How Project Management is Useful to a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants, are unique workers in that their work involves a lot of multi-tasking. They will be managing a social site while designing at the same time, managing email lists, marketing stuff and sourcing for cheap flights at a go. Therefore, it means they need to plan their time and tasks very carefully lest they mess up some of their work. This is where project management tools or task management apps come in handy.

Project management is simply the discipline of organizing, planning and executing work or a team of workers to achieve set goals while attaining efficiency. This means a VA needs project management to run their work smoothly.

Below are various ways that project management is useful to VAs:

• Amount of work

In most cases VAs have multiple projects at hand, it is paramount for one to know how much work they can handle within a given time so one doesn’t become overwhelmed. I have a number of clients and I use Asana which is more of a task management tool which helps me stay focused and productive. Other VAs, use either Trello or pen and paper 🙂

• Time blocking

The other use of project management in VA work is utilization of time. When a VA has a project at hand, they can decide to break it down into chunks for easier execution. Therefore, they can determine how much time the task (project) needs and break it into smaller units. For this, I use an app which is also a browser extension called Rescue.

• Outsourcing

Outsourcing is common especially if you have a dedicated team. For a tool like Asana, you can create a team and invite members to the project so you can assign various tasks to them. It also allows the owner to set deadlines for the projects at hand. This helps for smooth running of the client’s business. That said, the VA has to utilize project management to distribute the tasks. They also need it to keep track of the work as well as know how to budget for the efficiency of payment.

If you want to know how I can help you in Project management, feel free to schedule a free consultation and let me assist you in this.

Therefore, when they outline the amount of time a project is supposed to take, then can let their employers know of the expected cost. Similarly, after working for sometime while keeping track of the time consumed, they can send accurate bills to the clients.

Evidently, as this post suggests, project management is one of the most important skills that a virtual assistant needs.