How To Utilize A Virtual Assistant This Holiday Season

Time is rarely on your side.

Even if you are a disciplined, organized, methodical, and efficient small business owner, you likely still feel the crunch of the clock on a near-daily basis. Head down, door closed, charging through your to-do list with little-to-no distractions… you look up, surprised to find the day is almost over. 

Where did the hours go? 

Time can feel elusive and incredibly finite, even during relatively calm periods when everything is on track and somewhat manageable. Getting everything done each day is a logistical puzzle. 

Small business ownership is not for the faint of heart, even under the best circumstances.

'TIS THE SEASON

Each year, the additional pressures of the holiday hustle make the time you do have feel cut in half. 

Increased networking events, holiday party invitations, hosting employee gatherings, making time for shopping and gift giving, sending out holiday cards, creating client appreciation incentives, maintaining family traditions and expectations… all while your employees and team members are looking to take some much-deserved time off.

Logging your typical long work hours might not feel enough with the added demands of holiday happenings. But where - and how - can you find more time?

As a small business owner, preparing for the upcoming holiday season is critical to protecting your business… and your sanity!

To get everything done that your business and your personal life requires, we suggest outsourcing some of your regular, end-of-year, or holiday-related tasks to a capable virtual assistant.

PROTECT THE TIME YOU HAVE

Do you already have a Freedom Maker as part of your remote team?  You are already halfway to help.

While some clients feel reluctant to ask their Freedom Maker to help them with things outside the scope of their current relationship, our military spouse virtual assistants have a service mindset and know how to get the job done - whatever that job is. They are multitaskers who have a variety of skills that they would love the opportunity to exercise.

Whether they help you with your social media management, client onboarding, invoicing, research, or CRM management, your Freedom Maker can also help you with holiday-related tasks and projects - even if those tasks are more personal in nature.  It might seem difficult to navigate, but you simply need to have an exploratory conversation with your Freedom Maker!  We are confident you will discover that they are happy to help you with whatever needs doing - even if what needs to get done isn’t “business” related.

So, think about what might steal your time - and joy - this holiday season, and then open up a dialogue. Are there tasks and events looming in the next few months that are causing you stress?  Are you already losing sleep, wondering how you will get it all done?

Check out the following list of project-based tasks that your virtual assistant will be more than happy to help you with this holiday season!

(If you don't yet have a Freedom Maker, no worries! Use this list to get inspired about outsourcing. Know that our internal team can quickly get you started with a virtual assistant so you can get everything done before the new year begins!)

TASKS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER OUTSOURCING DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

• Additional Administrative Tasks
• Handing off additional items from your company's to-do list will leave more time for holiday joy!  Think about tasking your Freedom Maker with email and calendar maintenance, social media management, data entry, and invoice follow-up.  Check out our services page for ways other small business owners utilize their virtual assistants.
• Research into Charitable Giving
• This time of year, many small businesses look to give back to the communities that support them. Your Freedom Maker can research ways your company or family can contribute to a meaningful, charitable cause this holiday season.
• Ordering of Company Swag
• Let a virtual assistant build that brand awareness by researching and ordering a new supply of functional and fun items that promote your business. Your Freedom Maker can help you find the most cost-effective way to head into the new year with your logo on some cool stuff!
• Holiday Gathering Event Planning & Coordination
• Are you hosting your neighborhood’s holiday block party? In charge of an online Zoom happy hour? Your virtual assistant can research/select/purchase prizes, build photo slideshows, and organize themes and games. They can take care of all the little things you don't have the brain space for. 
• Blog Writing (Get Some In The Bank For Busy Times)
• In just a few hours, a Freedom Maker can help you pre-write blogs for the busy weeks heading into the holidays, so you don't have to spend hours at your computer keeping up with your SEO.
• Plan, Write & Send Holiday Newsletters
• Are you thinking about announcing an end-of-year sale? Do you need some eye-catching graphics to include in your special-edition newsletter? Let a Freedom Maker build, schedule, and send it out – error-free.
• Address List Maintenance (Business & Personal)
• Have friends or family members moved since the last time you send them a holiday greeting? Do you have new clients in your CRM that should be added to specific mailing lists? You need to reconcile your address list if you send holiday cards each year! This is the perfect task for a virtual assistant. They can even purchase your cards, stamps, and mailing supplies, saving you time and a trip to the dreaded post office.
• Customer Holiday Gift Management (including research, purchase & delivery)
• It's the giving season! Your customers and clients will appreciate small tokens of your appreciation this holiday season. A Freedom Maker can do all the legwork to make them feel valued by you and your business. 
• Cost Audit Analysis For The Upcoming Year
• Are you unclear about where your cash flow is going? Are you suspicious that your monthly business or personal subscriptions are unnecessarily eating into your bank account? A Freedom Maker virtual assistant can look at all your accounts for you so you can get a solid picture and understanding of where all the dollars are going. It is great to head into the new year with a clear picture of your finances!
• Enhance Your Holiday Packaging
• A virtual assistant can help you curate inserts for your customer mailings that are holiday themed. Think postcards, branded stickers, or cards. Outsourcing this small project to a Freedom Maker will have a big impact on your customers.
• Planning, Creation, and Execution of Holiday Promotions On Social Media Platforms
• Let a Freedom Maker help you run a giveaway or promotion on your social media platforms to give thanks to your community this holiday season. They will help you run a contest, illicit feedback through polls, or share a discount only available to online followers. 
• Holiday Vacation Cover (Customer Relations When Employees Are Out)
• Outsource your business's “front office” interface while your offices are empty. Your virtual assistant can respond to website inquiries and email requests during holiday and vacation periods when your regular customer service coverage might be thin.
• Capturing And Creating A "Look Ahead" Calendar For 2023
• Do you have sticky notes and scraps of paper with good ideas all over your office or digital workspace? Let a Freedom Maker create a calendar filled with your brainstorms, so you don't lose your next significant innovation as you head into 2023. A virtual assistant can also introduce you to a project management system like Asana to help you take charge of and track all your plans in the new year.
• 2023 Strategic Planning Prep
• Want to get started planning a company retreat or strategic planning session? Your Freedom Maker can research facilitators, costs, locations, and even book spaces to take this task off your plate.
• End-Of-Year E-File / CRM / Database Clean Up
• If your CRM is a mess and your files are just thrown into your Google drive without rhyme or reason, you can use a Freedom Maker to organize your files and eliminate any redundancies. They can help you document, streamline and manage your records this holiday season, so your 2023 starts off on the right foot.

PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF, YOUR FREEDOM MAKER CAN DO

The tasks and ideas listed above are only some of the things you should consider handing off to a virtual assistant during the upcoming busy holiday season. Short-term projects, one-off endeavors, end-of-year activities… our Freedom Makers have the flexibility and desire to help you with whatever you need.

Consider what you could outsource to help you find more time for joy and peace this holiday season! Then contact us (either your Freedom Maker or our internal team) and let us make that happen for you!