7 Amazing Tools to Use for a Thriving Virtual Assistant Business
Are you ready to step up your virtual assistant business game? Great, then listen up!
As a virtual assistant, you’re probably serving so many different types of clients and have a variety of responsibilities. You offer the perfect solution for busy business owners, whether they’re solopreneurs or already have a small team assembled.
But it’s not enough to have just a strong skill set and good hustle. You need to supercharge your business by using tools that’ll not only save you time but also help you grow in more ways than one!
So I’m sharing 7 amazing software applications below that I’ve been using since I started my VA biz, and they have been life changing.
Let’s go!
7 Tools You Need to Use in Your Virtual Assistant Business Right Now
The *ULTIMATE* project management tool, it’s seriously so good! Because you can manage all your to-dos, projects, client deadlines, checklists… basically anything and everything under one roof.
One of my favorite features of ClickUp is the visual workflow charts I can create for any given project.
I map out the tasks and deadlines in a Gantt chart, assign the proper team members, and everyone can see the big picture of the project that we’re working on.
Here’s a sneak peek at the workflow I mapped out for working with my intern! This really helped me visualize our month together and also let my intern know what the expectations and due dates were!
Slack is so deep you can organize your chats by project, create channels for different departments or teams, and create separate threads.
It’s the *best* way to keep team and client communication organized. For example, one of my clients is an Influencer and online educator so in our Slack Workspace, I have channels like: DM Inbox, FB Group, Coaching, Invoices, Hiring, Press Interviews, etc.
So any questions we have about a certain topic only exist in the corresponding channel.
But the best features…you can mark messages as unread and set reminders on messages you get so you never miss a thing.
By setting up communication this way, NOTHING slips through the cracks.
You can thank me later.
The simplest graphic design tool for bloggers, small businesses, and VAs.
There’s no need to fumble around with complicated programs like Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator because Canva has it all!
Not only can you create eye-catching graphics (like the ones you see on my Instagram) but they also make it easy to customize colors, fonts, sizing, and more.
I had no idea how to use it when I first started, but now I LOVE making graphics.
PRO TIP: TikTok has so many amazing tutorials and hacks! Just search “canvatips”.
There’s truly nothing more annoying than trying to coordinate a meeting with someone via email, especially when it takes 3 or 4 replies to finally nail something down.
Calendly takes the back-and-forth guesswork out of scheduling meetings. Let’s say you want to make yourself available for discovery calls…It’ll let you create a schedule of your availability so that your prospective clients can see when you’re free and book their call with you in advance.
All you do is set your availability during certain days and times, you provide the booking link, and they select the time that works for them. It’s all synced up with Zoom, too, so they get a meeting link sent straight to their inbox and calendar.
I mostly use Calendly for discovery calls with potential clients and for my 60-min strategy calls. Calendly also lets you accept payment through their Stripe integration, which makes hosting paid masterclasses or strategy calls a breeze!
My favorite Instagram planning app! I use this every day to plan out my IG feed to make sure it’s aesthetically pleasing.
Some of the features that I love are:
- Making a grid for my photo preferences
- Planning out my feed a week in advance
- Figuring out which Canva graphics will look good where
I can’t stress how much time it saves me from choosing what to post, what to repost or what to edit. This tool keeps me on track!
The best hashtag finder! This online tool is incredible for finding competitive hashtags that will make your content work harder for you! I love that you can create different hashtag “collections”, too.
For example, I have a “Virtual Assistant” collection where I search for the most competitive hashtags for the VA niche. But then I have a “Reels” collection where I have specific hashtags for Reels content.
Maybe you have a client in the fashion niche or food niche. Using Flick to find the most competitive hashtags for their content is going to be so helpful.
I love this video editing app, which is what I use for some of my Reels and TikToks. It’s perfect for vlog-type videos. With Inshot, you can:
- Add a voiceover
- Trim and place clips wherever you want
- Add your logo and text to the video
- Play with speed to make videos more upbeat or dramatic
I’ve been using it lately to create quick explainer videos on my page that are easier than writing out paragraphs! And I also used it to edit together my “Intern Hiring Process” IGTV!
Virtual assistants have some of the most creative and intuitive minds, so why not experiment with various software apps to explore your organizational productivity?
Start with one app at a time and find what you like best about it.
YOU GOT THIS!
What are your favorite tools to use? Did I miss any that you love? Let me know in the comments below!
Are you more of a visual person? Watch this quick vid to see the tools I use!
