When it comes to virtual assistant tools, a lot of what you need is going to depend on what you do.Specifically, when you are looking for references and resources to have in your VA business office, you’re going to need different tools if you work with real estate agents that you will need to have if you are going to be working with authors or designers.

In general, there are some guidelines for the tools that you’ll want to have:

1. A dictionary and thesaurus. Even if you primarily use online versions, if you’re doing writing for your clients – whether you are writing for their websites or you’re writing business letters – you will want to be sure that you’re creating content that people want to read and that spells and uses words correctly.
2. Marketing guides. Even if you have participated in some marketing training as a part of your VA business, it’s a good idea to have a reference book or two that can refresh your memory is create a spark of inspiration.
3. Software related to the industry that you’re working in. Is there a must-have that everyone in your clients’ field uses? If so, you should have it too.

What virtual assistant tools do you have? Are their guides that you consult often?

One of the most essential tools for virtual assistants is the ability to know what you can contribute to a small business owner.

Knowing what you can do to improve a client’s business is going to help you to do three things:

1. Market yourself to clients;
2. Prepare you for the services that you’ll offer; and,
3. Ensure that you are able to give clients what they need.

But even once you know what clients are going to need and what you can do to help, you’ll need to add something else to your virtual assistant toolbox: the ability to communicate your knowledge to business owners that you hope will become your clients.

Let your prospects know (and make them understand) that if they are trying to create their schedules and talk on the phone with one client while they are driving to see another that, chances are good that they aren’t really being there for any of their clients. As a virtual assistant, you can track their schedule, answer calls and let them focus on getting through the day one day at a time.

Then, once you’ve hooked your prospects with these basic virtual assistant tools, you’ll find that the next step is letting them know what else you can do for them.

When it comes to running a business, virtual assistants have many tools at their disposal.

Business training.

Business training is an essential virtual assistant tool for a number of reasons. The most important reason, of course, is that many who are becoming virtual assistants have a lot of information about being an assistant and not as much information about running a business of their own. Whether it’s marketing training or training on how to use particular software, knowledge is important.

Software and office tools

The software that you use in your virtual assistant business is also really important, but when you get right down to it do you really need Microsoft Office, or could you use an open source alternative that would perform all of the same functions? Reviews of software and other tools that you’ll need in your home office are extremely useful when you are running a VA business – without the right tools, it’s hard to get the job done.

Recommendations from established virtual assistants.

Whether you have questions about how to attract new clients or collect payment from a client that’s been balking for a while, a great virtual assistant tool is access to a great VA network so that you can get the advice that you need when you need it.

In other words, the VA tools that fall into the category of must have basics are those that make your job easier every step of the way.

Every virtual assistant sometimes needs a little bit of help – in and of itself, that’s a great reason to join a virtual assistant network – and that’s what gets us looking for VA tools that can make everything go a bit more smoothly throughout the day.

In some cases, those tools are going to be key pieces of software that help you to track the time that you spend working on things or alarm programs for your computer that sound reminders when you need to call a client. There are times when you’re going to need tools that will help you to manage your workflow and resources that you can fall back on to help you get things done the right way.

That’s why sometimes what you are going to find is that one of the best VA tools that’s available to you is the assistance of another virtual assistant.

When you’re the member of a VA network, you’ll find that you’re able to meet others who can bail you out when you’re in a jam – whether it’s by suggesting software, pinch hitting for you on a project or offering the encouragement that you need to keep things moving forward with a challenging client relationship.

Virtual assistants need to have a toolkit that they can go to to help them through the basics of day to day operations. Some of your VA tools are going to be related to the software that you use, the internet access that you have and other office basics. In some cases though, it’s good to create an interview or questionnaire to use as a foundation.

For example, do you have a new client interview that focuses on questions that you would ask when a new client calls about your services?

You can focus on the most basic questions like:

1. Have you worked with a virtual assistant before?
2. What’s your business all about?
3. What types of projects do you have in mind?
4. What do you expect from working with a virtual assistant?
5. How will we communicate?

Or you can focus on more specific questions if you prefer, but the basic gist is that you need to be able to get to know someone who calls about your services and you’ll need to be able to determine whether or not you could get the job done, fit it into your schedule. In other words, you want to be able to tell from the first conversation whether or not you and the client will be a match.

A simple list of questions to ask and have answers can save you a lot of hassle down the road.

Different virtual assistants tend to use different tools in order to meet the needs of their clients and keep their businesses running smoothly. This is particularly true when it comes to choosing the software that you’ll use in your virtual assistant business.

For example, virtual assistants who are going to be doing a lot of correspondence work are going to want to be sure that they have an office suite – a word processor, a spreadsheet program, etc. However, that doesn’t mean that you are always going to need to have the name brand, high-priced software; various open source programs can also give you access to the programs that are compatible and that will enable you to save documents in those formats without the high price tag.

Virtual assistants who provide web design services are going to find that they need access to different tools than those who provide accounting services. Those who work with real estate professionals are going to need to have access to different programs than those who work with lawyers.

Finding the right tools for your virtual assistant business is going to require a few things. You’ll need to know which services you’re going to offer. You’ll need to know what your clients are looking for. And then you’ll need to be able to talk with other VAs to find out which tools they have found to be the most valuable.

When you have the right tools, it’s far easier to ensure the success of your business, to help your clients and to simplify those tasks that you’ll be taking on each and every day.

It’s funny what tools some people will tell you you need to start a VA business. Take this for example:

(source)You want to have a phone line, computer, printer and high speed internet connection. A fax line is another option that you might want to consider. Depending on the services you will be offering you might also need Microsoft Front Page, Word, Excel, etc. The basic tools needed are the first few that were mentioned – phone line, computer, printer and high speed internet – but depending on the areas of expertise that you will be offering will help you decide on any additional tools that you might need.

Now, that’s not to say that a phone line where your clients can reach you isn’t important, but it neglects the concept of using a Voice Over IP service that lets you use your high speed connection to make calls. If you want to send and receive faxes, you can also use online services (the best option if you’re using a VoIP service for your phone since fax machines need an analog line). Of course, if you’re going to have a traditional phone service and fax line, consider an all-in-one printer rather than separate fax, print and copy machines.

Now that we’ve gone through those virtual assistant tools let’s take a look at the software part of that argument. Yes, it will probably be helpful to have a web design program that you can use to design sites for your clients, but there are free editors available. Likewise, OpenOffice – an open source office suite – is free and allows you to save documents in all of the common Microsoft formats.

What you really need is the software that your clients expect you to have, great ways to communicate, a great way to market your services and an understanding that sometimes you can start small and get better tools once you’re more established.