If you just started your VA career and don't have yet sufficient budget to purchase licensed programs to help your day-to-day job you can acquire free tools on the internet. I will list down some of the few tools I used when I was starting out in this business. Like you, I was really skeptic to buy software apps and other tools yet because I was more after increasing my income and not spending too much on things that I can acquire for free. However, remember that as you grow your virtual assistant business, it is very important that you leverage your tools as well. It will not only ease your job but it will also showcase and display professionalism towards your clients.
Here are some few free tools that I believe most VA's use or need to use for their business.
Operating System
I think this is the number one tool you need as a VA. You'll always be needing word, PowerPoint, excel spreadsheet, publisher especially if you write a lot and one note if you are like me who love things as organized as can be. If you are not ready yet to cash out for a Windows operating system you can try Open Office (www.openoffice.org) the OS is free and can be downloaded easily.
Project Collaboration & document sharing tool
1. Google Docs - always free and available for everybody to use.
You will find it very useful especially to documents that needs constant changing, this tool will help you share the documents with your clients or your team and you can update or work on one document simultaneously. Just always remember to have a back-up copy in case of technical glitches.
2. Dropbox - very handy and available to access on many devices. You can save a document in your tablet or even in your smartphone and take it with you anywhere you go. You can even access your files on any computer as long as you have an internet connection and free yourself from worrying if you forgot to send someone a file when you go out-of-town on a vacation, just simply share a folder or a document with them and tada! that Dropbox works MAGIC!
3. Scribd - is a great online document sharing site plus it is an awesome tool for marketing your business' documents online! It has great features especially for PDF files and the site allows you to connect with other people on your network or target niche.
4. 4Shared - although I personally haven't used it yet, I heard that it is also an awesome tool for sharing documents online, just like Dropbox or Google Docs, you can share almost any file types.
For super huge files such as videos with large file properties or high-resolution images I personally use We Transfer and Mediafire.
There are other project management tools that really work wonders! However they require a bit of $ from you but you'll discover that it's all worth it!
Some few examples are Backpack, Trello, Unfuddle and many other great project collaboration tools available within your reach.
CRM Systems
As a starter, I used to have an old school database which is excel spreadsheet. Later on I discover many other free programs such as Mailchimp. Mailchimp is actually intended for newsletter campaigns but it is also a great tool to save your contacts. It also has great functionalities that will help you grow your list even bigger such as opt-in form, contact form and subscribe form. The best part? It is FREE!
Instant messengers & VOIP
Skype is always the number one choice for me. I used it both for incoming and outgoing calls. A few bucks is required if you want to have your own international online number that your clients can call when needed, you can also have a voicemail and has the option to send you email notifications whenever you got one!
If you are looking for a tool that will allow you to have a US number and receive international calls for FREE, you can try magic jack. It has a feature that allows you to have a number that people in the US can call as if they are calling you locally. Google voice has offered free outgoing calls for some time now but not quite certain if they still do at present or if they already require purchasing credits.
I also have used Vonage before however I really loved Skype more. Having an online number is such a breeze especially to your clients.
Email and Web browser
It is a no-brainer. You need an email for everyday communication to your clients, teams and other contacts. Having an email address with your own company domain name is really very impressive and professional looking but if you are not yet ready to purchase your own domain name you can always acquire free emails from Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail. Just bear in mind to have an appropriate username in your emails. It will showcase your professionalism. I personally recommend you TO AVOID emails like "spicenaugthygurl" or "manhater" @ domain.com name. You sure don't want to have an "impression" (I meant 'that kind of impression' that you know I'm talking about') to your clients, do you? Your name or your business name for example, is always a good start. It will help your clients remember who you are and what services you are representing.
Microsoft outlook is really very useful. Use it to track tasks, save contacts, follow-up with emails, flag and share to do's, manage calendars, send and set reminders etc.
Depending on what niche you're in, there are variety of tools to choose from and are readily available for you. If you are an accountant VA then you need Accounting software. A few examples are MYOB, Freshbooks or Quickbooks. Adobe Photoshop is always in demand if you are a graphic or web designer.
Other useful tools
Jing - very handy and easy to use, Jing can help you create snapshots or record "how to" videos in minutes!
PrimoPDF - to convert Word docs to PDF file format.
Time tracker - some sites already have time tracking apps available but if you are working in your own system without a pre-configured time tracker you may want to research for time tracking devices. Remember your time is precious, it is very important that you keep track on hours that you work so you can bill your clients accurately. If you have a smartphone or a tablet you might want to try Time Manager or Timecard Pro.
Again there are many tools that you will encounter as you go along, it is important to know and recognize which works better for you.
Contact me joanna@thevirtualassistantdiary.com if you need assistance in this area. I'd be more than happy to assist you.
Whether you are a new VA seeking help in setting up for the first time, or you are a business owner that needs help organizing these things for you.
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