"Back Office" revealed

After seeing or hearing a definition for "administrative" or "back office" tasks, people often ask for more details. So glad to oblige - following is an incomplete list of what a VA would likely do for a client:

• Handle email or US mail, handling most and forwarding to you just those which need your attention
• Make appointments, keep a schedule
• Personal/business paperwork
• Make/receive phone calls/inquiries
• Send/receive faxes
• Research of all sorts
• Plan meetings and events
• Plan parties (business and   personal), weddings, reunions
• Make travel arrangements - business and personal Renewing passports Dining reservations (local and while traveling) Golf tee time reservations Theme park tickets Site seeing tours Worldwide weather information Turn-by-turn driving directions
• Handle reservations for seminars given by clients
• Coordination of web design/hosting
• Mailings
• Writing
• Proof reading
• Copy editing
• Canceling, creating, renewing subscriptions
• Desktop publishing, Newsletter publishing (print and internet)
• Coordination of web design/hosting
• Mailings
• Buy/send gifts/cards for customers of clients
• Addressing holiday cards
• Reminder service
• Transcription and Dictation
• Advocate for billing disputes
• Complaint handling
• Create/maintain databases
• Relocation services help and research

Of course everyone has a unique business and may need only a few of these tasks done, or there may be details to handle that others may never encounter. In any case, when you work in partnership with the Virtual Assistant who understands your business goals and approach to them, you have someone who works professionally and creatively to help you business succeed.