8 Virtual Assistant Time Management Tips That Will Help You Stop Losing Money

Virtual Assistant time management is crucial because as entrepreneurs our time is a valuable commodity. We need to learn to manage it, otherwise, it will manage us. Especially if you’re a Virtual Assistant that is paid for their time. Time is money! If you do not learn how to manage your time you are losing money and possibly clients.

If you think you are managing your time effectively, try this easy exercise: Keep a log of what you do each day for a week. Include all interruptions, distractions, how many times you stop and start tasks, etc. This is an eye-opening exercise that helps you see just how much time gets away from you and why you have to implement a Virtual Assistant time management system. What did you learn from this exercise? Share below and inspire others to do the same!

Let me share a few of the tips that have helped me over the years.  If you’re someone like me that suffers from shiny object syndrome and procrastinates when it comes to doing “yucky” tasks these Virtual Assistant time management tips might help!

My Virtual Assistant Time Management Tips

#1 – Stop Multi-Tasking

• This is something they cherish in corporate America but it doesn’t work when you’re supporting multiple clients.
• Focus on finishing what you start as best as you can. I know not all tasks can be completed in one sitting but resist the urge to work on more than one thing at a time. Especially if it’s for different clients.

#2 – Schedule Your Day

• Schedule everything you do each day and not just the obvious ones.
• Schedule time to move, stretch, work on yourself, work on your business, etc.
• Then, do your best to stick to your schedule. It might take practice and some tweaking but you can develop this helpful habit.

#3 – Work In Batches

• Schedule certain days of the week for client or discovery calls. Don’t do them every day – it makes it hard to stay focused and on tasks.
• For example, I scheduled all my client calls on Tuesdays and discovery calls on Thursdays.

#4 – Eat The Frog

• Do the yucky tasks first.
• These are the tasks that you don’t like and they seem to be the ones you move from day to day on your schedule.
• Get them over with first and stop letting them take up critical brain space.

#5 – Work In Short Bursts

• I work in 20-30 minute bursts to help keep my shiny object syndrome in check.
• The Pomodoro Technique is a great one and there are many browser extensions that make it easy to stick to it.

#6 – Learn Your Peak Energy Hours

• Figure out your peak energy hours.
• These are the hours in the day where you do your best work.

#7 – Process For Interruptions

• Have a process for getting back to work when you’re interrupted.
• For example, if I have an unexpected interruption, I’ll use the time right after to walk around and stretch before getting back to it.

#8 – Manage Your Inbox

• Don’t leave your inbox open all the time.
• Instead, schedule time to check your emails 2-3 times a day.
• Be sure to add this to your Business Policies so your clients understand how you manage your email.

It’s amazing how these simple tips can help you save time each day and, in the process, become more organized and efficient. If you have tips you’d like to share, please do so below.

You can learn even more about the processes and simple hacks that will help you to build a professional business relationship with your clients in my post, Virtual Assistant Client Management 101: How To Show You’re Worth Every Penny!

Thanks for reading and listening – Susan