Here I was with a Virus on my computer. Not that that in itself is so bad. The thing was as soon as I removed it, it came back. Of course I had installed Virus protection and Internet security. You know, I work with MAC computers, and don’t they say these beautiful devices don’t need Anti Virus protection. Well, even the virus gurus and hackers are getting more and more viruses on their MACs.
1. Even if you are a dedicated MAC user, if you share files, any which way, you need virus protection. This is now written in my P&P document that forms part of my contract. Every client, no matter the platform, must agree to have updated virus protection.
2. File sharing: There are a few options, such as Dropbox and GoggleDrive. Both work well and have their own advantages. One huge advantage of Dropbox is that once the Desktop app is downloaded, one can work offline on any given document. Disadvantage: only one user can work on the document at a time and have the changes saved. Google Drive, however, syncs continuously, even if everyone with editing privileges is working on the same document at the same time. I admit, I am not the greatest Google Fan, but I am growing to like Google Docs more and more because of this last point.
3. Set up a separate email for your Virtual Assistant under your Domain. In all probability, your VA will correspond with your customers so you will want them to know immediately that she is a team member. It also helps with your company’s branding.
4. Over time, you will need a product management tool such as Asana, Basecamp, Teamwork, etc. There are many such suites and each of them works slightly different. What you’ll want is something that captures tasks, let’s you set deadlines, has team integration, and has a calendar for easy viewing of all the tasks and who is assigned what along with the status. You’ll also want to be able to comment on – and in – tasks, and keep correspondence between you, your VA and other team members within the suite. Attachment of files is another must have.
These are only a few “must haves”. Which other tools do you use with your VA?