MY TOP 3 FREE SOFTWARE PROGRAMMES FOR MY ONLINE VIRTUAL ASSISTANT BUSINESS
TOGGL TRACK
From the moment I began my journey as a Virtual Assistant, I knew that being able to record my working time accurately and efficiently would be important for both me and my clients and after much research and many recommendations, I chose Toggl Track @toggl and wouldn't be without it now. From the start, I found it easy to set-up and navigate and I use it both via my laptop and the app on my phone when I am on the move which is really handy.
I like to regularly review where I am spending my time and can provide clients with detailed reports on where I am spending my time, particularly useful if I want to record time spent on a specific project, task or area of their business. The geek in me also finds the pie chart graphic on the dashboard really handy as it gives a clearly visual guide to where I have spent my time that week or month.
CANVA
For professional, eye-catching images for your social media posts, email signatures or marketing activities there really isn't anything better that Canva @canva. I find the programme intuitive and user friendly, and even with the free version there are literally thousands of templates and design ideas so you are never short of inspiration.
I have watched a few online tutorials where I have picked up some handy design tips, but mostly I have taught myself. There is the option to upgrade to a pro licence but I think the free version is more than enough.
TRELLO
I am sure there isn't a Virtual Assistant out there that doesn't use something (other than a trusty notepad and pen) to help them manage their workload. Trello @trello is a web-based task management system and is one of my 'can't live without' tools.
As soon as I turn on my computer in the morning I open up my email client and then I open up Trello; straight away I have a visual reminder on my project boards of the tasks I need to focus on for that day in clear priority order. I can also share boards with clients so they can add tasks and view my progress which is great for communication and cuts down on unnecessary emails.
In fact, I love this tool so much I set up a couple of Personal project boards to help me keep track of tasks that I need to do in my home life! With two young children, a husband, a home to run and a business, it's so useful being able to jot things down as and when I think of them so they wont get forgotten!
