Running a successful business can be very strenuous and time-consuming. At times it might feel like there aren’t enough hours in day to get everything done, and as a result, your business might suffer.

Luckily, you have the option to outsource some of the tasks that don’t require your immediate attention so that you aren’t spreading yourself too thin. Choosing what to delegate can be a challenge, so take a look at some of the tasks you can outsource and come up on top.

1.     Growing your database of contacts

Whether you have a set list of contacts in a database, that require more information or you are looking to put together a database of leads from scratch, your virtual assistant can do the hard work.

Perhaps you would like to add Twitter handles, LinkedIn addresses, Facebook pages to your sprawling excel sheet of potential leads. These are fantastic means through which you can get significant information and grow you relationship with your contacts but this kind of online research is time-consuming.

With a VA you don’t need to worry about that. Set up the guidelines of what you are looking for and have them execute what you need so you can concentrate on what you do best.

2.      Follow up with important contacts

Think about how many times you met someone important and got their contact information but never actually got around to follow it up. This is where a Virtual Assistant can be of help. They can make sure that the information you gather is filed for future use and they can send personalized greetings email which establish valuable communication. You can set up a template you are comfortable with and have your Virtual Assistant send it out. This ensures you have a database of contacts to communicate with electronically.

Why not hook up with them on LinkedIn as well and set yourself apart with a personalized message?

3.      Social Media Management

Nowadays Social Media are an important pillar of many businesses. Making sure they run smoothly is top priority as it is one of the best ways to get exposure, to advertise and to grow your ventures. The number one thing to be mindful of with Social Media is regular posting. This is something that can be very repetitive and time-consuming depending on when and how you post your content. However, there are a number of platforms your Social Media virtual assistant can use to ensure your Social Media is on track. They can research, schedule, upload and consolidate content without much trouble and save you precious time. Some of the free software available is Hootsuite, Buffer, MavSocial, Tweetdeck, Likeable Hub.

4.      Research

Research is one of the pivotal steps in expanding your business. Research can take ages, whether it’s competitor research, looking into new markets, new productions, trending topics, blog content, researching royalty free images - whatever it may be, research is vital and often slow. A lot of this leg work can be offloaded.

It is not possible to be a successful entrepreneur without delegating and you most likely do not have a lot of free time on your hands to devote to basic research, but your virtual assistant does. With a little guidance into what you’re after, you can find yourself sifting through targeted information rather than sweeping the internet to find what you need.

5.      Newsletters

Everyone knows how time-consuming putting content into newsletters actually is. It’s not just a copy and paste job, but you need to take into account image research and creation, email title, snippets, main text, formatting and scheduling. Fortunately you can delegate this task to your virtual assistant and simply check it’s all fine, before giving the ok!

Most virtual assistants have some experience in this field, whether you use gmail to answer a few emails or more standard industry email and marketing automation platforms like Mailchimp.

However you can make the process of delegation even easier, with applications like Screenflow to record yourself putting a newsletter together for the first time, so that way your assistant has something to refer to. Apart from Screenflow other free software you can use is TinyTake, Ezvid, CamStudio.

Author: Thomas Smallwood is an outsourcing specialist. Having worked in companies around Europe, from the support desk to the boardroom, he founded bizee.co to help small businesses grow through efficient delegation to skilled virtual assistants. He is an award-winning blogger and a passionate advocate for mental health awareness.

Connect with Tom on LinkedIn.