistant."

When it comes to running a business, are you "working to live" or "living to work"? Hopefully, it's not the latter. Think about why you started your business and how you can make it run more efficiently and, therefore, allow you to spend more time living and less time working. Recently, FreedomMakers founder, Laura Renner, shared her insights on building freedom on all levels of your business on Episode 45 of Nourishing Real Talk  with hosts Lindsey Allen and Jenna Teague, both entrepreneurs themselves. ​Laura says that in the beginning of designing your business, you first need to decide on the type of life you want and how many hours a day and days a week you want to work to build your business and design your business so that you are only working that amount of time. Does your business vision include working 4 hours per day 4 days per week? Then make a plan based on what you want to accomplish during that 16 hours. Use momentum and ease as cues when building your business. And don't forget to delegate. Removing yourself as the bottleneck can be a daunting task, but with a reliable VA, this is possible. However, without systems in place, a VA becomes another item you have to handle, which negates the notion of delegation. Set it and forget it. Let your VA take on tasks that will allow you to focus on the big picture. Maintaining motivation -- what Laura refers to as "a different kind of hard" -- over the long term can also be a challenge. Take a listen and hear about Laura's brilliant solution for handling email, along with many other life hacks that will give you time to live more and work less. 

*Nourishing Real Talk is for "fearlessly authentic women and multi-passionate entrepreneurs who are all about living their lives and doing business on their own terms."

Are you a rugby fan? If so, you might have noticed that FreedomMakers was mentioned in the latest Bootstraps Business, Start Ups, Creative Commercial Opportunities, Success Stories, Etc., section of InTouch Rugby. What does FreedomMakers have to do with rugby? Well, did you know that Laura Renner, founder of FreedomMakers, coaches a girls' rugby team? Read more about Laura here.

Stress...it's a part of our every day lives. Our "to-do" lists are growing and it seems the days are getting shorter. Take control of the stressors; don't let them control you. As a business owner, stress reduction is important to you and your clients.  3 Ways to Reduce Stress

Quality...it's what you get when you work with a Freedom Maker Virtual Assistant. Our VAs are so good that clients find themselves handing over more tasks knowing that the job will get done in a timely manner and the end product will be of the highest quality, thus freeing up time for clients to focus on more important items. Here's what one client had to say about his Freedom Maker VA: " Over the past couple of weeks, I've really noticed that I have more headspace and have been able to put in an extra hour or two of billable hours per day, so it's working out well. Thanks!" -- Manish C.

You've taken the first step and hired a Virtual Assistant (VA). Now what? If you are not using your VA appropriately, you're wasting money, time, and energy. You hired a VA to help ease your workload, right? Click here to find out more about the one common mistake employers should avoid when working with a VA. 

Letting go is difficult for many people, but is necessary in order to run a successful business. Delegating not only saves you time and energy, but makes you more money as well. Learn more about the benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant in this latest video: Help! I Want to Hire a VA but I'm a Control Freak.

When you run a business, you tend to focus on ways to save money and not so much on saving time and energy. In this latest video for the Female, Fearless, and Financially Flourishing group, learn about ways to let go of tasks that take more time and energy than they should and how to create a "set it and forget it" system so you can focus on your zone of genius and making more money. Time vs. Money vs. Energy