How to be more organised as a Virtual Assistant or a Freelancer

Feb 25, 2018
2 min read

As a new Virtual Assistant, I’m often asked how I keep myself organised whilst simultaneously running personal errands as a full time mom, coordinating events in my pharmacy business and managing my course as a Freelancer. I usually just smile and say it’s a God-given talent, but actually there are many systems and tools that can help if you’re not a naturally organised person.

There are tons of apps and free online tools to help you get sorted, not to mention those helpful applications given by second family, Coach Grace of the Filipino Virtual Assistance. Just need to find ones you like that also suit the nature of your business. And aside from those, here are the working systems I recommend:

1. Schedule everything – If you don’t schedule things then chances are they’ll never get

done – plus you can realistically see if and when you’re going to fit everything in. I don’t just schedule meetings but I also add time slots to work on tasks and time to write blog posts and other Virtual Assistance work. You can also schedule social media updates using Buffer and Hootsuite. Keep relevant by not scheduling too far ahead.

2. Have a to-do list – I use my notepad to write brief summaries of everything I need to do as a Virtual Assistant that week. Sometimes I number the tasks in order of importance and I rewrite the list every day.

3. Plan the week ahead on Sunday night – Write your to-do list for the week as a mom, a businesswoman and a Virtual Assistant when the phone is quiet and emails aren’t coming in.

4. Review your week on Friday afternoons – You may find you don’t always need to, but it’s good practice to see if everything is going as planned or if changes need to be made and scheduled.

5. Keep your inbox clean – Make sure you inbox is only being used for work emails as a Virtual Assistant or Freelancer rather than newsletters and LinkedIn updates. Either set up a new email address for non-work emails, create filters so they bypass your inbox, and review their usefulness regularly. If you always delete them then go and unsubscribe!

6. Don’t keep your email open when you work – You’ll never get anything done otherwise. Just check it every few hours or at morning, lunchtime and the end of the day. People will phone you if it’s really important.

There are many other ways and systems that help you to become more organised as a Virtual Assistant or Freelancer, but these basic tools and systems are enough to get you on track and help you work more effectively.