Life can tend to get a little crazy sometimes.
Building your business, raising a family, managing your home and fulfilling your countless responsibilities. Every one of those things on their own are wonderful!
There was a time in my life when I worked for two very high profile clients, started my business all while adopting our fourth daughter. Crazy? Maybe, but needless to say, I had to have a system or else I was going have a disaster on my hands.
One of the most intricate parts of this job is keeping myself and my clients on track.
How did I do it, you ask? Well, let me tell you…
1. Everything Gets a Color
I live and die by my google calendar. Whether you’re managing one calendar or 15 calendars, it’s important to label each one. We have a several calendars for different projects and each one is color coded.
For Example:
- Personal: Purple
- General: Blue
- Meetings: Light Blue
- Podcasts: Green
- Live Events: Orange
It may seem complicated, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to look at a glance and know where you need to be and when (and, if the appointment requires makeup!). If you’re managing this for your client, they’ll love the efficiency!
2. Always Stay One Step Ahead
One of the most loved traits of a VA is always staying one step ahead. This will help you avoid disasters ahead and will make your client feel valued. It isn’t hard, it’s just a matter of being proactive.
- How can you do that? Start by confirming every appointment the week prior.
- Check the calendar details. Make sure that you have Skype IDs for everyone involved in the call. If they’re using a different platform, make sure that you have the correct link and pertinent information that will be needed for the call.
- Is it an interview? Get the interview questions ahead of time and put them in the calendar. It’s a one stop shop for links and topics. Your client doesn’t need to spend time shuffling through their inbox trying to figure out where in the world their call is taking place and what they’re talking about. They’ll feel calm, cool and collected by the start of the call.
3. Get In-Sync
It’s more than just a band in the 90s. You’ll say “Bye-Bye-Bye” to calendar questions when you sync your calendar with your clients and team members. In doing so, everyone will stay on the same page. I don’t know what we did before calendar sharing, but it has been a lifesaver for me!
Often times, we get so caught up in the more complicated side of the VA business that we forget the simple things (like showing up on time). By following these steps, your client will arrive on time and prepared.
If you’re looking for more options to stay on track, I have a couple of extra resources for you.
I’m in LOVE with the offline feature that Google Calendar offers. It’s perfect for days when you’re stuck in a blizzard without power. True story…. I’ll save that for another day!
Want to pop your to-do list into your calendar? No problem! This handy little article gives great advice on this feature and several more that might be up your alley.
How to you keep your clients organized?
